Where do lower to middle class families go on vacation for the summer?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This thread is timely. I’m actually struggling trying to find an affordable hotel/Airbnb near the DELMARVA beach and so far unsuccessful. Can’t afford the big chain hotels and the cheaper nicer motels has a three night weeekend during the holiday weekends or in the summer. We are a household of 4 with HHI of $150K. We definitely fall in the MC group. BTW I hate camping (the tent kind) so that’s a no go. We don’t have family in the country either.

I think you're missing the point--you're being too picky/selective and when you are "lower middle class" and want to take your family on vacation, you don't have that luxury.

Maybe don't stay at a DELMARVA beach; look into Virginia Beach, New Jersey beaches, etc.

If the hotel you can afford requires 3 nights stay, check into what it would take for you to stay 3 nights. Are 3 nights there cheaper than 2 at the other hotels?

And you refuse to camp so...

Lower your standards or make other sacrifices so you can raise your vacation budget.

NP here. $150 isn’t even that low. My DH made $140 when my kids were little and I was staying home and we definitely still did a beach rental for a week in the late summer/shoulder season (Labor Day week.)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Sorry if original post was snarky. I was just truly curious how average MC families take vacations. I guess DCUM is not a reflection of most MC families. I read these posts and I’m like geez am I failing my kids by not giving them these awesome vacations? People write here like going to the Caribbean and/or Europe is the norm for most families. I know I should be grateful. I’m going to read all this again and read suggestions.

I don't know if this is true for Europe or the Caribbean but I do feel this is true for the beach or Florida and I feel like we don't go anywhere. Florida involves a flight for us (can't tolerate long drives) and we are not fans of East Coast beaches (I can imagine why anyone would spend a mortgage payment for a week in a house in Ocean City or NC). Therefore any vacation we do is going to be pretty pricey so we just don't go. I hate the September question "how was your summer?" like it's supposed to be a fundamentally different time period. Judging from attendance at our community pool though I would say people really do travel. In August our pool is absolutely dead because everyone is away.

I can't imagine not going on vacation. We still vacationed as a family of 6 with a HHI of $160ish...including trips that involve planes.

Anyone can travel. It's all about priorities. We live frugally year round so we can take nice trips throughout the year. The people I know who snark at us like "Must be nice to go to X...wish I could afford a trip to X" tend to blow money in obvious ways on lunch at work, Starbucks, mani/pedis, fancy makeup/hair care, cleaning service/lawn service, constantly eating out/takeout, beer/wine/booze, concerts/movies, organic everything, skiing, fancy car, a house they really can't afford, random crap from target, always decorating their houses, etc. Add that up; it's a trip to Europe.

pp here. We don't do most of those things. Our HHI is 215K but it's our SN kid that eats up all our disposable income. I used to be a world traveler and have lived abroad. My kid also has anxiety and with all the planning and work that goes into a trip I just don't find it that fun. I never thought I would be this way. It was through going on trips and spending money then coming homing and thinking "wow that was hard" that we gradually cut down. Not sure if we will go anywhere this summer.

[Anonymous]

I was a kid in the 90's, we were probably poor but I never really noticed that much. My mother was a single mother with 3 kids but every summer she would get us Season Passes to King's Dominion and we were so thrilled to get to go there a couple times a summer. That was our vacation. We made a day trip of it and would pack all our snacks and lunches. We never bought any of the souvenirs there ever because we knew we couldn't afford it. But that was fine with us. I loved going on the latest roller coasters over and over again. We were excited to just get out of the house and spend time with our family. I loved the amusement park and have fond memories.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Sorry if original post was snarky. I was just truly curious how average MC families take vacations. I guess DCUM is not a reflection of most MC families. I read these posts and I’m like geez am I failing my kids by not giving them these awesome vacations? People write here like going to the Caribbean and/or Europe is the norm for most families. I know I should be grateful. I’m going to read all this again and read suggestions.

I don't know if this is true for Europe or the Caribbean but I do feel this is true for the beach or Florida and I feel like we don't go anywhere. Florida involves a flight for us (can't tolerate long drives) and we are not fans of East Coast beaches (I can imagine why anyone would spend a mortgage payment for a week in a house in Ocean City or NC). Therefore any vacation we do is going to be pretty pricey so we just don't go. I hate the September question "how was your summer?" like it's supposed to be a fundamentally different time period. Judging from attendance at our community pool though I would say people really do travel. In August our pool is absolutely dead because everyone is away.

I can't imagine not going on vacation. We still vacationed as a family of 6 with a HHI of $160ish...including trips that involve planes.

Anyone can travel. It's all about priorities. We live frugally year round so we can take nice trips throughout the year. The people I know who snark at us like "Must be nice to go to X...wish I could afford a trip to X" tend to blow money in obvious ways on lunch at work, Starbucks, mani/pedis, fancy makeup/hair care, cleaning service/lawn service, constantly eating out/takeout, beer/wine/booze, concerts/movies, organic everything, skiing, fancy car, a house they really can't afford, random crap from target, always decorating their houses, etc. Add that up; it's a trip to Europe.

pp here. We don't do most of those things. Our HHI is 215K but it's our SN kid that eats up all our disposable income. I used to be a world traveler and have lived abroad. My kid also has anxiety and with all the planning and work that goes into a trip I just don't find it that fun. I never thought I would be this way. It was through going on trips and spending money then coming homing and thinking "wow that was hard" that we gradually cut down. Not sure if we will go anywhere this summer.

PP please find a good psychologist and psychiatrist for your child to be able to cope with situations involving travel. The more one avoids what they are scared of, the worse the fear. Better to develop your child’s coping skills through therapy and also use medications if needed so he/she can handle what life brings them to avoid it because it causes him/her stress and anxiety.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We go camping or to visit family. Can not afford hotel / house at the beach.

This is what we did when I was a kid.

Us too. We were lucky in that we had some extended family who lived on cape cod so that was how we got our beach time in. And other family in Orlando so once my folks splurged for plane tickets and we stayed with family and went to Disney for a couple days.

We can afford to do a bit more than my parents could but still like to do outdoor trips with our kids. More cabins at the moment since they are still young, it’s just less stress.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This thread is timely. I’m actually struggling trying to find an affordable hotel/Airbnb near the DELMARVA beach and so far unsuccessful. Can’t afford the big chain hotels and the cheaper nicer motels has a three night weeekend during the holiday weekends or in the summer. We are a household of 4 with HHI of $150K. We definitely fall in the MC group. BTW I hate camping (the tent kind) so that’s a no go. We don’t have family in the country either.

Check the outer banks or NJ. We did a week with my family on the jersey shore last summer, there were more affordable options than Delmarva. We found a bunch in NC too, it was just too far for my folks to travel. Can you go in the off season? Prices drop a lot.

Are you open to a lake instead? I was scoping out the finger lakes in NY and there were a lot of house rental options.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This thread is timely. I’m actually struggling trying to find an affordable hotel/Airbnb near the DELMARVA beach and so far unsuccessful. Can’t afford the big chain hotels and the cheaper nicer motels has a three night weeekend during the holiday weekends or in the summer. We are a household of 4 with HHI of $150K. We definitely fall in the MC group. BTW I hate camping (the tent kind) so that’s a no go. We don’t have family in the country either.

I think you're missing the point--you're being too picky/selective and when you are "lower middle class" and want to take your family on vacation, you don't have that luxury.

Maybe don't stay at a DELMARVA beach; look into Virginia Beach, New Jersey beaches, etc.

If the hotel you can afford requires 3 nights stay, check into what it would take for you to stay 3 nights. Are 3 nights there cheaper than 2 at the other hotels?

And you refuse to camp so...

Lower your standards or make other sacrifices so you can raise your vacation budget.

NP here. $150 isn’t even that low. My DH made $140 when my kids were little and I was staying home and we definitely still did a beach rental for a week in the late summer/shoulder season (Labor Day week.)

DP. Yeah but it depends on your other expenses. Our HHI is also $150k but that’s dual income with two kids in daycare. Our vacation budget will definitely increase once this kids are in school but right now we tend towards cheaper options like visiting state and national parks or meeting up with our families somewhere.

[Anonymous]

I grew up pretty poor in VA - free/reduced lunch in elementary in middle, parents made more when I was in HS but never 6 figures combined. We went on vacations every year - camping at either Shenandoah or VA Beach. Tent camping for years, then cabins, and now my folks stay in cheap hotels (and some of them are real dumps). Went to Disney once, and every few years to Vegas/CA where we stayed with family, never in a hotel. I'm asking myself the same question now that we are solid MC but still can't afford some of these extravagant trips people take.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This thread is timely. I’m actually struggling trying to find an affordable hotel/Airbnb near the DELMARVA beach and so far unsuccessful. Can’t afford the big chain hotels and the cheaper nicer motels has a three night weeekend during the holiday weekends or in the summer. We are a household of 4 with HHI of $150K. We definitely fall in the MC group. BTW I hate camping (the tent kind) so that’s a no go. We don’t have family in the country either.

I think you're missing the point--you're being too picky/selective and when you are "lower middle class" and want to take your family on vacation, you don't have that luxury.

Maybe don't stay at a DELMARVA beach; look into Virginia Beach, New Jersey beaches, etc.

If the hotel you can afford requires 3 nights stay, check into what it would take for you to stay 3 nights. Are 3 nights there cheaper than 2 at the other hotels?

And you refuse to camp so...

Lower your standards or make other sacrifices so you can raise your vacation budget.

NP here. $150 isn’t even that low. My DH made $140 when my kids were little and I was staying home and we definitely still did a beach rental for a week in the late summer/shoulder season (Labor Day week.)

DP. Yeah but it depends on your other expenses. Our HHI is also $150k but that’s dual income with two kids in daycare. Our vacation budget will definitely increase once this kids are in school but right now we tend towards cheaper options like visiting state and national parks or meeting up with our families somewhere.

I was the original "lower middle class income" poster. Yes, $150K with 2 kids in daycare. The $140K poster is SAHM. It's not about how much you earn necessary but how much you get to keep. I am sure $140K household with no childcare has a lot more disposable income than we do.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Sorry if original post was snarky. I was just truly curious how average MC families take vacations. I guess DCUM is not a reflection of most MC families. I read these posts and I’m like geez am I failing my kids by not giving them these awesome vacations? People write here like going to the Caribbean and/or Europe is the norm for most families. I know I should be grateful. I’m going to read all this again and read suggestions.

I don't know if this is true for Europe or the Caribbean but I do feel this is true for the beach or Florida and I feel like we don't go anywhere. Florida involves a flight for us (can't tolerate long drives) and we are not fans of East Coast beaches (I can imagine why anyone would spend a mortgage payment for a week in a house in Ocean City or NC). Therefore any vacation we do is going to be pretty pricey so we just don't go. I hate the September question "how was your summer?" like it's supposed to be a fundamentally different time period. Judging from attendance at our community pool though I would say people really do travel. In August our pool is absolutely dead because everyone is away.

I can't imagine not going on vacation. We still vacationed as a family of 6 with a HHI of $160ish...including trips that involve planes.

Anyone can travel. It's all about priorities. We live frugally year round so we can take nice trips throughout the year. The people I know who snark at us like "Must be nice to go to X...wish I could afford a trip to X" tend to blow money in obvious ways on lunch at work, Starbucks, mani/pedis, fancy makeup/hair care, cleaning service/lawn service, constantly eating out/takeout, beer/wine/booze, concerts/movies, organic everything, skiing, fancy car, a house they really can't afford, random crap from target, always decorating their houses, etc. Add that up; it's a trip to Europe.

pp here. We don't do most of those things. Our HHI is 215K but it's our SN kid that eats up all our disposable income. I used to be a world traveler and have lived abroad. My kid also has anxiety and with all the planning and work that goes into a trip I just don't find it that fun. I never thought I would be this way. It was through going on trips and spending money then coming homing and thinking "wow that was hard" that we gradually cut down. Not sure if we will go anywhere this summer.

PP please find a good psychologist and psychiatrist for your child to be able to cope with situations involving travel. The more one avoids what they are scared of, the worse the fear. Better to develop your child’s coping skills through therapy and also use medications if needed so he/she can handle what life brings them to avoid it because it causes him/her stress and anxiety.

+1.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This thread is timely. I’m actually struggling trying to find an affordable hotel/Airbnb near the DELMARVA beach and so far unsuccessful. Can’t afford the big chain hotels and the cheaper nicer motels has a three night weeekend during the holiday weekends or in the summer. We are a household of 4 with HHI of $150K. We definitely fall in the MC group. BTW I hate camping (the tent kind) so that’s a no go. We don’t have family in the country either.

I think you're missing the point--you're being too picky/selective and when you are "lower middle class" and want to take your family on vacation, you don't have that luxury.

Maybe don't stay at a DELMARVA beach; look into Virginia Beach, New Jersey beaches, etc.

If the hotel you can afford requires 3 nights stay, check into what it would take for you to stay 3 nights. Are 3 nights there cheaper than 2 at the other hotels?

And you refuse to camp so...

Lower your standards or make other sacrifices so you can raise your vacation budget.

A PP here and you must be the postwr thinking you are doling out some great wisdom when you mentioned cutting cable

VA beaches cost just slightly less than OC MD and also have the minimum rule. And clearly you haven’t been to OC MD lately bc even the oldest, basic motel in season is easily close to $200 per night (rate + taxes and fees). OC NJ runs about 20% more than OC MD btw.

And I don’t blame a mom or dad who works hard all year and wants a vacation and doesn’t want to camp. They might actually want to take a real break and not have to do all the grocery shopping, start campfires, cook and try and clean up pans at a campsite. They likely also don’t want to be stuck in heat and humidity on an uncomfortable ground sleeping for a few nights. That’s so uncomfortable. And no it’s not being spoiled and yes middle income people deserve a break too.

Thank you, thank you. Yes! VA beach is slightly cheaper than the beaches in Delaware or OC. OC is not cheap either!

yes, I refuse to camp. I have a 3 year old and a 9 month old.... it is not convenient or practical for camping. I can't even imagine how we would keep the bottles clean for the baby. In any case, I don't like camping.

[Anonymous]

Camping in the Adirondacks.

[Anonymous]

For the parents with kids in daycare-FYI you might not have that much more disposable income once they are in school with activities and summer camp. I never knew how $$$ summer camp could be. I am not taking about the expensive specialty ones...just the rec center ones.

[Anonymous]

I grew up LMC. I remember just 2-3 vacations over the years and they involved driving somewhere and staying in a Super 8 type motel. One trip was to an amusement park and another was to attend some MLB games. We ate fast food and snacks from 7-11. No souvenirs or anything like that. It was still enormously fun.

[Anonymous]

First time I went on a week+ vacation with both of my parents was the summer before I headed off to college. I have memories of going to Ocean City on a Saturday, spending half the day going from motel to motel to find one that allowed a single night stay (most have 2-night minimums), and then driving home the next day. We also would go for day trips to the beach, leaving early morning and coming back late at night. My parents grew up poor (not U.S. poor - no running water or electricity poor) and "vacations" were just not something that was in their realm of experience, so we never did them.