Anonymous wrote:Virginia Beach. T-W-Th (some years also Monday) room with a kitchenette either ocean front or across Atlantic Ave. $400

Gas $50

Food (I buy here and bring) $100

One evening at that little carnival/ice cream $50

We also really pump it up as a *BIG DEAL* vacation. I wouldn’t want my kid to think it’s less than.

We’ve taken our kids on vacations that cost a decent amount (though not lavish) and simple ones. The simple ones where all the cousins get together are their favorites. Carnival rides, pool, and beach. Site seeing is like meh. Maybe they will appreciate it when older.

Grew up a child of divorce and money was tight. Vacations were camping trips in my own state or to an amusement park (usually same say). To this day, I’m not thrilled to go camping or canoeing. I can now afford business class to Europe and five star hotels. That said, I still look for bargains and use points for upgrades, etc.

When I was in my 20s (though single), I really, really used points, credit cards with points, etc and signed up for every rewards card (like Starwood, etc) to help make traveling more affordable. When I didn’t have a car, I sometimes found weekly deals for $17/day for rental cars. I signed up for email updates from travelzoo to get the latest deals. Getting hotel and airfare deals through orbitz etc also helped. I also used to use last minute.com to get last-minute travel deals for cheap.

Virginia Beach. T-W-Th (some years also Monday) room with a kitchenette either ocean front or across Atlantic Ave. $400

Gas $50

Food (I buy here and bring) $100

One evening at that little carnival/ice cream $50

We also really pump it up as a *BIG DEAL* vacation. I wouldn’t want my kid to think it’s less than.

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.

We visited family, but they happened to live within an hour of the beach. So we always had a beach day or 2.

Lots of families where I'm from did Myrtle Beach (so many lodging options) or state parks with lakes (there are dozens in WV). Summersville Lake, Sherwood, etc. Cheap and you have a body of water so it feels like a vacation. Look for vacation spots where the population is middle class and you'll find better bargains.

Ocean City!

Kids love it and I love the beach. Affordable and easy and relaxing.

I grew up middle-middle-class, or whatever you would call living-in-an-affluent-community-with-both-parents-working-old-cars-public-schools-and-always-worrying-about-money.

Travel was a big priority for my mother. Most of our trips were a) driving trips to b) visit family or friends that c) included really cool things to do. We often ended up borrowing a beach house in Washington State from a family member and spending a week on Puget Sound -- crabbing, clam digging, hiking, etc. We stopped at Crater Lake on the way up to WA State, or drove up the Oregon Coast, or drove from Seattle to Yellowstone and back to California. We logged a lot of time in the wood-paneled station wagon!

We did not camp, because my mother hated camping. We typically stayed in motels on the nights we weren't staying with family or friends. We cooked for ourselves where we could, and ate at Denny's-level restaurants if we could not.

I imagine we spent more time and money on travel than similarly-situated families, even though it was at a modest level -- as I said, it was a big family priority.

Anonymous wrote:

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

+1 Camping is maybe 20$ a night at the more expensive campgrounds (plus the gear, which is a cost initially but eventually pays off if you camp a lot). And yeah, we visit family--free digs!

More than that these days... but still you can see beautiful places!

Anonymous wrote:This has derailed, but I'll still throw in my utterly MC family's 1980s vacations:

- Weekend at King's Dominion, camping at nearby campground
- Lancaster, PA to amish country (camping!)
- Multiple families crammed into non-beachfront rentals at the Jersey Shore. (No tvs, certainly no AC)
- One of our family friends bought an RV, so there was yes, yet MORE camping. The adults slept in the RV and the kids slept in tents.

Family meals for all of these vacations were cheap, Duggar-style casseroles, maybe grilled hotdogs or campers stew. Generic giant bags of cereal for breakfast, powdered reconstituted milk, bologna sandwiches and capri sun for lunch. Someone might spring for donuts or a crab boil one day. The highlight of any of these trips was the one evening outing where we played mini golf or went to the boardwalk and got an airbrushed t-shirt. Couples would rotate a night out while the other couples watched all the kids.

It was awesome and I remember it so fondly! Simple and fun.

everything but the powdered milk sounds awesome.

This has derailed, but I'll still throw in my utterly MC family's 1980s vacations:

- Weekend at King's Dominion, camping at nearby campground
- Lancaster, PA to amish country (camping!)
- Multiple families crammed into non-beachfront rentals at the Jersey Shore. (No tvs, certainly no AC)
- One of our family friends bought an RV, so there was yes, yet MORE camping. The adults slept in the RV and the kids slept in tents.

Family meals for all of these vacations were cheap, Duggar-style casseroles, maybe grilled hotdogs or campers stew. Generic giant bags of cereal for breakfast, powdered reconstituted milk, bologna sandwiches and capri sun for lunch. Someone might spring for donuts or a crab boil one day. The highlight of any of these trips was the one evening outing where we played mini golf or went to the boardwalk and got an airbrushed t-shirt. Couples would rotate a night out while the other couples watched all the kids.

It was awesome and I remember it so fondly! Simple and fun.

I grew up MC and we stayed with relatives at a beach house every two years; otherwise, we just drove 12 hours and stayed at grandma's house for a week every summer.

We did go to Disney once because my dad had a work trip and hotel was paid for, and to California once because he had never traveled out of his state as a child and wanted us to have one really nice vacation during our childhood.

A good friend who grew up working class didn't have that. Dad was a truck driver, mom a sahm who sold Tupperware. Three kids. They rented a motel room a few counties away for 3-4 nights with a pool, and just hung out.

Anonymous wrote:How are people making $200K not able to take vacations. We make less, don't take a lot of vacations, partly out of choice but when we do we have plenty of cash/savings to do it. How are people screaming that is low or middle class or they are broke?

1. Student loans
2. House poor
3. Daycare
4. Maxing out retirement and beyond
5. Expensive car loans
6. AP demands fancy restaurants and gifts

How are people making $200K not able to take vacations. We make less, don't take a lot of vacations, partly out of choice but when we do we have plenty of cash/savings to do it. How are people screaming that is low or middle class or they are broke?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Especially in this area. And I mean middle class not UMC. Not “I make 200k plus but I feel middle class.” Even some of the beaches DCUM sneers at can be pricey. Are people going into debt to afford it?

Is $200K considered UMC in the DC area if it's the sum total income of BOTH partners?

Yes it’s UMC not MC

According to the Pew calculator, up to $225 for a family of 6 in the DC metro area including MD and VA is middle class. $230 for 6 pushes you into upper.

The Pew calculator only has 3 sections. $230K pushes you into Upper Class, not UMC. The top part of the middle class is the UMC.

I grew up middle-middle class. My family always took vacations, at least one week a year but often two weeks plus several weekends. We did it by driving and generally staying at rustic cabins on lakes. (Think no heat/AC, propane stove, no fridge just cooler, etc.) We went if in off season when we could. Visited state and national parks for entertainment. Used discount coupons for other activities. Ate fish caught by us for dinner. Used a friend's club membership to stay at a lodge cheaply for several long weekend trips. Sometimes including camping (borrowed equipment from family friends). It was a priority, so my parents always made it work.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:To the single mom who can’t save and saw our trip as a “waste”. You’re right.

A person with a closed mindset probably would never be able to do this.

I really didn’t talk about my savings plan and how I made it happen, so that plays a lot into it. Also there are many sacrifices that some people would never be able to make that enabled me to save.

Here are a few (but not all):

1. Cut the cable cord. Annual savings = $1,200
2. Reduced afterschool time to 3 days per week . Annual savings = $900
3. Use money that would have been spent on camps = 200x2 kids x3 weeks = $1,200
4. WiFi share with a neighbor (PayPal a neighbor $25 a month)
5. Worked very little part time (less than 10 hours a week) making $50-$100 per week driving Uber = $2500
6. Drove a used hybrid (so no car payment )

There are many more suggestions but just those four is 3100 bucks.

Most times in life it’s not a matter of can’t do; it’s a matter of wont do.

single mom who posted above - do you really think on my income in this area I don't know how to penny pinch? Please just don't start with the penny pinching ideas and think you are suddenly going to have some new one or that penny pinching makes a big dent in low income/HCOL situation.

I penny pinch to just get by every day As do many families in this area with lower incomes.

1. Cut the cable cord. Annual savings = $1,200 - Done a long time ago. Except I still need internet so that's $60 a month - and yes of course I have called around and checked for better deals. I do it all the time.
2. Reduced afterschool time to 3 days per week . Annual savings = $900 -so my kid would do what after school while I work?
3. Use money that would have been spent on camps = 200x2 kids x3 weeks = $1,200 - Where is this $200 summer camp that includes camp + the before or after care I need. Not in the DMV area that's for sure. And no, even rec camp is more expensive then that. And camp isn't some luxury, It's care for my child during the summer so I can work.
4. WiFi share with a neighbor (PayPal a neighbor $25 a month) That's a no go because again see #1. And that assumes some neighbor wants you sharing.
5. Worked very little part time (less than 10 hours a week) making $50-$100 per week driving Uber = $2500 - I can bring my kid along while I drive Uber. And there is no wear and tear on my car and my insurance rate doesn't go up? Really??
6. Drove a used hybrid (so no car payment ) - Yes, absolutely, I should buy a used hybrid to replace my paid off older car. That will certainly make sense.

Dp here with a couple thoughts:

1) sharing wifi may not be the best idea.
2) immediate pp REALLY NEEDS a vacation.