Cut Your Travel Budget By Not Going Anywhere @ The Roundup

by Silicon Valley Blogger on September 7, 2008

For now, I’ve planned to make deep cuts to my travel budget by not heading to any place exotic nor too distant. But I’m wavering on some decisions on this matter, which I’m expounding on below.

Excuses Not To Travel

I’m supposed to be going on a trip this October to an alumni reunion with my high school class. It’s my 25th high school reunion (can you believe it?) and it’s being held halfway around the world. I have been debating whether I should go, and I’m leaning towards the decision *not* to go — a decision I justify with a hundred and one excuses.

high school class
If you peer hard enough, you may spot me in this pic. ;) Maybe.

Well, as much as I think I’d really have a great time going back to revisit my “childhood” so to speak, and donning costumes to perform silly numbers in front of our families in a huge gathering with all my former classmates, I am NOT — at this time — ready to travel the 16 hours (one way) it takes to make the visit. I’ll only be staying a short while if I go, maybe less than a week, so it would be quite exhausting.

I’m also not keen on spending the money right now. With our cash flow tight, I’m not entirely excited about plunking over a thousand dollars to make this trip. Our cash situation, along with my fear of flying alone, is probably why I say I’m not ready to travel just yet…. All that plus the fear of wearing silly costumes in the alumni parade (images of which will no doubt be planted on YouTube and circulated around freely).

Still, I’m sure that I’ll regret this decision for the rest of my life… :(

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{ 16 comments… read them below or add one }

1 jim of Blueprint for Financial Prosperity September 7, 2008 at 11:32 am

Are you the tree?

2 Silicon Valley Blogger September 7, 2008 at 11:56 am

OMG haha! That is too funny. Well, given how that photo looks like, I guess being the tree isn’t too bad! LOL! But the question is — should I stay or should I go? :)

3 ericabiz September 7, 2008 at 12:48 pm

Hi! Just wondering what you’ll think you’ll regret. I made the decision not to go to Burning Man this year, in large part because last year it cost us almost $5,000 because we bought an old RV that then became temperamental and broke down on the way home.

I went to a friend’s party last night where he showed pictures of all of my former campmates at Burning Man this year. While sad that I didn’t go this year, I don’t regret it, since I know it wasn’t worth my personal/emotional time.

So what, in particular, do you think you’ll regret from not going? Ponder that, and then see if there are ways to alleviate it. If it’s just seeing and hearing from all of your old school friends, catch up with them online or by phone and stoke some of those old memories. If it’s something deeper, how else can you replace it with another memorable experience?

-Erica

4 Eden September 7, 2008 at 3:43 pm

I don’t really miss anyone from high school, so the decision would be easy for me. However, if you really care about these people and think it would be a great time, it probably is worth the expense (really not that much money in the big picture of life). 16 hours of travel sounds awful though.

5 Mr Credit Card September 7, 2008 at 5:27 pm

Thanks for mentioning my post. BTW – If you are even thinking about whether to go or not, then it is best to stay.

Mr CC

6 Andrew September 8, 2008 at 4:04 am

I wouldn’t regret not going. Times are tight right now, maybe you can catch the 30th.

7 Patrick September 8, 2008 at 4:49 pm

If you truly think you will regret it, then it is probably worth going. But, like Mr. Credit Card says, if you need to mull over the decision, it’s probably best to stay. good luck with your decision! :)

Thanks for the mention. :)

8 nina September 9, 2008 at 1:18 am

I would love to go and catch up with my highschool buddies but if it will be a financial burden to fly home to attend a reunion, maybe, I won’t go. I don’t want to make a trip I can’t afford.

9 Moneymonk September 9, 2008 at 9:07 am

no one seems happy in that picture

10 Silicon Valley Blogger September 9, 2008 at 6:52 pm

Thanks for all your thoughts guys. Though I continue to ruminate over what to do about my reunion, I believe I’m a bit more at ease now with what I’m going to do, which is to stay put. I’m not going anywhere for now. I’m sure I’ll hear a lot about it from friends who *will* take the flight from here and make the visit (I’ve got a few former classmates who live a stone’s throw from me in the Bay Area).

Sorry that the students look grim in that class pic. It must’ve been a really hot day ;) .

11 MoneyBeagle September 10, 2008 at 9:19 am

Thanks for the mention of my post in your round up! I appreciate the read and pointing people over!

12 BW September 14, 2008 at 8:09 am

I haven’t traveled outside of my home state for nearly three and a half years. Some people love to travel, but I have a good time just using the internet, so I don’t feel like I’m missing out.

13 Escape Somewhere September 14, 2008 at 9:31 pm

I am probably going to cut back in travel next year. I like traveling but I like saving more. I always here about tips for how to save money traveling but it seems the biggest tip to save money is simply not to go.

14 Jack September 15, 2008 at 12:55 pm

Staycations are all the rave these days. They certainly beat paying out the wazoo for plane tickets, gas, or rental cars. I also find that I really like relaxing in the familiar, so a staycation is great for that type of holiday.

15 captivating Capiz September 26, 2008 at 8:34 pm

great tips to cut travel budget, i love to travel to another place. by the way, the picture in this post is really nice, where are you there lol

16 Mike May 29, 2009 at 12:51 pm

I’m having the same issue, but high school reunions are once every 10 plus years. It’s expensive but I think it’s worth it.

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