What do you give up to get to Couples?

[mobob]

Rls-I notice you didn't get any takers! LOL

[aurxdoc05]

We are almost credit card debt free (YEA!!!!) and once we are, I plan to use my Discover card to pay all monthly bills that allow it. We will write the amounts charged out of our check book immediately so the funds will be there to pay the card off in full monthly (no interest paid), but we will still get the rewards money! I figure that with appropriate discipline, we should accumulate a minimum of $1000 in rewards per year that can go toward our Jamaica fund. Easy money!

[dirtleg]

I don't think we give up anything. We have always been pretty frugal with our money, only spending on the stuff we need, never a lot of gadgets or fancy stuff. In the early years of our marriage we "did without" a lot of things I guess, but we didn't really give it much thought. House and kids have always been the first priority, paying bills and keeping everyone fed. As the kids have grown up we are now paying for college, but the house is nearly paid off. My wife has advanced her education over the years to move up on the pay steps at her job, teacher, and quite honestly she is the major bread winner in our house. I married very well. I did not complete college, but do pretty well at my job anyway. We started going to CSA in '05, for our 25th anniversary, and went the following two summers. Haven't been back for three years now, it just was not in the numbers for us. But we are returning next summer. We will put a little away each month to cover the cost of the trip, which is already booked so the cost is fixed. The girls are now old enough that family vacations are something they are not really interested in. As they were growing up we made trips with them about every other summer to Florida and a couple of other family resort type things. I bought them new cell phones this summer, still cheaper than a trip to Florida for all of us. In fact for the first time they are both happy that we are returning to Jamaica. How about that!

We have just been careful and not over extended ourselves on things we just didn't need. Now we are able to afford some nicer things, including CSA every couple of years or so.

Works for us, your mileage may vary.

[fawnridge]

Nothing. We are lucky to be debt free for over 5 years now. Our daughter is grown and the last bungee cord cut. We get to Couples twice a year - April and October - as well as at least one other 2 to 4 week trip.

Of course, I drive a 2001 Chevy pickup truck and Karen has a 2004 Acura. So if we've given up anything it's new cars.

[rls]

Mobob--I noticed that too!

What is up with that?!

~Lisa

[lovnrumpunch]

Being empty nesters has helped! The biggest advantage we have now is ...DRUM ROLL PLEASE...we have paid our house off!!! We originally had the good old 30 yr mortgage and paid it off in 15! We only have a small home equity loan now! We live pretty simply too. "Stuff" just isn't that important to us. We both drive older cars and don't give two hoots about the latest in electronics! I did give up my hairdresser when she upped her basic haircut to $70. I figure even if one has to borrow money and pay it off over time, vacations with your spouse are priceless and should be mandatory!

[RDYJMJM]

MoBob

I was waiting for any takers also. Surely there must be a market for them somewhere!

Anyone know the going rate?

[Taurus8]

I'm pretty good at budgeting (and sacrificing when its REALLY worth is - and this was).
1. Have a vacation budget
2. ANY unexpected money that comes along - no matter how small the amount.
3. Whenever I break anything $5 or more I stash the dollar bills & coins into a jar. It's amazing how fast it accumulates - thats all directed to the vacation kitty.

[Bkhiattky]

Rls,

I have a strict rule that I follow, whenever people come to our house and want to leave their kids. If you come with one, you leave with one, doesn't matter which one, but I'm not ending up with more than I started with!!!!!

[bconn]

Lisa:

I am surprised you didn't get any takers. I am not sure are you selling all three or just Emily & Holly, Jana led me to believe that she was perfect so you couldn't mean her as well.

Barry

[becandjas89]

rls, that was funny! And I second it!
Really...we don't do "BS" spending anymore. We never really did but I've curbed a lot more as well. Before I buy something, my question is, "Do I NEED or WANT this?" Extra change adds up and my parents give us money for holidays, birthdays, etc. it all helps but not just for Couples. As mentioned above...teenagers and they're not cheap. It's just a way of life and doing what's best for MY household.

[IsagenixFreak]

We are very fortunate to be able to enjoy our yearly vacations as well as many other trips during the year without having to give things up.

[ETF]

Sadly with a price increase of £980 ($1602)over this years price from the UK we would need to give up eating, drinking and not buying any new clothes.

[huskerhoney]

I've squandered a bit of my savings to pay for this trip to CTI. BUT, it is our 15th Anniversary and we didn't really get a honeymoon (college students with no cash!). That being said, I'm amazed at the difference just the idea of a romantic one-on-one vacation has made in our marriage--the excitement is coming back!

With three kids, 9, 12, and 14, travelling may prove difficult--well at least affording it, anyway--but, if all goes well with our CTI escape, I'm sure I'll be looking at ways to save for the next trip to Jamaica!

[MeLoveJamaica]

...quite a few things to go on vacation this year at CSA in October...(as well going to California in September)...

- We usually host an annual summer party for our family and friends;
- We always go to the first Philadelphia Eagles home-game;
- and, we're not going to the nearby beach as we normally do.

...All given up this year for the love of CSA and Jamaica!! And might I say, darn well worth it too!!! I'm counting down the days!

[Lovjamaica]

RLS,

We are considering selling our teenagers to get money for our next trip....anyone interested??!!

Let me know what you get for them - we have a pair that we'd like to sell- too. Funny how nobody told us what to expect from the teen years, huh? Geesh - if we had only thought of that part.

Beachski,

I have 2 boys I'll sell you - real cheap! No diapers or daycare costs either. They even pack their own lunches and do chores like lawn cutting and house cleaning.

[falcon1978]

I gave up not working. Would have liked to retire at 50, but still working so I can afford to do all the things I like to do, for example Couples Swept Away. Looks like retirement will be somewhere in the 55-58 range now, depending on the economy.

[Bruce]

Fortunately, we're at that age where debt and baby expenses have gone way down, and income have gone way up. (Mid-30s aren't so bad... But being mid-30s, we also make smarter decisions like what cars we "need," how much we eat out, what impulse purchases we make...

I guess I'd quit smoking if I had to...

[BillnBertha]

We give up:
1. Job stress
2. Job stress
3. Job stress

[Coloradojuli]

I have a savings account that has money automatically deposited in it each month. The money is only touched for our vacation and otherwise it is hands-off! I also have another savings account that I put money in monthly and it is for the unexpected (and sometimes expected) expenses. This way the vacation fund doesn't have to be touched.

I also have our vacation budgeted into our budget and any 'extra' money that happens to come in goes into the fund. Including my winnings from Thursday night poker!

[schdyny]

I took over my son's paper route (he quit after 2 days!) to help pay for our next trip to couples - I am up early anyway, now just a 1/2 hour sooner - also great exercise walking the neighborhood - the winter is not much fun but Couples is worth it to me!!

[Rum Punch!]

Well, This year we are scratching our trip to Estes Park Colorado. Sorry CO, hope to see ya next year.

Also, we seem to be bringing our lunch to work a little more. Seems to be making a difference in the midsection also. Win win.

[IrieDreaming]

my hubby and I do not purcahse anything for each others' birthdays or Christmas, and we ask any family or friends who wish to purchase us gifts for these occassions to make a "donation" to our Jamaica Fund instead! They love this idea not only because they know we LOVE our trips "home," but also because it saves them from having to do any shopping for us!

We also just recently started to "clean house" of all the unwanted/unused items (including our boys' clothes and toys) that were cluttering-up our basement and garage and selling them on Craig's List or at rummage sales. In one rummage sale alone two months ago, I made almost $500! Needless to say, we are returning home sometime in the spring of 2010!

[Iwouldliveonvacation]

We use our tax returns and book early.

[msladymam]

Love this thread! I thought my husband and I were the only ones who gave up gifts; Christmas, birthday, anniversary, etc. Our friends look at us like we're crazy, but we're the ones going to Jamaica every year! We don't keep up with the Joneses; don't need to. We have no problem driving older cars (that are paid for) and living in a smaller house instead of a McMansion. We pack lunch everyday and save throughout the year for our trip, so it's paid for by the time we go. There's nothing like complete relaxation with no worries about how to pay for a Couples Jamaican vacation!