The first time I saw the beach, I was 17. I spent my formative years in central Texas and Montana. There was no way that we could get to the beach easily. I finally saw my first beach on a band trip to Florida. The experience of having waves toss me around was thrilling; water stretching to the horizon was stunning. And swimming out to where you can't touch is just a little horrifying. It touches something Lovecraftian in my psyche.
Early in our marriage, Julie’s family hosted our annual beach trips, which was really kind. We didn’t have much in the way of “disposable” income. But once we started vacationing on our own, we had to figure out how to pay for it.
A day trip from Greenville is a lot of driving; it’s about 3 hours each way. However, if you pack your snacks and meals, the only expense you have is gas. Kids get to play in the waves, build sand castles, get burned when you don’t realize that antibiotics somehow negate sunscreen, and have a quintessential beach trip. Total cost for the day: around $100. We’ve done this a couple of times now, and each time we have had a great time. There is something special about packing up in the car in the early morning light and then having your headlights swing into the driveway late that same night, then carrying your kids into bed after they’ve passed out from a long day.
Now that we have a bit more income after teaching for more than a decade (closer to two!), we have upgraded to staying at a house within a few miles of the beach.
A small property within walking distance to the beach we are going to is $541/night, including taxes and fees. That is simply out of reach. This year we opted to rent a 2-bedroom house that is a 10 minute drive away from the beach. That choice alone saved us over $2000!
Another place that money usually trickles away (or floods out) is in dining out during vacations. We try to eat in-house most nights, opting for a seafood dinner one night (I’m the only person in the family who likes it anyway). We stock up our cooler with frozen Costco meals, and our meals cost about $8-10 on average. That’s significant savings compared to eating out.
Just for kicks and giggles, we looked the house we are staying at on Zillow. The owners are the real Cash Tacticians! It’s a duplex, and they live on one side and rent out the other side. Conservative estimates put their rental income at about $40k/year. On a $450k property, that should cover their mortgage and pocket them $8k on top of it, easily paying for itself. We are nowhere near having rental properties, but it always amazes me when I see how it works for other people.
We currently save $450/month for a big summer vacation each year. We book our trip using a cash rewards card, then pay it off immediately, scoring a few extra dollars along the way. This year we over-saved and under-spent so that next year, Costa Rica might be possible! Jungles, volcanoes, some of the most diverse ecology, and the Spanish language mean that next summer’s vacation should be amazing!
No comments:
Post a Comment