If you can save...why not just finance?

[Joan.of.the.Arch]

Would the visit with parents be just as fulfilling if you paid to fly the parents to your home, rather than you all try to drive or fly to see them? This assumes parents would be able to travel, of course.

[Onwards]

Would he consider some kind of "matching" agreement? Like for every cent you put towards the motorcycle, you also match that amount towards a family vacation (or whatever). That way you'll both be motivated to cut costs because the savings will go equally into both goals.

[AmbitiousSaver]

Would the visit with parents be just as fulfilling if you paid to fly the parents to your home, rather than you all try to drive or fly to see them? This assumes parents would be able to travel, of course.

I can see this happening with more my family than his... his mom is extremely morbidly obese... but she isn't opposed to taking the bus and we've actually in the past paid for her bus ticket to come visit. She stayed with me for a month in 2006. His Dad however won't travel.

My Dad... and I've actually started to have this discussion with him since I look to him for a lot of advice. He's told me not to worry about seeing them, that getting my degree is what he recommends cause it will open us up for opportunities so we can actually afford the things we want later. Of course though, while knowing he is recovering from cancer and is approaching his 70s.... its hard for me to hear... and not really what I want to hear. In his words "Its hard to be patient when you want certain things but you need to do the right thing and get your education taken care of."

We're working at it though, I notice when I get depressed about it I transfer what I have in savings to the credit card and it makes me feel better. I transferred another $347 to pay it down today (even though I paid $2585 on it Friday) just cause if I get used to that money around I might use it on something I really shouldn't. I'm sure if I have enough "down" moments and keep doing this the CC will be gone before I realize it.

[LivingAlmostLarge]

6 tickets to hawaii = $8k? No way. You can definitely get it cheaper than that. My mom, grandma, aunt all came from Hawaii to Boston for $422 ($475 including all taxes) May 1 to May 8th.

Where are you leaving from? You need to shop around and be flexible with dates for coming and going. The ONLY time of year when it's really expensive and impossible to buy to go home to hawaii is Christmas.

My cousin is military and OFTEN flies home to hawaii on military flights for free. The cargo, where you aren't sure if you are going. Why not go do that if money is really tight.

Even if you fly interisland in hawaii it's $60/one way so $120 x 6 = $720. It used to be $9/one way for some flights.

There is an easy way to go to hawaii for cheap. From the east coast it shouldn't cost more than $800 on a peak time (summer). So $4800 for a family of 6. Where is this $8k coming from? And like I said off peak like my mom got under $500.

[AmbitiousSaver]

6 tickets to hawaii = $8k? No way. You can definitely get it cheaper than that. My mom, grandma, aunt all came from Hawaii to Boston for $422 ($475 including all taxes) May 1 to May 8th.

Where are you leaving from? You need to shop around and be flexible with dates for coming and going. The ONLY time of year when it's really expensive and impossible to buy to go home to hawaii is Christmas.

My cousin is military and OFTEN flies home to hawaii on military flights for free. The cargo, where you aren't sure if you are going. Why not go do that if money is really tight.

Even if you fly interisland in hawaii it's $60/one way so $120 x 6 = $720. It used to be $9/one way for some flights.

There is an easy way to go to hawaii for cheap. From the east coast it shouldn't cost more than $800 on a peak time (summer). So $4800 for a family of 6. Where is this $8k coming from? And like I said off peak like my mom got under $500.

The $8K is the TOTAL trip... food, rental car, hotel, gas, and airfare. I'm only expecting between 4-5K for airfare. Hotel is $216 a night cause we have to have 2 hotel rooms. We priced rental cars with DH's gov't discount and my AAA discount for a minivan and its $530 for an 8 day stay. So $1460 for hotel, $5000 for airfare (I'm watching airfare prices now for when we are trying to go in April cause that is the girls' spring break and they can't miss anymore school or risk getting held back... right now they are between $858-$1058 pp plus $41 in ticket fees), $550 for rental car after additional taxes, $150 for gas for the rental car, and $1000 for food for 8 days for 6 people... thats about $6.94 meal per person.... which all totals to $8160. When we plan for trips we try to plan out the total cost, not just what it costs to get there.

All that said... I'm considering holding off on the Hawaii trip till October so we can be more flexible about the kids missing school and my college courses end last week of April soooo if we go to Hawaii in April there is a high likelihood I'd be missing finals or something important.

[maat55]

Try adding up the cost for just you and your baby going and staying with your parents.

[AmbitiousSaver]

Try adding up the cost for just you and your baby going and staying with your parents.

That would be almost like nothing... I have a free awards ticket, baby could fly on my lap... I don't need/want a rental car since I could ride with my Dad or my best friend wherever I went. My Dad could borrow a car seat from one of my Aunts or Uncles... all I'd have to worry about is food for myself.

Only thing is DH would need to take leave from his job or something cause there would be no one home to watch the kids.

[LivingAlmostLarge]

Where are you staying for hotel? $216 seems high. Also in April for sure you can get less than $858. Where are you leaving from? Please mention major city you want to leave from, and I'll kayak you what the prices range from.

Another consideration, is why can't your kids leave school when the eldest is 8? I recall taking trips at that age and leaving school. Why can't your kids miss MORE school? How much are they missing?

Another thing, what island are you staying at? I've rented a car in Honolulu, because my parents lived on an outer island. And you can usually priceline a minivan for less than $530.

Sorry but you are doing this the most expensive way possible. NO WAY in april you should be paying $800 for airline tickets. More like $500 or $600 depending on city, less on the West Coast.

Are you considering cooking at your parents house instead of eating out every meal? $6/per person when you have 4 kids IS high. Children eat less than Adults and that's including the nursing baby. Or baby less than 2 years old if they can sit in your lap.

I've been travelling home from all over the US for 10+ years now, and I know what prices are good or not. I never pay $1k except at Christmas.

$8k for a total trip for 6 is still a lot. I bet I could get your tickets down, like my mom's $475 ticket HNL to BOS. But if you don't want suggestions then don't complain.

But Hawaii doesn't have to be expensive. And if you are flying from anywhere on the West Coast for sure you can get it cheap.

Another time to go is right after new years. That's another cheap time of year. Or Early September. We got married in September and most of our friends flew for $400-500.

[AmbitiousSaver]

We'd be staying at the Hale Koa... 2 rooms cause we need 3 beds (one for DH & I, one for the girls (8&7), one for my son, and a crib for the baby. For his rank, it is $108/nt per room but that is TOTAL... no hotel taxes since its a government hotel... so that is how I arrived at $216 (which is the standard low floor room)

We'd be leaving from ORF to HNL and wanting to travel around April 10th and fly back on April 18th

Not sure about the eating out... we tend to overestimate to be on the safe side. We try to fly with Delta just cause that is who we have mileage awards with them and that is where I have the free ticket and only have to buy 5 tickets then... and they have a flight from Norfolk to Atlanta then Atlanta to Honolulu which is pretty straight forward which makes it easier with 4 kids.

The only reason I am hesitant about the school thing is... we'll be taking the kids out in September for a week to take the trip to Missouri... so they'll be missing 6 days there.... then we'd like to at least be in Hawaii for a week... so they'd miss an additional 6-8 days... and they can only miss so much otherwise we get this nasty letter in the mail saying they may be held back for missing too many days.

Anyhow, if you know how we can do this cheaper than 8K, I'd appreciate any insight since it could make it more within our reach. We don't travel too much... we've never taken a trip to Missouri JUST to see DH's family... we had to move cross country once so we saw them once from VA to CA and then again when we went to CA to VA... but that was it. And we only flew back to Hawaii once in 6 years and only cause my Dad said he'd pay for the airfare.

Oh and cooking at my Dad and Aunt's (he lives with his sister since she takes care of him) isn't really an option cause my Aunt is OCD and anal retentive... I didn't even cook when I lived with them. She made the meals and assigned to me what was okay and not okay to eat (which is probably why I tried to control the fridge when I first got married to DH). When we last went there they invited us out to eat and for breakfast and would cover the meals when they did so, but thats more of an occasional thing.

[maat55]

That would be almost like nothing... I have a free awards ticket, baby could fly on my lap... I don't need/want a rental car since I could ride with my Dad or my best friend wherever I went. My Dad could borrow a car seat from one of my Aunts or Uncles... all I'd have to worry about is food for myself.

Only thing is DH would need to take leave from his job or something cause there would be no one home to watch the kids.

Considering the cost of all of you going, he has to take off anyway to go with you, instead he could stay home with the kids. Personally, I would do that before anything else.

It's these type's of decissions that make or break your budget. I'm sure you would have no problem getting your husband to ok this.

[Joan.of.the.Arch]

Just you and the baby go to Hawaii, while back home you have hired a temp Nanny to take care of the kids for a week or two so that husband does not have to take off work?

If you all go, can you not bring in a cot, or put three kids in a bed? Most hotel beds are queen size and three little kids should be able to fit. Combine that with making sandwiches for several meals, having a several one-pot dinners at your dad's house, scouting around for best air fares and it sounds like you could get by with a lot less than $8000. Maybe make the visit shorter, too.

It may be harsh to mention this, but if your Dad is dying, will you soon be planning another trip for a funeral? In that case, you may have zero choice in arrangements to get the price down and you wouldn't want to be hassled with price comparisons at that time. At very least, you should be saving for emergency trips home (to both MO and HI.).

Our parents are elderly we keep that in mind for our emergency fund. Some of our BILs and SILs live internationally and it was hard to get everyone home for their mother's funeral, as the flights were especially expensive spur of the moment.

So....It might help if you think of going on the cheap now as being a way to add to your savings for being able to go on emergency.

Gosh, this thread has really covered some ground.

[Correction: sorry missed the part about not eating at Aunt's house. Still you could make sandwiches or whatever each day and put them in the van with you. Fill a jug of water and have paper cups. Picnic for your lunch everyday. Sounds like you would be leaving your aunt and dad at meal time anyhow. Make extra for your Dad and bring him along for the picnic if he's able.]

[disneysteve]

Maybe he's a visual learner. Find one of the interest calculators online and show him the actual amount the motorcycle will cost him if he did it his way (cost of motorcyle + interest) vs. your way (cash price of motorcycle - interest earned in savings account).

This is exactly what I was going to suggest. Many people think, "If I can afford the monthly payment I can afford the purchase" but they don't look at the big picture. They don't look at the cost of financing.

Show him the numbers. Let him see that financing will result in a higher actual cost than saving and then paying in cash.

And leave open the possibility that if things are going well with the debt repayment that there could be a compromise along the way. Maybe you'll save the $175/month for 18 months and then buy at that point but only have to finance $80/month (or whatever the numbers work out to be).

Bottom line, as others have said, is that you BOTH need to agree to make debt repayment a priority over spending on luxury items.

[LivingAlmostLarge]

If the baby flies in your lap that is 5 tickets. And here is a picture of the matrix of rock bottom prices in September of this year $600 = $3k for the 5 of you. If you push browse fare history you can see what the average fair is. In May it's around $500-600/per person.

So prices from Norfolk is definitely doable in the $600 range, and if you are paying attention, get on flight alerts you'll be able to hit under $500 like my mom, grandma did. I have flight alerts on my email to help me catch perfect deals like the $422. Also it's not a good idea to try to ride specific airlines. This makes it less likely you'll catch a good deal.

Stay at the ghetto pagoda hotel for $150/night. NOT as nice as hale koa but a good deal. Get the 2 room with kitchen, and bam, I've saved you a bunch of money. Eat breakfast and lunch there, unless you are with family. Invite family over to hotel and eat in the room. Shop at commisary when you are in hawaii because I just got you a hotel with kitchenette. It's walking distance to ala moana, walmart, and the beach. Depending on where your family lives it's not great, but if you were going to stay at hale koa it's the same thing.

Next step priceline your car. Use this website bidding for travel to get an idea of what to pay. I think $30/day should get you a minivan. So $250/8 days. There half the price. Or find a great budget coupon, right now my roomie is renting a car for 14 days for $200 total! Some coupon deals are better than priceline.

I've trimmed a substantial amount from your budget for the trip.

I tend to agree about going alone. Last time I went home I went alone. DH didn't want to spend that much going with me over Christmas when my mom had surgery. Turns out it was the right move.

Less than a month after I got back, my grandfather died and I went right back to hawaii. And yes I had to go, my mom was a single parent for the first 10 years of my life and my grandparents really did help to raise me. And DH went with me because I was quite sad and he knew my grandfather better than his own, who had also recently died.

[AmbitiousSaver]

If the baby flies in your lap that is 5 tickets. And here is a picture of the matrix of rock bottom prices in September of this year $600 = $3k for the 5 of you. If you push browse fare history you can see what the average fair is. In May it's around $500-600/per person.

So prices from Norfolk is definitely doable in the $600 range, and if you are paying attention, get on flight alerts you'll be able to hit under $500 like my mom, grandma did. I have flight alerts on my email to help me catch perfect deals like the $422. Also it's not a good idea to try to ride specific airlines. This makes it less likely you'll catch a good deal.

Stay at the ghetto pagoda hotel for $150/night. NOT as nice as hale koa but a good deal. Get the 2 room with kitchen, and bam, I've saved you a bunch of money. Eat breakfast and lunch there, unless you are with family. Invite family over to hotel and eat in the room. Shop at commisary when you are in hawaii because I just got you a hotel with kitchenette. It's walking distance to ala moana, walmart, and the beach. Depending on where your family lives it's not great, but if you were going to stay at hale koa it's the same thing.

Next step priceline your car. Use this website bidding for travel to get an idea of what to pay. I think $30/day should get you a minivan. So $250/8 days. There half the price. Or find a great budget coupon, right now my roomie is renting a car for 14 days for $200 total! Some coupon deals are better than priceline.

I've trimmed a substantial amount from your budget for the trip.

I tend to agree about going alone. Last time I went home I went alone. DH didn't want to spend that much going with me over Christmas when my mom had surgery. Turns out it was the right move.

Less than a month after I got back, my grandfather died and I went right back to hawaii. And yes I had to go, my mom was a single parent for the first 10 years of my life and my grandparents really did help to raise me. And DH went with me because I was quite sad and he knew my grandfather better than his own, who had also recently died.

Wow, I don't know what else to say but thanks. You've definitely helped a lot in this respect.

Although, is it bad if I don't think the Pagoda is really ghetto? We used to go there for lunch and dinner a lot... and I always loved it. I actually like going to the Mom & Pop places they have there to eat too... Sekiya's was always pretty popular for us in Kaimuki especially right after school. Not fancy and I'm sure some tourists would snub their nose at some of those places... but I love the food there.

Thanks again

[LivingAlmostLarge]

Pagoda is just well local. My DH hates it but personally I have no issues with it. My parents have a condo in the area, and while it's very touristy, it's convient.

Also Zippy's is pricey now! Ouch! Stay away from there. Shop at the commissary and try to cook simple meals in the room. Cereal for breakfast, etc. I think it's too expensive to eat out in the area, your better deals to eat out are in Kaimuki or Aiea.