I feel like a master of maximizing vacation value!

[disneysteve]

I can relate to this. Our life as early retirees centers around traveling about half of each year. We get lots of "Must be nice" comments when we post photos on Facebook while on the road, or after returning from a trip, but what people don't see is that we live very prudently otherwise. We are very conscientious about not letting our money dribble away at Starbucks, the Verizon store, the Apple store, or the nearest auto dealership. If I sat down with the monthly budget of most of my friends, I am convinced I would find plenty of money for them to travel with if that truly were their priority. My contention is that their lifestyle choices would indicate that it is actually not.

Very, very true. I get the "must be nice" comments all the time. And they almost always come from people who are lousy with their money and make enough to have the same lifestyle if they wanted to.

[snafu]

Aggy: don't even think about renting a car for BJ! Best way to get around is subway. Taxi is very frustrating as there is a queuing system. At hotels, the taxi driver is charged a fee for being allowed to pick up a passenger. I always ask at hotel information how much the taxi trip should cost since they are such a rip-off. Brush up on your negotiating skills because you are expected to bargain for almost everything!

[josetann]

Very, very true. I get the "must be nice" comments all the time. And they almost always come from people who are lousy with their money and make enough to have the same lifestyle if they wanted to.

True. I hear people all the time talking about needing to upgrade their mobile plan/phone, how they can't live without pay-tv, the great deal they got on a certain article of clothing ("but you don't understand, it was $30 marked down from $150!"), etc. Just smile, nod, and do some more research on our upcoming Australia cruise (next week, woohoo!).

I don't do the whole credit card points/miles thing. Don't fly enough to rack up lots of miles, though I definitely signed us all up when we flew to Australia (dunno if we'll ever use the same airline...but that was a good number of miles!). Just try to get the best price, and be flexible. Cheaper flight with a day layover in Beijing...score! Can camp out in the middle of Sydney Harbour for 1/3 to 1/4 of the cost of staying in a hotel! And if we were to book a hotel room with a Harbour view...well, we're getting an incredible deal in my opinion. Same with camping at Disney...pay less, get more. Just gotta be a bit flexible (and if your wife insists on a place with a/c...buy a portable a/c to use in your tent).

[EarlyRetirementJoy]

True. I hear people all the time talking about needing to upgrade their mobile plan/phone, how they can't live without pay-tv, the great deal they got on a certain article of clothing ("but you don't understand, it was $30 marked down from $150!"), etc. Just smile, nod, and do some more research on our upcoming Australia cruise (next week, woohoo!).

I don't do the whole credit card points/miles thing. Don't fly enough to rack up lots of miles, though I definitely signed us all up when we flew to Australia (dunno if we'll ever use the same airline...but that was a good number of miles!). Just try to get the best price, and be flexible. Cheaper flight with a day layover in Beijing...score! Can camp out in the middle of Sydney Harbour for 1/3 to 1/4 of the cost of staying in a hotel! And if we were to book a hotel room with a Harbour view...well, we're getting an incredible deal in my opinion. Same with camping at Disney...pay less, get more. Just gotta be a bit flexible (and if your wife insists on a place with a/c...buy a portable a/c to use in your tent).

I've seen your references to camping out in Sydney Harbor in several places, and so I have to ask - exactly where is this place, and what is it called? I don't remember seeing any islands in the Harbor, and I'm so curious about where this camp is located and what it's all about. You certainly can't beat the location, that's for sure!

[esb3357]

We did the same thing. I put all of my expenses on my credit car personal and professional. It has allowed us to do lots of things at very expensive places we wouldn't otherwise.