The Anything Thread

If you have a house, car (yes I'm using the Gautrain when I can but there's still lots of places a car is necessary for even if you disagree), investments, food, family, medical aid etc that you need to keep funded then yes it is. Travel is a huge luxury, not a need And a decent home, investments to insure and safeguard your future, a proper medical aid (especially with my immune system) etc is all needed imo (I don't mean a 3 story mansion btw, just a safe house in a safe neighbourhood) Traveling is definitely a must but unfortunately there are many other things that we need to fund before we can fund that and R5000 may not be a lot for you, it's a very sizeable amount for us... especially if that just buys the plane ticket and doesn't cover any of the other costs involved in traveling. I won't even mention how much fertility treatments set us back even though we got some help!

Your lifestyle is possible when travel is a priority as it is for you guys. Unfortunately we have a few other priorities above travel at this stage

 

I'm not talking to you anymore *jealous* haha, you are quite resourceful

I realise that, in itself it is not so expensive I agree, but if you have to pay a house loan, levi's, petrol p), pension fund, savings, and all your other expenses, it is a quite expensive luxury to add on to all your bills.

Don't get me wrong, I think everyone should travel, it is a must, you have to explore other places and cultures, but you still have to do it sensibly Someday we'll have airport customs also telling us it is uncommon to travel so much bit for now we are on the two year plan, went on a trip last year so will hopefully be able to go on a trip at the end of next year.

LOL, that is almost exactly the trip we've looked at before - it is not so bad to fly to Istanbul and we reckoned then it is cheap to go to athens. (Although obviously you have to budget for food and entry fees, transport etc)

 

LOL, Bren, you said exactly what I tried to, just better

R5000 is also quite a sizable cut out of my monthly salary!

 

But how much did you spend already to earn enough points to get such a discount? It's a great discount but not everyone can afford traveling extensively to get it. I know my brother gets a lot of discounts and free miles as well due to his many travels but again it's not possible for all to even afford the initial travel costs to get the discount to be able to travel more...

 

Priorities is probably the right word. For me travel is a necessity so all my choices and spending habits are based on that.

If you go to Iceland make sure you have enough money for everything once you get there

I am a poor student remember It forms quite a large proportion of my income too but I prefer to spend it on travel than on other things.

Surprisingly, less than it would have cost us to buy the economy tickets to Samoa. Remember that airline points are earned and used based on distance travelled but you pay for tickets based on supply and demand. If you keep that in mind it is possible to maximise points and minimise expenses (although you "pay" with your time through longer flights).

My expenses are rent, food, internet, electricity and gas (for cooking). I don't have a car, television, mobile telephone, eat in restaurants or nearly anything else. Everything other than critical expenses goes into the rainy day/savings/travel fund.

 

Yes, it depends on your priorities. In a few months you priority might be nappies but it won't be mine Even so, the absolute value is no different it is just that you choose (or must in some cases) spend the money on other things. You have all these other expenses which make travel an unaffordable extra but it doesn't change the affordability of travel itself. That you spend the money on a car and other things (regardless of if they are necessities or not) means you cannot spend the same money on travel but it isn't an unaffordable amount of money because you spent it on something.

I didn't know jeans were a necessary (and recurring) expense

It is of mine as well I just don't spend it on other things.

About R15000. Yes, quite a bit but that is about standard for flights to and from Australia from Europe. Considering the price of a business class ticket that still isn't a bad return. Airline tickets are one of those things where spending more first might save you more money in the future if you plan carefully.

 

LOL, I meant levy not levi (I've never owned a Levi jean )

True, depends on you personality I think and what you deem as a necessity and what you are willing to pay for and not, live with or without etc

I agree on that - it is all in the planning (but still cots money)

 

Can't edit previous post, last sentence must be "costs" not cots