Surviving the Cost of Living: Travel

     

Photo by Porapak Apichodilok

     I'm playing around with blogging themes. Planning for retirement, fiscal wellness, and this topic, Surviving the Cost of Living, popped up due to inspiration from many sources. Lots of bloggers, Instagrammers, and YouTubers, amateurs and I guess professionals are writing about how to survive the Cost of Living Crisis. I think this is more than a point in time crisis but the way things are going to be. I mean, do any of us really think the cost of things overall are going to come down? Maybe eggs will stabilize if the bird flu situation resolves and egg laying flocks can rebound. Tangentially, things related to expensive eggs might stabilize too. But, I doubt corporations that will pass on their tariff expenses to consumers will ever retreat backwards should those be lifted. Trickle down economics has never actually happened in the past so what's going to be the motivator now for the ones with money and profits to cut a break to us lowly consumers? 

     It scares me knowing I'm intentionally moving into a fixed income stage of life. But, as so many of you wise people have shared, I can't let it paralyze my ability to live a fulfilling and enjoyable life. I must control where I can. Avoiding stupid spending on things like streaming services I'm not using enough and bric a brac nonsense, and minimizing food and energy waste are day to day focus. Looking for the best prices on disposable/ regular purchases and one off purchases, focusing first on needs a streamlining money spent on wants, and using opportunities to earn money will help; basically looking for longer term ways to stretch my funds. 

      I'm still prioritizing travel- my sinking funds will have earmarks for it. After the big UK trip (which Siobhan said we can plan with a budget in mind), I might need to be a bit less lofty, but travel somewhere and regularly is still part of my retirement plans. I've bookmarked a few sites that are travel in retirement, budget travel, slow travel( staying longer in one place), off season travel, and car camping. 

     I have a mid size crossover SUV, which could fit a nice air mattress or foam roll-up type mattress. I have basic camping gear too, but my days of sleeping on the ground are over- which makes the car camping interesting. I likely could source a second hand camping cot and keep using my tent. Food would be simple- just things in a cooler like sandwich fixings, tuna and rice packets, instant oatmeal and coffee, and maybe self made rehydrating meals I could prepare with just hot water and maybe hot dogs to cook over an open fire. Really, for the price of a state park pass and a basic camp site, I could do a lot of mini get aways spring to fall. My youngish retired sister who was widowed five years ago would be game for this, I'm sure. Not working will mean I can go weekdays when sites are less full. My brother does this all year, camps weeknights and uses his weekends to prepare for the next trip. 

     I also earn points that convert to cash using my credit card. Even just using for necessities, I'll easily get $300-$400 in rewards, enough for 1-3, depending how budget, overnight trips in an actual hotel. That's what I'm doing later this month with three sisters, sharing the cost of a nice little hotel with pool, hot tub , exercise room, and breakfast, on a mini beer and wine tasting road trip. Setting out early and getting home late gives time to maximize two days. My seldom used AmEx, but linked to my Delta rewards already has accrued enough points/ miles for a domestic flight ticket. I pay nothing for a first checked bag too whenever I use for a Delta flight. I'll keep weighing if the annual fee is justified by the rewards, but so far I'm ahead. The Twin Cities is a major hub and I feel Delta overall ( recent news aside) is a better experience than most other airlines I've flown. 

     Travel is one thing I don't want to do without. But, I don't need international or even cross country trips every year. I'd like them, but flipping my filter just a bit as to what travel looks like  means I'm not having to give up this priority. Part of the fun is in the planning.