Author Topic: "The ultimate vacation"  (Read 3275 times)

Seppia

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"The ultimate vacation"
« on: August 29, 2016, 03:52:01 PM »
https://www.facebook.com/techinsider/videos/10153855213874071/

Gem: $135k for a three week vacation. Wtf? With that amount of money one can travel in the most absurd luxury for a very minimum of one year

fattest_foot

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Re: "The ultimate vacation"
« Reply #1 on: August 29, 2016, 04:13:58 PM »
Kind of off-topic, but I was talking to my wife last night about a Reddit thread in their financial independence subreddit. It was about people "going without" luxuries (4-5 star hotels, business class flights, etc).

One of the comments was from someone who had (or wanted, can't remember) a $3.5-4M stash, with around a $160k a year withdrawal. They stated that they loved flying business class when it was paid for by work, but that type of stash wouldn't allow them to do so in retirement.

I'm baffled by how much money even "FI" types can spend. With $160k a year, you could afford to live in a $250 a night hotel and have $68k leftover (although how dreadful would it be to live in a hotel for a year?). Apparently business class flights would be out of the question though.

gimp

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Re: "The ultimate vacation"
« Reply #2 on: August 29, 2016, 04:36:36 PM »
Business class flights don't seem worth paying for unless being fresh on arrival is crucial to work.

Like, a cross-country flight is ~$150-500 depending on amenities, day of week / holidays / etc, layovers, time, short notice, etc. A cross-country business class flight often seems to be $2k+.

They give them out for points, which keeps people airline-loyal.

Now, if you need to fly six hours to conclude a business deal, of course, $2k is a bargain for being fresh and ready and not cramped and not pissed. But for personal travel? Fuuuuck that.

geekette

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Re: "The ultimate vacation"
« Reply #3 on: August 29, 2016, 05:31:19 PM »
I've been looking at cross country travel recently, and it's surprising.  It's less than double for first vs. coach, and that's not counting bag fees or "comfort seating".   

gimp

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Re: "The ultimate vacation"
« Reply #4 on: August 29, 2016, 06:08:15 PM »
Damn, you must have found a very different thing than what popped up last time I was booking. "Upgrade for only $1900 more!" suuuuure.

Papa Mustache

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Re: "The ultimate vacation"
« Reply #5 on: August 30, 2016, 08:24:17 AM »
$135K? Hell, learn to enjoy being at home and buy most of a house in a flyover state... I don't need luxury, I want free time to do the simple things I like to do. Canoe trip down the river, hiking, playing with the family, etc.

Jack

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Re: "The ultimate vacation"
« Reply #6 on: August 30, 2016, 08:31:17 AM »
$135K? Hell, learn to enjoy being at home and buy all most of a house in a flyover state... I don't need luxury, I want free time to do the simple things I like to do. Canoe trip down the river, hiking, playing with the family, etc.

FTFY.

(Sometimes I get the impression that people in HCOL areas don't realize just how much cheaper the rest of the country actually is. In fact, in the more rural areas it's possible to get two [small, old] houses for $135k.)

geekette

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Re: "The ultimate vacation"
« Reply #7 on: August 30, 2016, 08:42:53 AM »
$135K? Hell, learn to enjoy being at home and buy all most of a house in a flyover state... I don't need luxury, I want free time to do the simple things I like to do. Canoe trip down the river, hiking, playing with the family, etc.

FTFY.

(Sometimes I get the impression that people in HCOL areas don't realize just how much cheaper the rest of the country actually is. In fact, in the more rural areas it's possible to get two [small, old] houses for $135k.)
Seriously, in some areas $135k will buy 3-4 houses.  In the small central NC town where my DH grew up, one house sold recently for $17k.  Another for $30k.  His cousin is trying to sell hers (a 2/1 that she bought 12 years ago for $60k) and is getting "interest" at $25k.  She's trying to buy DH's family home, a well maintained 3/2 ranch with acreage and a HUGE shop building for $75k, but has to unload hers first.  Jobs are few, though.

Papa Mustache

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Re: "The ultimate vacation"
« Reply #8 on: August 30, 2016, 10:14:32 AM »
Here in flyover country:

1st house - 1940s cottage. Neat as a pin, comfortable, center of town = $46K, now $???
2nd house - 1970 rancher. Tidy, comfortable, carport, edge of town = $55K, now $70K
current house - $137K but it put us in a nice neighborhood, more interior space, garage, edge of town, now $165K

$300K would buy a McMansion here. Fewer jobs that can generate that kind of income.

I can still get crazy low real estate prices here but it requires living 10 miles outside of town where a car/scooter/motorcycle would be required. And you may or may not like the neighbors next door, smallish lots, trailers might be part of the neighborhood, might be alot of neighbor turn over and I guarantee you'll have to do improvements to make everything work and stay fixed. Not much charm in those properties is included either. ;)
« Last Edit: August 30, 2016, 12:03:13 PM by Joe Lucky »

MrMoogle

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Re: "The ultimate vacation"
« Reply #9 on: August 30, 2016, 11:17:07 AM »
If they dropped the price by 2 digits, I might consider it.

TheAnonOne

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Re: "The ultimate vacation"
« Reply #10 on: August 30, 2016, 11:45:42 AM »
I think you could do that trip, planned by yourself, for under 10k... (Obviously, different hotels, flying economy or business w/points)

So practically the same trip... not sure why you would want to cram so many places into 1 month though.