MONEY

How We Afford Family Travel

Money is the question that always comes up: how do we actually pay for this? The short answer starts with Rose, who grew up in the Philippines in what local standards would call a middle-class home, on an unpaved road in a charming town in Batangas province on Luzon. Put simply, she guards every dollar fiercely.

Lifestyle Choices That Make Travel Possible

Rose and I have shaped our lifestyle in ways that make traveling with children feasible. It is not inexpensive, and we give things up in other parts of our lives. In these photos my wardrobe is limited; I wear the same clothes for years. We have jobs without many perks, though wearing hospital scrubs is one of them, and that saves money. Looking back, I found a photo from ten years ago and I am wearing a sweatshirt I still own and wear now and then. It occurs to me that I have worn the same belt every day for a decade. It is a good belt.

We have no pets, so we skip spending on food, vet visits, toys and grooming, and we never need a pet sitter when we leave town.
We almost never eat out as a family. I do take the children to restaurants, but Rose can barely stand it; she reminds me, kindly, that we have good food at home.
We do not smoke cigarettes.
Both of our cars are paid off and have around 175,000 miles on them. We are saving now to pay for the next cars, and she will pay cash for hers while I aim to do the same.

Lowering Our Housing Costs

We used every trick we could think of to bring down our monthly housing payment. We picked a smaller house to reduce the monthly cost, and later we refinanced the mortgage at a lower interest rate.

Everyday Savings: TV, Phones, and Data

We do not watch or pay for commercial television. With Roku and Netflix we find we have plenty. We keep a minimal data plan on our first- and second-generation hand-me-down iPhones, and we look for WiFi hotspots so we do not go over that plan.

Gifts, Holidays, and Keeping It Simple

There is very little jewelry in our house, and I do not wear a watch. Christmas belongs to the children. They get reasonable presents, while the adults are likely to receive our favorite shampoo, packs of t-shirts, socks, or perhaps a new shirt wrapped and waiting under the tree. We do not do all this only so we can travel; having the money to travel is a byproduct of how we manage money. This list and more add up to the ability to enjoy major vacations a couple of times a year, plus the occasional side trip.

I completely understand that many people simply cannot afford to travel as often as they would like. May you find this page with wonder and travel in its own right. May you travel through this page to places you have never been. My highest goal, dear reader, is that you view this page and find some degree of artistic value.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you afford to travel with children?

Travel is funded through deliberate lifestyle choices rather than a single trick. This page describes saving on housing, clothing, pets, eating out, cars, TV, and phone plans so that money can go toward a couple of major vacations a year plus occasional side trips.

What everyday sacrifices make family travel possible?

Examples here include wearing the same clothes and belt for years, not having pets, rarely eating out as a family, not smoking, driving paid-off cars, refinancing the mortgage, and using hand-me-down phones with a minimal data plan.

Does the family spend money on gifts and holidays?

Christmas is focused on the children, who receive reasonable presents, while adults may receive practical items like shampoo, t-shirts, or socks. The page notes that having money to travel is a byproduct of this money-management style rather than the sole purpose.

Is this advice meant for everyone?

The page acknowledges that many people simply cannot afford to travel as much as they would like, and presents these choices as one family's approach rather than a universal prescription.