Working Mom In Dual-Income Household Asks Other Parents How They Afford Family Vacations Without Going Into Further Debt
"Maybe I'm the problem and need to learn to save more?"
Dean Drobot / Shutterstock In today’s economic climate, most people can barely afford to buy their children clothes, let alone take the entire family on vacation a few times a year.
One mom named Marty is genuinely curious about how other families can go on vacation without plunging themselves into debt, so she took to TikTok to get some answers.
The woman, who lives in a dual-income household, asked other families how they could afford to go on vacation without going into debt.
Marty, a mother of two and a dental hygienist, posted a TikTok video asking other parents how they can afford to take their families on multiple vacations a year.
In the text overlay, she wrote, “Like, do you not have student loans anymore? No childcare costs? No mortgage? No bills?”
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“Is it family inheritance? Maybe it’s put on credit cards? I DON’T UNDERSTAND.”
People offered a variety of explanations for the woman, which shed some light on how some families can afford such trips without concerns about debt.
Some people noted that there were families who had travel credits that saved them money on hotels and airfare.
Travel points, also known as travel rewards or frequent flyer miles, are a form of loyalty program offered by airlines, hotels, credit card companies, and other travel-related businesses, and can be redeemed for various travel-related benefits such as free flights, hotel stays, rental cars, upgrades, and other perks.
“It’s points. Travel points are the secret,” one TikTok user revealed. "We spend our normal amount on a travel card and redeem for free travel. We always pay off our credit card in full monthly.”
Another user wrote, “We use AMEX for points, pay it off monthly, and the points cover airline tickets. We save to travel.”
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Others shared that they set aside a certain amount of money for each paycheck to go on vacations.
“Dual-income family here with a mortgage and two car payments and travel 4 to 6 times a year. I set a certain amount of money out of each paycheck to be able to do it,” one user shared.
Other people claimed that they do not have any student loans, car payments, or any other debts to pay off, allowing them to take vacations without worrying about further debt.
However, some users argued that just because families travel a lot does not necessarily mean that they are free from debt. Some families might be so committed to traveling that they spend more than they can afford to make it happen.
“I’ve been told that people just aren’t caring anymore, and everyone is drowning in credit card debt after putting trips and bills on them,” one TikTok user shared.
Many families are willing to go into credit card debt to prioritize family trips.
According to data reported on by MarketWatch, nearly three-quarters of Americans have gone into debt to pay for a vacation.
“People go into a ‘vacation mentality’ where not unlike Scarlett O’Hara, they will ‘worry about that tomorrow’ and then reality hits hard in the form of a credit card bill,” Lauren Lindsay, director of financial planning at Personal Financial Advisors, told the outlet.
Many people fail to realize the long-term consequences of credit card debt.
“In the short term, your credit score can suffer — this can affect your ability to rent an apartment or get a good rate on a mortgage or loan,” said Alexa Von Tobel, the Chief Executive and Founder of LearnVest, told MarketWatch.
“In the long term, you’re impacting your ability to retire financially sound.”
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While some vacations may seem like a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for families, they must pause and ask themselves if the experience is worth finding themselves in a deep debt hole they may never be able to get themselves out of.
If you know you can afford it and eventually pay it off, book the flights and go for it!
However, if you are still paying off your student loans, daycare costs, and car payments, it may be best to hold off until you’re more financially sound.
The Maldives, Switzerland, and Disney World are not going anywhere!
And if you are a dual-income family who is struggling to save up for family trips, you’re not alone. As the cost of living continues to rise, so do the prices of family vacation destinations.
Megan Quinn is a writer at YourTango who covers entertainment and news, self, love, and relationships.