Salary, debt, rent... and then travel...

[WingZero94]

Originally posted by: Geekish Thoughts

Originally posted by: Baked
I think I choked a little when you claim 1K rent is expensive cost of living because it's so funny. You should check the avg. rent for San Francisco.

As for your question, if she suggested going on a vacation, she should pay half. You're not a pimp, you don't pay for her everything. What I don't get is where all your money goes when you make 55K and are worrying about your car payment. Do you have auto payment setup?

Alright, here's why I'm worried about costs guys.

I totalled my car this year. I had great insurance so I only paid $250 and actually made money on my old car, but now my insurance rate with my tickets is going to go through the fucking roof.

I'm the guy like CPA who posted earlier. I write down ALL my expenses each month...

Yes I have auto pay setup. 5% interest rate.

Listen to yourself!!! Costs going up, lots of debt. DON'T TAKE A VACATION!!!! It's not going to help your situation. It puts a temporary patch on.

Wouldn't you feel MUCH better about taking a vacation if you actually budgeted for it, and didn't have to put everything on credit cards????

Look buddy - i'd take a day or two of paid vacation off and reassess your situation. Tell the GF to get off her ass and quit leaching off the parents tits. Not going to solve the root problem.

 

[davestar]

Originally posted by: WingZero94
Listen to yourself!!! Costs going up, lots of debt. DON'T TAKE A VACATION!!!! It's not going to help your situation. It puts a temporary patch on.

17k on a car, no mortgage, credit card debt, or student loans is lots of debt? interesting. how do you feel about using a mattress as a bank? i'm guessing you're for it.

Wouldn't you feel MUCH better about taking a vacation if you actually budgeted for it, and didn't have to put everything on credit cards????

when did he say that his vacation ws going on his credit card? oh yeah, he didn't.

Look buddy - i'd take a day or two of paid vacation off and reassess your situation. Tell the GF to get off her ass and quit leaching off the parents tits. Not going to solve the root problem.

now you're just going from unreasonable territory and into douchey territory.

 

[GT1999]

Originally posted by: davestar

Originally posted by: WingZero94
Listen to yourself!!! Costs going up, lots of debt. DON'T TAKE A VACATION!!!! It's not going to help your situation. It puts a temporary patch on.

17k on a car, no mortgage, credit card debt, or student loans is lots of debt? interesting. how do you feel about using a mattress as a bank? i'm guessing you're for it.

Wouldn't you feel MUCH better about taking a vacation if you actually budgeted for it, and didn't have to put everything on credit cards????

when did he say that his vacation ws going on his credit card? oh yeah, he didn't.

Look buddy - i'd take a day or two of paid vacation off and reassess your situation. Tell the GF to get off her ass and quit leaching off the parents tits. Not going to solve the root problem.

now you're just going from unreasonable territory and into douchey territory.

haha, you guys crack me up! I miss AT.

No CC debt. 9k in student loans at below 5%. So my total debt is something like 25k. That's a decent amount, but seeing as the gf is going to pay half, a domestic vacation of $800 per person while I contribute 6% of my income into a 100% matched 401k isn't all that big of a deal. I'm going on a vaca, I'll probably just stretch it out until the end of summer until I actually go. The real trick is figuring out how to keep the gf happy with ~1 vaca a year when she probably wants to go on 3.

Step 2 find a better job.

 

[LS21]

didnt have time to read the full thread. i think someone mentioned that everyone has debt... and its evident that youre far more financially conscious/responsible than most people. so whats wrong with throwing some dimes on a vacation? better to do it now, while youre young, than later.

now, onto the issue of splitting costs... i think for a (short-time dating) girlfriend she has to for her to pay her flight and split lodging, but you could pay most of the time when eating or snacking out, entrance to a museum or etc, as if you were out on a date

 

[Baked]

Originally posted by: tfinch2

Originally posted by: Baked
I think I choked a little when you claim 1K rent is expensive cost of living because it's so funny. You should check the avg. rent for San Francisco.

Nobody gives a fuck about rent in San Francisco in this thread.

Half a dozen cookies cost $10 in San Francisco.

 

[CPA]

Originally posted by: MixMasterTang

Originally posted by: CPA

Originally posted by: hiromizu
Vacation is something you do to forget about the little things in life. Just go out and have fun. You can always make more money but you can't always go someplace nice with someone you love.

And this philosophy is exactly why so many people are in a credit crunch right now.

OP is on the right track - pay off debt first.

I don't think that philosophy is why people are in debt. If the OP was considering paying for the whole trip on his credit card and not paying it off immediately, or if someone was suggestions that, then yes you would be correct. Do you expect someone to save up money, pay iff their car, save money and pay off their house, then make sure they put away enough money for retirement, then save for their kids college, and then finally take a vacation?

I expect people to pay off their debt, pay off the car, save for emergencies, invest in retirement plans, save for and take vacation, save for kids college (optional), then pay off house. In that order. Dave Ramsey, look him up.

 

[tyler811]

Originally posted by: rasczak

Originally posted by: Geekish Thoughts
So here's my situation... mid 20s, new gf, she wants to travel somewhere for a vacation. Only known her about 4 months... we both have paid vaca days through work.

I make about 55k and pay almost 1k in rent each month (cost of living in my area is expensive), she probably makes 30-40k and still lives with her 'rents. I owe the majority of the money on my car (~16k)... and do have money in savings but I've never been much to travel out of the USA -- just Canada. So this will probably be a domestic trip for sure to keep costs down.

How does one agree to travel when there's debt to be paid? It seems hard to do for me... Granted, I haven't been on a trip out of state in forever.. also I'd feel obliged to pay for the whole trip, which if it's the east of west coast could be ~1k a person easily, so I'd feel like an ass but I think I should ask her to contribute... especially if it's 1/2 her idea.

You start a vacation fund and pay into it. Tht's what i try to do anyway.

This is a good answer, just contribute equal amounts every week till the time comes to go. Given that you will wait till summer for warmer weather, you should have alot saved up.

 

[Dacalo]

Originally posted by: Dead3ye
Make her pay half, no doubt.

Seriously. You have known her for only 4 months. Don't be a dense chivalrous guy waiting to be taken advantage of like this. There are times for helping out, then there are times to make things fair.

 

[Kadarin]

Go on the vacation. One thing about life is that sometimes you need to do things that make it worth living.

 

[jiggahertz]

Calculate how much that $800 towards a 5% car loan will save you in interest over the life of the loan. If that's going to make or break how you feel about taking a vacation just break up with your GF now.

 

[Koing]

You got to live a little mate.

Your like me. I save a lot of money, I have some student loans debt but it isn't that much at the end of the day. It will get paid off. I still save a lot of money but I rarely spend it.

I say your doing well. Spend a bit on your holiday. You do have to LIVE A LITTLE. You have not much debt besides the car and student loans which everyone will have.

Koing

 

[Dead3ye]

Originally posted by: FoBoT

Originally posted by: Dead3ye
Make her pay half, no doubt.

^^^

wait until you are married to pay for everything

Guess what, I already am and probably twice your age.

 

[Insomniator]

it sounds like your situation is fine, at least by american standards. debt = whateva

Even if you are in debt, 55k and 35k isnt bad and 1k month rent doesnt seem like enough to prevent you from takin a vacation, especially paid vacation

 

[Suspicious-Teach8788]

Originally posted by: spidey07
If she lives with her parents then she needs to move out ASAP instead of spending money on a vacation. She's an adult, time to act like one.

And for SURE make her pay her share, you're a sucker if you don't. Again, she is supposed to be an adult, time to act like one.

My high school friends who have secured jobs with 65 - 70k salaries are moving home after they graduate. We Asians feel obligated to move back home to:

A) Save money
B) Parents want us to.

But I guess cultures all work differently, so some people look down upon this. I know my parents don't want me moving out, and while I know I'd rather live outside, I know that saving money is the way to go. I'm excited If ound a lab opportunity near campus though, so we'll see if I get considered for that (although getting probably half of what I would get in the industry and having to pay for rent might suck)

 

[bignateyk]

You're an idiot for even thinking about going on a vacation with a chick you've only dated for 4 months. Vacations are relationship killers.

 

[GT1999]

Originally posted by: bignateyk
You're an idiot for even thinking about going on a vacation with a chick you've only dated for 4 months. Vacations are relationship killers.

Neither of us have agreed on anything yet and have both said we don't know each other well enough yet, she just mentioned the 3 trips a year thing and that she'd like to do one eventually, so I flip after thinking of the costs, hence this thread.

Keep he dreams high and what actually is done to a minimum, I know how it works. My last gf and I were together 3 1/2 years and never travelled out of state. This wasn't a relationship thread, it was a financial one. I'm 26 and think I've got my grasp on dating where I need it to be.

 

[adairusmc]

Originally posted by: Baked

Originally posted by: tfinch2

Originally posted by: Baked
I think I choked a little when you claim 1K rent is expensive cost of living because it's so funny. You should check the avg. rent for San Francisco.

Nobody gives a fuck about rent in San Francisco in this thread.

Half a dozen cookies cost $10 in San Francisco.

And if you drop one you have to kick it to Oakland before you can safely pick it up.

 

[compman25]

Really, this isn't a post by mjuszczak? Seriously, it's not????

 

[theeedude]

Go without her if she can't afford it. You'll have a blast

 

[HardcoreRobot]

this is why you have savings, is it not? also, don't pay for her.

 

[HannibalX]

I wouldn't pay for her but that's just me.

+1 for the vacation fun. Well, you don't need a fund so much as a budget. If you make 55k/year budget a percentage of that $$$ for travel.