Oy, all those simcha/chagim travelling busting our budets!

amother

Wed, Sep 24 2008, 3:00 am

I've looked out our budget and realised we have spent nearly
$8000 for travelling this year. The problem is, none of my and DH's family
live in the same country we are in, and we just end up spending
so much JUST to see them.

We always go to Israel for pesach as everyone in the family will be there,
so that's like $3000 for all of us. Luckily, brother-in-law knows someone with
an apartment we can use for free. For summer, we go to my family (my mom
is unfortunately too weak to travel long-distance so we need to go there).

Then DH's nephew is getting married B-H in Israel. Kids are in school and I
cannot afford so he's going solo ($600). I thought we were done, then DH
is now talking of going to see his parents over the winter break as my FIL's
health is deteriorating, that's another $2500 with the rental car and hotels.

DH thinks it's more important that our kids get to see their grandpa/ma
and the cousins, we'll find a way to pay for them. But all this adds up to what
seems to be an awful lots of $$$ to me while I'm really trying not to touch
our savings.

catonmylap

Wed, Sep 24 2008, 3:04 am

1-maybe you should move?

2- You don't need to go to every simcha. Back in the "olden days" no one traveled to/from Israel like we do now. If your sibling was married/bar mitzvahed during your year away, you just missed it. I think going to a nephew's wedding is pushing it if you have a large family.

shalhevet

Wed, Sep 24 2008, 3:28 am

You need to look at what you can afford, not what you'd like to do. OTOH, you mention that you don't want to dip into your savings, which sounds like you do have enough money and it's just where your priorities lie.

If you don't have enough, you need to differentiate between what would be nice (nephew's wedding, Pesach in Israel) and what is necessary (visiting parents who can't travel).