Planning a vacation ?

[Nevada Ed]

I don't know if it is the times or if people are starting to see the light

but my wife and lady friends just came back from seven days, south of the boarder.

Many have been down there before and they all had a great time in the hot, balmy weather
as I watched the snow fall and listen to 40 mph winds in 30* weather, in Nevada.

Lots of food, free booze, entertainment, trips to special places,
late meals by candle light, salt water beaches at your front door

however they all noticed the the price of things is getting higher, so
get it done if you are thinking of coming down.

Waiting at the airport, my wife was surprised that a chicken sandwich and bottle of water came to $21.

However, here in Reno we stopped at Jack in the box for burgers and milk shakes, on the way home from the airport and the bill
(with my Vet. discount on V Day) came to $21.88.

Happy Holidays to all.

 

[LVSteve]

Picked up Panda Express on the way home yesterday. Two boxes came to about $25, but we will probably get three meals out of each.

Getting Panda can be a bit of a lottery portion wise. We often share one box, but lately we seem to hit the servers with strict portion control like they own the place. Of course, with this in mind we ordered two and the girls were quite generous. Oh well.

 

[Bald1]

I don’t think I’d ever go south of the border. I know several people that have had bad experiences and were just uncomfortable there. It’s a weird feeling when you get lectured about safety when you venture a couple blocks from resort area………Florida has everything I need. I it lets me spend my money in the good old USA.

 

[Muss Muggins]

All I know is that we ate at Shake Shack at McCarran leaving Vegas in August after celebrating the daughter’s 21st, and ate at Shake Shack in Ladue, MO in September after moving her back to WashU. Exact same order. Ladue was $20 cheaper . . .

 

[URIT]

I stopped in at a local Mexican restaurant for a beef fajitas dinner which cost me $25 after a tip.

I could have made a Lomo Saltado dinner for four using a tri-tip roast or a single dinner of shrimp cocktail, filet mignon, baked potato with butter and sour cream, and steamed broccoli for less money than a single dinner out.

Inflation is hard on the pocket book, so my wife I refrain from eating out and prepare good meals at home.

I like South of the Border vacations on cruise ships.

 

[lihpster]

I went to Cabo in 1999. I absolutely felt safer walking the streets of Cabo at 3AM then I did walking the streets of Portland at 3AM. But then again that was then.

 

[9mmPatriot]

I just picked up my parents at DIA this past Tuesday. They were in Cancun (Sp?) for a couple of weeks. They trade their time-share that's on the pacific coast for stays at a variety of places. They said the same thing, prices have doubled or even tripled for some items. I mentioned my desire for a Cuban cigar in jest, I now have two of them that set my dad back damn near $150.....he doesn't know it but I'll pay for them by littering small bills around their house next time I make the 1.5 mile drive.

Sadly that won't be for a week or more since my mom (who is currently on Chemo for Leukemia) tested positive for Covid. Got the phone call 30 minutes ago......


I'm all about staycations for the duration.

 

[Bald1]

I went to Cabo in 1999. I absolutely felt safer walking the streets of Cabo at 3AM then I did walking the streets of Portland at 3AM. But then again that was then.

Well Portland?!?!?!?! That’s the defund crowd.

 

[lihpster]

Well Portland?!?!?!?! That’s the defund crowd.

Not so much back then. But that was then. My point wasn't to emphasize Portland's dangers but point out the lack thereof in Cabo. Again, that was then.

 

[Onomea]

On the way back from our walk in a wetlands nature park today, picked up some Mexican for lunch. Got the House Special, now $15:



Between the customers and the staff, I was the only non-Mexican there. Gave 'em a $3.00 tip, much to their surprise, bringing our total for the two of us to $18. We have enough left over for a good snack.

It was excellent.

 

[wood714]

I won't vacation any where I can't speak the language.

One of the reasons I don't go to Miami anymore.

 

[Narragansett]

I won't vacation any where I can't speak the language.

One of the reasons I don't go to Miami anymore.

There are plenty of English speaking countries I would would not go to

 

[mtgianni]

I like south of the border but no longer stop in Mexico.

 

[GypsmJim]

The inflation rate is ONLY 8.3%. That's not much, so why all the hullabaloo.

I did my annual car maintenance the other day. It was double what I paid last year.

My pool winterizing cost slightly MORE than double last year.

We just had chicken wings. Remember 10 cent wings? Last week they were $2.15.

My sub sandwich was $4 last year. Now it's $7.

OTOH, my $65 / month medicare advantage is now $0, plus I will get a rebate of $30. I asked the agent how that was possible. She said it was an agreement with the govt. I asked again. She said "I dunno".

On the other other hand, I'm still loading nines for 5 bucks a box......LOL. Now if I could have only saved up chicken wings....

But back to the original question......We vacation in Florida and the Thousand Islands. We also go to the US Virgin Islands, which IS south of the border. Even if it costs a lot more, I'll continue spending my money in the USA.

 

[yaktamer]

Lot of articles lately about the locals in Mexico City being teed off at all the Californians moving in and driving up prices and wanting everything to be just like "back home."

 

[yaktamer]

Other than wanting to visit Italy before I die, I've generally lost interest in international travel. Just doesn't seem to be worth the hassle and expense. Did the cruise ship thing once. Meh. Maybe one of the European river cruises would be interesting.

 

[Harrison]

Can't afford a vacation; however, if I could it would be going south to the Texas Gulf Coast (AKA the Texas Rivera).

 

[Beemerguy53]

Lot of articles lately about the locals in Mexico City being teed off at all the Californians moving in and driving up prices and wanting everything to be just like "back home."

Really? REALLY??? The Mexicans are upset about Americans moving there and changing their culture??? Something about a pot and kettle comes to mind...

 

[Beemerguy53]

Other than wanting to visit Italy before I die, I've generally lost interest in international travel. Just doesn't seem to be worth the hassle and expense. Did the cruise ship thing once. Meh. Maybe one of the European river cruises would be interesting.

I really sorry you feel that way. My experiences traveling in Europe have been just great. Yes, it's a little bit of a hassle, but not too terribly expensive if you plan it right (you'll pay a lot more for a week at Disney World) and believe me, it's well worth it.

In my trips to Germany over the years, I've stayed in zum Riesen, a hotel in Miltenburg built in 1411. (Napoleon and Elvis stayed there as well.) I've stood on the ramparts of the wall surrounding Rothenburg, from which archers defended the city during the Thirty Years War more than 500 years ago. I've walked through the Cathedral in Cologne, the largest Gothic structure in the world, which took 600 years to finish. I've toured Burg Eltz, a 900 year old castle in original condition, occupied by the same family for 33 generations. And I've stood at the top of the Zugspitze, Germany's highest mountain, and admired the raw beauty of nature...

I'll be leaving for Germany in a little less than a month. I was over there last spring, and I'm going back now for ten days to experience the Christmas Markets in Munich and Salzburg, Austria. Definitely, definitely, go to Italy...and plan to see some other countries as well. If you don't want to plan your own trip, see a travel agent and get on an organized tour. You won't regret it, I promise.

 

[LVSteve]

Lot of articles lately about the locals in Mexico City being teed off at all the Californians moving in and driving up prices and wanting everything to be just like "back home."

Mexico City frequently has the same smog, so they should feel right at home.

That said, there are MUCH nicer places to move to in Mexico. The biggest drawback is that many of them don't have an international airport really handy. If you think driving in the US is dangerous, try a ride outside a city of more than 20 miles in Mexico.

 

[YeshuaIsa53]

I just picked up my parents at DIA this past Tuesday. They were in Cancun (Sp?) for a couple of weeks. They trade their time-share that's on the pacific coast for stays at a variety of places. They said the same thing, prices have doubled or even tripled for some items. I mentioned my desire for a Cuban cigar in jest, I now have two of them that set my dad back damn near $150.....he doesn't know it but I'll pay for them by littering small bills around their house next time I make the 1.5 mile drive.

Sadly that won't be for a week or more since my mom (who is currently on Chemo for Leukemia) tested positive for Covid. Got the phone call 30 minutes ago......




I'm all about staycations for the duration.

Sorry to hear about your Mom.

 

[YeshuaIsa53]

My wife said she would have bought crackers out of a vending machine before spending that on a chicken sandwich. We can't go to a local McD
and get two Big Mack meals for under $18.

copied from Embrace Relief..."But experts are now saying there might be cause to worry on the food production front, too. A combination of drought, poor harvests, the pandemic, and conflict could leave the world vulnerable to a food shortage, driving up prices and making it significantly more challenging for people in low-income countries to feed themselves and their families. That means we need to be acting doubly urgent to ensure that the crisis does not get any worse." copied

It will get worse before thinking it may get better. In some places in the world, a .44 Magnum can't get food. $20 can't get fresh water. Kenya is having the worst drought in over 40 years, but this is following four years of drought. Food cannot live without water. Animal herds are dropping, as the rivers are dry. The ground is separated and cracked.

Food and clean water are becoming more important than oil and fossil fuels. We cannot imagine how good we have it, for now. Good luck.

 

[LoboGunLeather]

Looking at the bills for last month compared to same month last year. Electricity up 58%. Natural gas up 70%. Homeowners insurance up 18%. Car insurance up 16% (same cars, same coverage). Groceries up 37%. Routine automobile service (oil changes, etc) up 100%.

Homeowners Association fees up 28%; master insurance policy up 15%, landscape maintenance up 40%, snow removal contractor up 40%.

The commonly quoted "inflation rate" is based on the CPI-U, Consumer Price Index for certain workers in certain population centers. Many necessities and consumer goods are not included in the surveys.

Last year restaurants were paying $7 or $8 per hour for most workers; now they are paying $15-plus for unskilled help that won't show up for scheduled shifts. Don't forget that workers compensation, unemployment insurance, employer contributions to social security/medicare are all based on a percentage of payroll. The $8 per hour employee cost might have been $11, but the $15 per hour employee costs over $20.

Utility bills for commercial accounts are typically at double or triple the rates for residential accounts. Property taxes on commercial properties are frequently triple the rates applied to residential properties.

No wonder that fast food costs have doubled, as have restaurant prices.

Only way to get the best value for your dollar is to spend it today, as quickly as you can. It is sure to be worth less next week, next month, next year.