What would YOU be willing to sacrifice...

[CapeCodCruiser]

[quote name='hookedoncruises12']Definately give up Christmas and dining out. I'd sell my soul to be able to cruise all the time! LOL[/QUOTE]

I believe that is a clause in the cruise line employment contract:eek:

[BMurph1998]

[quote name='Kurbanfan']We do a family cruise every December for Christmas.....instead of gifts.......that is the gift....[/quote]

Same here!! Since all our kids are grown we do not exchange Christmas gifts but we will all go on a family vacation each year.

[RWolver672]

We don't give up anything. We automatically have $200 a month put into a "Cruise Savings Account" at the bank. We never touch it and we never miss it. We have enough for a good seven day cruise with before and after stays every two years. That way, we [U]REALLY[/U] look forward to it.

[Muumuu]

Few years ago. in June, I found in my grandsons room a Christmas gift I had gotten him. Still in sealed package. A very nice gift I may add. I was livid. I hate waste. So since then I take the family on a Thanksgiving cruise each year. One stop shopping. One call to my PVP and it is signed, sealed and done for the year. Got to love it. And we all do. Lots of wonderful memories.
We sail again in 21 days.

[Soleil09]

We kind of already use the cruises as "gifts" sometimes...so I'd go with that. Or I'd cancel my lawn service and gymboree membership.

[Cricket63]

Gave up buying a car so we can do the 15 day R/T to Hawaii!!

[gman0119]

Gave up my free spending, irresponsible wife! Now I can cruise again, and girlfriend is paying for the first cruise! :D

(And yes, I'm telling the truth!)

[Virga]

We have given up drinking out at bars almost entirely - not really anything to do with cruises, we just prefer to spend our cash elsewhere. We still go to the bar we used to work at, because we are owed about six months of back pay and know that bar tab is the only way to recoup it =P

We don't make a lot of money, so it's tough - we pay our bills and that's about it. Fortunately we worked a LOT over the summer and have a couple months of pay set aside for this winter slow season. When we stopped drinking out, we stepped up our dinner parties - I'm a coupon FREAK and don't pay much at all for groceries. I'll cook a huge meal, and our friends will bring beer or bottles. It works out well for all involved =P

That said, vacation money in general is definitely set aside - we sometimes get tipped at work, and all that goes into vacation fund. We started using only cash for our purchases, and all of our change, singles, and five dollar bills at the end of the day go into the bin. Any money left over from our weekly grocery/gas/stuff allotment gets added too. We were SHOCKED at how quickly it added up!

One thing we did this year - we got passes to a local amusement park out of our vacation fund. When we want to do something special, we print out a restaurant.com coupon and go to Universal. Parking is free, we're *really* good at spending the minimum to use the coupon, so dinner is less than $25 including tip. Even the gas down there - about $15 - is cheaper than seeing a movie and buying popcorn! We've tried out so many restaurants this way, and spend less than we would making dinner at home and having several guinness at the pub.

I suppose we don't sacrifice much to get to cruise - we're just careful with money in general, and built habits to support our vacation addiction =P

[Virga]

[quote name='Muumuu']Few years ago. in June, I found in my grandsons room a Christmas gift I had gotten him. Still in sealed package. A very nice gift I may add. I was livid. I hate waste. So since then I take the family on a Thanksgiving cruise each year. One stop shopping. One call to my PVP and it is signed, sealed and done for the year. Got to love it. And we all do. Lots of wonderful memories.
We sail again in 21 days.[/QUOTE]


OOOH, suddenly I feel awful! My grandmother used to buy me books, knowing I loved to read - but never could understand that she couldn't just tell the clerk at the bookstore that she needed books for a twelve year old girl. I was working my way through every Asimov novel I could get my hands on, and she just kept buying me "The Babysitter's Club" and "Sweet Valley High" stories. I wonder what she would have thought if she knew I was trading them in for 25% of their cost at the local bookstore =(

[momwith2boys]

[quote name='gman0119']Gave up my free spending, irresponsible wife! Now I can cruise again, and girlfriend is paying for the first cruise!

(And yes, I'm telling the truth!)[/quote]

:p:p;);):D:D

[elcuchio24]

[quote name='DGB_KTB']If we cut out our cable TV we would save $4200 per year. We currently pay $350/month[/quote]

Holy cow, our internet/phone/DirecTV all together is about 80/month.....Do you have some special 'adult' type chanels?:)

[elcuchio24]

[quote name='WishIwasOutThereNOW']all of those except the NFL.[/quote]

The Pats kill me man. Even just a couple games a year really add up. Our colts/pats tickets a few years back on the 30 were $250 a pop. But would I hawk my tickets to the Jets game later on this year? No way.

[elcuchio24]

[quote name='gman0119']Gave up my free spending, irresponsible wife! Now I can cruise again, and girlfriend is paying for the first cruise! :D

(And yes, I'm telling the truth!)[/quote]

AHHHHHHHHHH! Best answer yet!

[Bunkie103]

When we ran out of things to buy each other after 42 years we started using the money for vacations most often cruises. Just returned from a last minute out of Charleston, now that we can drive to port, celebrating those 42 years. We were going to go away for the weekend and with what that would have cost we took a 5 day cruise on the Fantasy.:D

[Sundiego]

[quote name='gargoyle999']I'm about to give up my XM Radio that I have had for many many years. $27/month won't buy a cruise but will go a ways to paying for some expenses onboard.

[/QUOTE]

You don't need to pay $27/month for XM Radio. We have paid $77 per year for the last 5 years. Just call them and tell them you can't afford the $27/month and a friend only pays $77/year. And the friend doesn't pay the extra monthly royalty fee either (that's about $5/month, can't remember exact amt, we don't pay it). Anyway... I guarantee they'll renew you at the $77/year.

We cancelled our cable and don't miss it except for the occasional must-see sports that isn't broadcast on free television. Also canceled our land line phone and do cell only now. Don't miss it either (but I'm sure the phone solicitors do LOL).

[LemurCat]

[quote name='Sundiego']You don't need to pay $27/month for XM Radio. We have paid $77 per year for the last 5 years. Just call them and tell them you can't afford the $27/month and a friend only pays $77/year. And the friend doesn't pay the extra monthly royalty fee either (that's about $5/month, can't remember exact amt, we don't pay it). Anyway... I guarantee they'll renew you at the $77/year.[/quote]

I second this. XM is very, very willing to negotiate.

I fired my cleaning lady. I'm not sure if it's worth it as I really, really hate to clean.

[elcuchio24]

We don't really 'give up' anything in particular to cruise....We have no kids and have decent duel incomes, no drinking/smoking/drug habits, pay bills, max out 401k's and IRA, I am a little bit addicted to investing through various online trading accounts so I fund that, whatever's left over goes into a travel account which goes to cruises among other travels.

[Traveler353]

[SIZE=3][COLOR=darkred]I see not reason to give up anything. My first retirement pays for my day to day living expenses. I just work to cruise and travel.[/COLOR][/SIZE]

[sjn911]

I'm in shock over the $350.00 TV etc. package...and the $80.00 one. Mine is Net, TV with HBO and Showtime and Phone..recently they called to add and give me a "deal", because I had all three they couldn't...hmmmm....I'm on it; currently the lowest price (which I now doubt) for this is $142.00 here...thanks all.

[lillian marie]

I don't use a cleaning lady anymore twice a month and put that money saved in my vacation fund.

[LemurCat]

[quote name='sjn911']I'm in shock over the $350.00 TV etc. package...and the $80.00 one. Mine is Net, TV with HBO and Showtime and Phone..recently they called to add and give me a "deal", because I had all three they couldn't...hmmmm....I'm on it; currently the lowest price (which I now doubt) for this is $142.00 here...thanks all.[/quote]

The cost of living effects the going rate by area. My Triple Play, once out of the introductory rate, is about $200 without having any premium movie channels or HD.

Oh, and I don't have any Fox affiliates right now because News Corp and my cable provider are fighting.