All I Want for Christmas!
- Carrie Thomson
- Dec 15, 2017
- 3 min read
As the kids have gotten older, I have become increasingly aware of what a waste of money traditional Christmas gifting has become. Not only do they not need all the "stuff" they receive on Christmas day, but also it creates clutter and weighs down our household spirit - all year long, not just at Christmas time.
Last year I decided that enough was enough. We weren't going to do the traditional Christmas free-for-all. They didn’t need another electronic gadget or more clothes or useless bobbles. We were going to start having EXPERIENCES instead! This is how I finally decided that from now on, December and the Holiday Season would mean a family trip!
I started scouring websites and travel emails, looking for an affordable way to see the world with my family of four plus one tag-along friend. After searching for a couple of days, I determined that a cruise was the way to go! Since our home town is a winter wonderland in December, we opted for warm beaches and sunny skies! We were ready to say HELLO! to the Caribbean!
So I started price shopping for cruises. I think it is a misconception that cruises are unaffordable and out of reach. If you know where to shop, you can find a great deal. I had a friend who paid over $10,000 for a cruise that I found for $499. Like I said, you just need to know where to shop. My favorite site for cruise shopping is www.vacationstogo.com. Not only do they have great deals on hundreds and hundreds of cruises, but they also have what they call the "90 day ticker," where you can book last minute cruises for an even bigger discount.
Next on my list, the flight! Flying isn't cheap, or usually very convenient. So I find flights based on #1 price, and #2 time. I was back to web surfing for a deal. There are a ton of flight websites to choose from, and most of them have about the same deal, but still, I look around. Although I like to stick with the same website as often as possible (expedia.com), this time the best deal was on www.justfly.com. Although I was able to find flights for $280 each, I would like to offer a word of caution. Sometimes cheapest isn't always best. Make sure you read all the stipulations and restrictions. Our last flight we took was a great deal, but we weren't allowed to bring a carry on, and we ended up being forced to pay an extra $125 each way to check our carry-ons - so much for packing light!
Overall, with a little bit of searching, we were able to take 5 people from Washington State to New Orleans where we left on a 7 day cruise to Belize, Honduras and Cozumel for just over $4000.
But what we gained was worth so much more. We learned about new cultures, we met some friendly dolphins, we had a minor moped incident, we annoyed each other, and we laughed together. We had new experiences together that we could never replace with items. What I received for Christmas that year meant so much more to me than a new phone or an itchy sweater. I have memories and pictures with my kids that I can never replace. More importantly, my husband and the kids and I got to know each other again.
Next stop for our family at Christmas ...New York City, December 2017
Watch out Big Apple … Here we come!
While all travel sites have comparable prices, I have found it best to find your favorite and stick to it. I stick to Expedia. By using the same website whenever possible, you start incurring points, increasing your status, receiving bonus email deals, etc... In other words, you get more benefits!!!
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