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Southwest Airlines Voucher…

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is, admittedly, burning a hole in my pocket!  I have the $500 voucher from my volunteering to take a later flight home out of Houston.  I have shared before that I have an addiction to travel.  That addiction only gets more powerful when I think I am getting a bargain.  The voucher expires in May of 2014 but in my addict brain you would think it had an expiration of next week!  I’ve spent entirely too much time dreaming of where I can go with that stupid voucher.  Puerto Rico is screaming at me right now and I was wondering if any of you heard the same voices encouraging me to go this summer.  🙂  I’ve taken the kids on a lot of vacations through the years and their Dad is handling summer vacation this year so I feel okay about going without them.  Although I could save up just a few more points with Rapid Rewards and get all three of us somewhere fun for the holidays…or early next year.  BUT, I could get to Puerto Rico with $150 still left on the voucher and I have been offered free accommodations by a friend who is from there.  She can join me or I can go alone–or invite another friend.  A lot of options! Wow.  My crazy brain will do all sorts of bad things with the free condo opportunity!  Pretty soon I’m convinced I have GOT to go before this deal gets away and it would be completely irresponsible of me to NOT go…soon…

Quick.  Stop me!


21 Comments

  • Reply Walnut |

    This voucher has ‘debt payoff celebration trip’ written all over it. Save the voucher for some fun with the kids at the end of this journey.

  • Reply Karen |

    I think this is an awesome reward for your debt payoff. Who knows, perhaps you can get the condo for a later date. A condo is a great way to go because you will have a kitchen and can buy groceries and limit the amount of eating out you do to save money. What a great inspiration for getting your debt paid off! Who knows what else you will have to use towards that awesome vacation by then!

  • Reply Alexandria |

    I have to agree with the others. Was also the first thing I thought – the perfect debt payoff vacation reward!! I also think it’s extremely fitting, since it would be such a frugal vacation. I’d generally say being debt free is the reward itself, but this kind of reward doesn’t make me cringe like many “debt milestone” material rewards or very expensive type rewards (which seem to defeat the whole purpose). & I am guessing this would provide some serious motivation to be done by the end of the year.

  • Reply Christopher |

    Save the voucher. Will your children still be going on the cruise with their father? If they aren’t, will you be liable for their cost of the trip? Perhaps, save the voucher and the money you would have spent for next year. Even with a free voucher and place to stay, their are many other costs associated with the trip.

  • Reply T'Pol |

    Debt Payoff Celebration, definitely! If you save the voucher till after debt payoff, you will feel much more accomplished I am sure!

  • Reply Shannon |

    You have a free plane ticket AND a free place to stay? Go on then and go! If you can save up your pampered chef money for a bit so you aren’t taking away any of your normal debt payoff $$ then I say go for it. You have done sooo great this last year and you’ve overcome a lot of hurdles. Treating yourself to a mini vacation at next to nothing costs??? You should go and soon. I would NOT wait until Debt Payoff. You are entitled to live your life a bit. As long as you aren’t adding debt to your bottom line, I don’t see the problem with going tomorrow. 🙂

      • Reply Maureen |

        I agree. If you can cover the minimal costs now by all means Go! Have fun and don’t feel guilty about it. I counsel many people with debt related matters and one of the issues that comes up is too much focus with no balanced reward or fun (with moderation of course) sets people up for potential failure in the future.

      • Reply Alexandria |

        Claire,

        Is this offer still going to be there next January?

        I only understand where these posters are coming from if this offer is not likely to still be there at the end of your debt-free journey. My impression is that the offer of free room will likely still be there AND that you are well aware that there are many other costs that will arise from this trip. (Which is why you asked us to talk you out of it – SMART girl).

        • Reply Claire |

          I have no idea what airfare will be in the future but the accommodations should be available. I really hear what Maureen is saying though. I think I need to learn to do things in moderation, don’t I? I’m not looking to drop a ton of money on a trip but instead am planning ahead. I think I have to be realistic about how I will live going forward and my current (and new) living situation has a lot of great changes but can I realistically sustain it long term? I don’t know. If I am going to fall off the wagon it is going to be on the travel front I think.

  • Reply Kforsythe |

    I agree with all the aforementioned wisdome. Frame it and hang it on your wall by your door so you can look at it over the next year as you pay off the rest of your debt. Then you can ceremoniously unframe it and use it! I can’t wait to take my debt pay off celebration trip in a year and change… (have to save up for the trip first once the debt is gone!!). Go Claire! And besides. Puerto Rico and hopefully your friend’s condo isn’t going anywhere.

  • Reply Jesort415 |

    I maybe a little biased as I am from “la Isla” (what the ppl from my part of PR call it) and hubby and I went last year for a very late Honeymoon (4.5 years late lol). We got a Groupon deal for San Juan w/ air fare so it was only $1200 total 🙂

    I say go for it!!! Just don’t be scared of the lagartijos (Little Lizards) and the Coquis (little frogs) get louder at night 🙂

  • Reply Sarah |

    Free flight and place to stay? I think its a fantastic opportunity and would go guilt free.

  • Reply blaze |

    I’m all for low cost vacations, but anyone who’s ever travelled knows that this still won’t be free. Yes the flight and accomodation are the big ticket items. Yes you can cook all your meals at the condo using the equivalent grocery money you would have used at home, but…
    There’s transportation to/from the airport at home and in PR. When you are staying in the free condo to you intend to do anything that costs anything? It’s unlikely you are just going to live in the condo, cook your meals and sit in the sun (free). Sooner or later you’ll want to do things that aren’t free, or buy a gift to leave for the condo owner, or take a taxi/bus to an attraction you can’t walk to. Yes it would still likely be a very low cost holiday (especially without the kids) if you can stick to laying in the sun, walking/sightseeing, and cooking all your meals. But really if you’re going to have to forgo anything that costs money, wouldn’t you be better off to just having a vacation at home and saving this for when you can relax and spend a little to see the attractions you went there to see?

    • Reply kim |

      We work to live, not live to work. Yeah most people should put off a practically free vacation esp. when people aren’t putting anything toward their debt, but since she’s making tremendous progress quickly, this won’t derail the train.

    • Reply Claire |

      blaze, I hear you loud and clear on this one for sure and it is why I thought that I need to set a goal of saving a separate amount of money for this trip to cover just the expenses you talk about here. Pampered Chef gives me that opportunity so maybe I say I need to earn $500-$1000 from the business to make this happen. I could book the flight and lose nothing as the dollars would still be available through May of 2014 and the condo has no reservation fee. I like the idea of a small separate goal to focus on as I also continue to pay down debt.

  • Reply emmi |

    Puerto Rico with a few friends sounds like a blast. In case you haven’t been there before, be aware the prices are exactly the same as mainland. So cost of meals and groceries will have to be considered and planned for ahead of time.

    I hope you get that $1000 saved up!

  • Reply Greg |

    I’m glad you had luck with your vouchers. I never seem to be able to use them when I want to. Much less have them be of any value to me. I had three sitting in my desk for four years. I think they are still there!

  • Reply Doug |

    I think you will love Puerto Rico. I was there a couple of years ago and had a really great time. While there, don’t forget to visit the Observatory and the Rain forest. Also, stop at a roadside produce stand for some amazing bananas…. seriously… they were the best thing we ate while there!

So, what do you think ?