What would you do?

[DylanScores]

With the recent downturn of our economy, I am curious to find out if you are still planning to proceed with planned vacations, planned house renovations or anything that you have planned before?
Will this time be a great time to go back to school, downsize, look for other career options, start a family, move elsewhere or anything that you have been holding off doing for a while? What are your thoughts and plans to "buck" this downturn?

[Slava]

I'm planning the biggest and most expensive vacation I've ever taken later this year. Smartest thing I've ever done? Maybe not, but it was in the cards well before this year and I don't really care. You have to live your life and enjoy things sometimes also.

[PsYcNeT]

Sitting on my hands vacationless, as I'm rebuilding a nestegg after paying for some renos and window replacements last year.

Thankfully both the wife and I are in fairly sheltered industries.

[DownhillGoat]

Originally Posted by Slava

I'm planning the biggest and most expensive vacation I've ever taken later this year.

Apparently I should have read the "fees" section a little closer when I ported all my business over to you.

As per the OP, I didn't have anything planned, but am cutting back travel immensely. That however is due to a job change, more so than the current economy.

[AcGold]

The economic downturn resulted in me not having the job I went to school for, so vacations aren't even in the next 3 or 4 years.

Also, don't get a geoscience degree right now.

[edn88]

Instead of a trip to the US, we made a trip to Kelowna instead. My hockey team is going to Montreal instead of Vegas for similar reasons. We have some home renos we are going to look at in the fall depending on whether oil recovers a bit. I am holding off on a new car until the economy stabilizes as well.

The plan to get through this is to work hard, watch my bank balances and hope the downturn is not a long one.

[tvp2003]

For us, the crappy US exchange rate has curtailed any plans to visit the US anytime soon.

[btimbit]

Basically my plan is to live life the exact same as I have for the last several years. Only difference is I'm ordering less from US websites than I usually would.

[Peanut]

All our "vacations" at this point are visiting family by either driving or using airline points to book flights. So we will still visit our families since that's about as cheap a vacation as it gets with a free place to stay and lots of free/cheap meals.

Otherwise we are cutting back where possible because of job uncertainty. Most of our significant costs are fixed due to mortgages and childcare, though.

[Travis Munroe]

I hope to buy a house within the next month or 2 and renovate from head to toe (not a flip but for me to live in)
I feel that there is always a window of opportunity in downturns. Trades people are working for less as their schedules open up. I would like to take advantage of this while building equity in the property.

[CorsiHockeyLeague]

Originally Posted by Slava

I'm planning the biggest and most expensive vacation I've ever taken later this year.

Same. In my case the flights were paid for last year and it's all booked now so my girlfriend's project getting cancelled can't really change anything.

[MoneyGuy]

Originally Posted by Slava

I'm planning the biggest and most expensive vacation I've ever taken later this year. Smartest thing I've ever done? Maybe not, but it was in the cards well before this year and I don't really care. You have to live your life and enjoy things sometimes also.

Okay, I'll bite. Where?

[Hugh Jahrmes]

I was going to comment about OP mentioning starting a family now .. actually good timing when you think about it; can't lay you off if you're already on maternity / paternity leave! Ha ha, suckers! Hopefully the blessing of a child actually saves a few new families jobs as im pretty sure their job is guaranteed for a year when they return, and hopefully things correct by that time and at least some good comes from this.

My employer has recently applied for the work share program; assuming we are approved we will be working a max of 32 hours a week with the rest being covered by EI.. My plan is to avoid non essential spending completely as my regular monthly commitments + fancy new child support + reduced income will basically axe the walkin' around town money I used to have left over. That said, Im going to attempt to dedicate my extra day each week to various home and self improvements, become more handy around the house. Lots of little things I'd like to learn as far as home improvements that could potentially save me thousands when life returns to "normal" and funds for planned improvements flow in again.
Hoping to make the best of it, spend lots of time with my son, and maybe max out my heroes on Clash of Clans.

[taco.vidal]

The USD/CAD exchange rate being around 1.27 may have an effect on peoples vacation plans.

We plan our vacations quite a ways in advance and are still taking them. However, the weak Canadian dollar may have some impact on our spending and definitely our shopping in the USA.

[Slava]

Originally Posted by MoneyGuy

Okay, I'll bite. Where?

I'm going to England for the Rugby World Cup later this year. I'm more than excited and kind of consider it a once in a lifetime sort of trip (although who am I kidding, I would probably want to go again!)

I feel a little bad reading through this thread when everyone else basically says they're cutting back. I should say that I am taking it easy and not doing a lot leading up to this, and its a trip that has been in the works for a couple years.

[Hevishot]

My vacation starts tomorrow. I definitely hated the fact that I had to get a decent pile of Us currency and it cost me my arm and half a nut but I never get time off so im taking it!

[Nyah]

Flights have already been paid for, so we're still doing our vacation in May. Depending on what's happening and whether I still have a job or not, we're still hoping to do a big trip in December too.

[I-Hate-Hulse]

Originally Posted by Hugh Jahrmes

I was going to comment about OP mentioning starting a family now .. actually good timing when you think about it; can't lay you off if you're already on maternity / paternity leave! Ha ha, suckers! Hopefully the blessing of a child actually saves a few new families jobs as im pretty sure their job is guaranteed for a year when they return, and hopefully things correct by that time and at least some good comes from this.

Joke's on you - many companies have laid off people on maternity / paternity (especially) as already discussed in the layoff thread. It is a without cause termination and you can expect a few extra bucks to keep you quiet, but if your job has been deemed "redundant" - you're still fair game.

[OutOfTheCube]

No plan changes -- we weren't planning any holidays this year as my wife is having a baby any day now. The economy downturn hasn't hugely affected my job yet, not really expecting it too, so everything should be okay!

[darklord700]

No big vacation this year. The health care premiums took that budget away and am not in the mood to spend money when my job is on the line. Planned a cheap road trip to BC to burn the excess gasoline.