Life, money and time being what they are-limited!- means that it behooves us to do some longer term travel planning. Once you have a list of activities and locations (and assuming you can get on the same page as your partner!), you can start to think more strategically about planning your travel for the next 5-10-20 years. And while this might seem daunting, I think there’s a ton of benefits in doing so.
Life is complicated
We are not going to live forever. We have no idea what is to come in the future. So yes, your longer term planning for travel may end up being for naught. But even if you live to 100, your health will likely not be what it is today. You may be weaker or have injuries. Your partner may have the same. You may not be comfortable on a long flight or have other obligations that keep you closer to home.
I thought about this when listening to a podcast with Bill Perkins. He’s a proponent of knowing that there is a time for everything, and that time will not last forever. He focuses a lot on spending money, but travel is a big theme too. If you wait until your 80s to do that 3 week hiking trip in the Alps, there’s a decent chance you aren’t going to be in the best shape to enjoy it. So perhaps plan that trip for next year instead?
Die with Zero by Bill Perkins
In the spirit of this philosophy, Dear Husband and I are planning out our bucket list trips. Hiking trips need to happen in the next 5-10 years. The river cruise in France can wait until our 70s. Doing all the active things we want to do in New Zealand will require stamina and energy- that trip needs to move to the top of calendar. A week on Martha’s Vineyard can wait a bit longer.
Of course, this assumes that you, like us, have some constraints on time and money. If not, go ahead and do it all now! After all, none of us know how long we have. But without a crystal ball and unlimited resources, I think it pays to be strategic about planning for travel.
Maximize your reward point accumulation and spending
I’ve got to be honest- I can be a bit of a hoarder. Especially when it comes to reward points. I love watching that balance go up every month. And dreaming of what to use them for! But reward point devaluation is a real thing. And before you know it, all those points you were counting on as you are planning for travel have <poof> disappeared in value. They won’t be worthless, but they may be worth significantly less.
This is where some multi-year planning can help. By having a 5+ year plan outlined, you can determine where you may want to use those points in the most strategic/high value way. A few examples:
- International business class tickets for an already-expensive trip
- An additional getaway that might not fit in your annual travel budget
- A big celebratory getaway- can you say “retirement”?? 🙂
- Upgrading to a fancier hotel than you might ordinarily choose
- Adding an extra room when your daughter decides it’s not cool to room with her parents
- …Or when she decides to bring some future boyfriend on a trip (and it’s the only way you’ll get to spend some time with her)
By having a longer term plan, you can think through how many points you need (and build them up) and when to use them. While I am good at accumulating, I could use a nudge and commitment to actually use them. Knowing that we’ll be going business class to Europe in 2025 helps me commit.
Ensure you are spending time with your favorite people
This idea pairs up nicely with my first- that you need to plan your travel in order to be in the best position to enjoy it. And while our health and abilities are key, so is the availability of our sweet daughter Sophie. Right now, she’s in college. The demands on her free time are increasing, but she’s got a limited budget and no boyfriend in the picture (yet). So if we can make schedules work, she’s pretty much game for any trip we’re willing to take her on!
But let’s be honest, that’s not going to last forever. Work will interfere. She’ll want to spend time with friends on her vacations. We’ll have to make do with less time with her, and perhaps lure her on trips with the promise of space for a friend or two to join her.
Longer term planning for travel- in terms of location and budget- can help a lot with this. We should plan our couple trips to destinations that aren’t perhaps on the top of her list at times when she is not likely to be available. And save the spending on beach resorts for a time when she is. And make room in the budget for her own room. She won’t want to sleep on a cot in our room for much longer!
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