Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
Instead of hopping on a plane to travel, Michael Downie opts for the train.
"You have your bedroom, you get three meals a day, and you just look out the window and watch the country go by. You get to experience all of it," said Downie.
For the YouTube travel blogger, the journey is the trip itself.
With the spring break travel season approaching, those looking to flee the cold, wet Canadian snow for sunnier skies will likely be met with a hefty price tag for their getaway, with inflation and increased demand pushing costs up.
But Downie said there are cheaper ways to travel if you know where to look and if you're not afraid of the unconventional.
The Vancouver resident has travelled by train to most parts of Canada and the United States by Via Rail, Amtrak and the Rocky Mountaineer.
Most recently, Downie went from Jasper to Vancouver by train, as part of Via Rail's route called The Canadian which departs from Toronto and arrives in Vancouver four days later. The 24-hour stretch from Jasper to Vancouver costs as little as $190 for an economy fare or as much as $4,250 for the more luxurious option.
While on the tracks, Downie said he enjoys weaving in and out of the Rocky Mountains, stopping in Kamloops and participating in wine tastings on board the train.
"When people go somewhere warm for their vacation, and they come home and they lost their luggage, it's stressful," said Downie. On the train, "you just get to sit down, rest and relax as the train rocks back and forth. And you miss (the scenery) when you fly."
If you do choose to fly this spring, Barry Choi said those looking for a deal should avoid the week of March break if possible.
The personal finance and travel expert suggests travelling outside peak times instead, say, a week before or after. If that's not an option, Choi said travellers should consider destinations that aren't as expensive, like Portugal rather than Spain, or countries in the Middle East instead of those in Europe.
And once you're in the country, you can reduce costs by thinking more about your accommodations, noting those in the downtown core of cities cost much more than staying 15 or 20 minutes out.
"You always have to think outside the box," Choi said. Even simple things like looking for museums and attractions with free entry or loading up on groceries so you're not eating out for every meal can save you cash on your journeys abroad.
Really, it's about managing your costs as flights and hotels have become more expensive, and as travel dynamics have changed post-pandemic, Choi said.
"If you're trying to snag that last-minute deal to some far-off destination, it's just not going to happen," he said. "Most of the time if you're looking for a last-minute flight, airlines will charge even more because they know you need it."
It's important to pay attention to sales and vacation packages instead, said Choi.
Choi also recommends setting yourself up with a credit card that will earn you points toward travel.
"If you want to fly to Italy, you should start collecting Aeroplan points now," he said. Say you're not sure where you want to go, then choose any program, like American Express Membership Rewards or Scene Plus. Some credit cards also come with a "generous welcome bonus" if you can meet the minimum spending requirements.
To budget for your trip, prepare a rough estimate for what you'll spend on flights, hotels, food and entertainment, then work backwards, he said. If you're planning a trip that will cost about $3,000 and want to go in 12 months, you need to save $250 per month, for example.
Saving for travel rather than impulsively booking a trip is important, but what's more important is ensuring your debts are paid off beforehand, said financial educator Jessica Moorhouse.
"If you have really expensive credit card debt, that should be your priority because it can be a huge drain on your finances," said Moorhouse. Once that's paid off, you should also consider saving for an emergency fund which typically covers your cost of living for six months should an event occur where you can no longer work, like being laid off from a job.
Building upon Choi's recommendation to save little by little each month, Moorhouse suggests opening a separate banking account with higher interest rates for savings. Besides growing your money, keeping your savings in a separate account prevents you from spending it impulsively, she said.
While social media feeds are bound to be filled with travellers showing off their getaways this upcoming travel season, the fear of missing out shouldn't be a reason you're willing to risk your financial stability, said Moorhouse.
If you have that chance to go on a trip and you can't afford it right now, chances are there will be more opportunities to go in the future, she said.
"It sucks to go on vacation, come back home and continue paying for something that already happened. But if you find yourself in that situation, make a plan to pay it off by the end of the year at the latest."
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 31, 2023.
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
The deaths of four people on a farm near the Saskatchewan village of Neudorf have been confirmed a murder-suicide.
The Canada Revenue Agency announced Thursday it will not require 'bare trust' reporting from Canadians that it introduced for the 2024 tax season, just four days before the April 2 deadline.
The Parole Board of Canada has granted full parole to one of three men convicted in the brutal murders of three McDonald's restaurant workers in Cape Breton more than 30 years ago.
Calgary police shut down a number of bridges into and out of the downtown core as officers dealt with a distraught individual. The incident lasted almost 20 hours.
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
Genetic analysis has shed light on a long-standing mystery surrounding the fates of U.S. President George Washington's younger brother Samuel and his kin.
A spokesman for a regional Muslim advocacy group says Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre's stance on the Israel-Hamas war could complicate his party's relationship with Muslim Canadians.
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.
B.C. conservation officers recently seized a nine-foot-long Burmese python from a home in Chilliwack.
A New Brunswicker will go to bed Thursday night much richer than he was Wednesday after collecting on a winning lottery ticket he let sit on his bedroom dresser for nearly a year.
The Ontario government is introducing changes to auto-insurance, but some experts say the move is ill-advised.
A Toronto restaurant introduced a surprising new rule that reduced the cost of a meal and raised the salaries of staff.
Newfoundland’s unique version of the Pine Marten has grown out of its threatened designation.
A Toronto man is out $12,000 after falling victim to a deepfake cryptocurrency scam that appeared to involve Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
It started small with a little pop tab collection to simply raise some money for charity and help someone — but it didn’t take long for word to get out that 10-year-old Jace Weber from Mildmay, Ont. was quickly building up a large supply of aluminum pop tabs.
There’s a group of people in Saskatoon that proudly call themselves dumpster divers, and they’re turning the city’s trash into treasure.
Ontario is facing a larger than anticipated deficit but the Doug Ford government still plans to balance its books before the next provincial election.