With the economy being so unpredictable many worry about the future. Do you want to ensure that you can still enjoy a decent lifestyle even if prices and interest rate skyrocket? I do. And I think this is good time to hope for the best but be prepared for the worst. And my family’s strategy is to make choices, which can help us lead the lifestyle we want even in case of an economic crisis. One example of this strategy is… buying a kayak.
It might not be clear right away, but this investment can actually save lots of money in the future and guarantee that we can still enjoy some activities we like even in case of financial problems. This is how it works.
What We Want
As a family, we like being active, outdoor sports, water sports and camping. Moreover, we want to be able to enjoy quality vacation experience even in bad times. Also, we want to give our son the opportunity to explore nature, have fun experiences, and learn interesting and useful skills.
How We Save
Now, we can spend thousands on vacation packages, summer camps for children, motor boats and renting boats at local beaches. A good quality recreational kayak will cost from $300 to $900. If we add a paddle to it ($150-$200) and a kayak carrier ($300) – we are facing spending around $1300. But this is it.
First, a kayak is much cheaper than a motor boat. If we had one we could have sold it at this point, but we only had the boat trailer and sold it for $100, which is a good start. A large tandem kayak can fit two adults and one or even two children or a dog. So there is no need to buy the second kayak if purchasing one like that. A kayak does not require any gas, so we can still enjoy lake trips even if gas prices start to bite. Also, there is no need for keeping your boat at the deck or storage. We can load it on the car roof and store it in your garage or even covered in the backyard.
Second, kayak trips offer good exercise and lots of new experiences for the whole family, while being friendly to the environment. We can save on not so cheap family camping, boat renting and paddle to free or cheap camping sites on virgin islands or distant places. We live close to Georgian Bay and can go kayaking everyday during spring, summer and fall if we want. This way we can save on fitness programs and memberships, camping experiences for our son and vacation in the Caribbean if we have to. Actually, we are willing to skip the Caribbean, go to kayak trips and camping instead and spend the money on mortgage or another kayak.
Downside
Sure, a motor boat can offer more speed and more convenience. And all inclusive vacation packages are a big treat. But we are not big fans and can live without easily. Another issue is the social side of it. Our son needs peers to have fun with just as my husband and I need friends of our age. This is easily solved since we know other families with similar interests. What is more important to us is that we can enjoy some activities we value even in case of unemployment and debt if we cannot afford any other options.
Buying a kayak definitely is not the solution for everybody. It is just an example of thinking and spending money strategically and willing to sacrifice something in the name of the lifestyle you want to maintain.
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