This is the third year that the pandemic has altered – or, in many cases, derailed – vacation plans for Americans. But now there’s an extra element that’s making it even more difficult for some of us to take that much-needed time off: inflation.
A survey of 2,000 adults conducted for the RV rental business Outdoorsy finds 56% of respondents doubting whether they’ll be able to take a vacation this year, due to rising costs, even though 58% say they’ve been setting aside cash to enable them to hit the road.
The average amount respondents saved for that vacation is $1,237, but for a whopping 72% of them, that nest egg has dwindled because they’ve been forced to dip into it to pay everyday bills. In fact, 33% of those polled say they’ve cut their overall spending because of inflation.
Of the 70% of respondents who say they’re still planning to take a vacation, inflation be damned, 32% are planning more modest activities in order to save money. That includes 58% who say they’re planning to vacation closer to home because of escalating gas prices, and 43% who say they’re considering vacationing with friends, in order to save money by splitting costs.
Survey questions, methodology and results have not been verified or endorsed by ABC News or The Walt Disney Company.