Cutting Costs

[BoltSnap]

Packing "steak" and bringing "coolers" instead of more camera and dive gear is just incomprehensible to me.

I am a big eater and eat even more after a full day of diving. I also don't have lots of money to burn and found out that buying some sort of a meal plan in Bonaire and, especially, Curacao is reasonable. I have also bought coolers and bought drinks and other snacks from supermarkets without any issues or thinking about bringing something from the US on the next trip (perhaps different lenses or some other dive gear). Although I LOVE eating steaks, I can easily adapt to local culture and to what is and what isn't available on the islands. If the locals can do it, I certainly can do it.


P.S. I don't drink alcohol at all, none, and hence my food/beverage bills aren't as high as my friends who are traveling with me.

 

[BoltSnap]

"Swollen agitator"? I've never been called that before, I like it.

I think that they meant that you "have" a swollen agitator. You need to keep your agitator under control. LOL

 

[uncfnp]

Not wanting to get involved in the 'Steakgate' dispute, I have to say I am in awe over those whom pack pasta, steak and various accoutrements. I will pack a couple of protein bars and coffee to tide me over in case I don't make it to the supermarket before diving the next day. Even then, I am tiptoeing around an anxiety attack over 1) finding room in luggage 2) not exceeding the 50# weight limit. You guys need to school me with your packing secrets!

HaHa! I completely understand. It sems that no matter where we fly, we are always at the 50 lb wt limit and juggling bags up to the last minute, whether it is a LOB with seemingly nothing more than gear and swimsuits to Bonaire with foods and a pony bottle. I will never understand it.

I wonder what will happen if I admit that I also take kitchen knives and tools whenever we travel and I have a kitchen.

 

[Soloist]

In my defense, I said "troll" I didn't shout "TROLL"

"Swollen agitator"? I've never been called that before, I like it.

Thanks for having a keen sense of humor. Typically the rants I post are for (my) entertainment and amusement, but sadly misunderstood most of the time.

 

[Lorenzoid]

If occurs to me that budgetary constraints also may differ depending on how frequently people dive/travel. There may be some folks who are retired and take a trip every month, and when they're not diving they may be traveling for other reasons. For people who consider this their lifestyle, not just an occasional vacation, every penny counts. They don't change their spending habits based on where they are at the moment. Between the people for whom this is a lifestyle and the people for whom it's a splurge vacation, there is a whole spectrum. I'm closer to the "lifestyle" type, and I need to save money wherever I can to maintain that.

Although I LOVE eating steaks, I can easily adapt to local culture and to what is and what isn't available on the islands. If the locals can do it, I certainly can do it.

I like to believe I can adapt to local culture, and there are places in the world where the local culture is one of the draws for me. When I'm in Asia, the last thing I want to eat is Western food. And Mexico--I could eat Mexican food for months on end before I'd crave a hamburger. But Bonaire is a desert island, and with all due respect to the locals, I find the more common local cuisines kind of boring. Excluding the relatively wealthy, mostly Dutch, foreign residents, almost everything the locals cook with arrives by ship. From what I can tell, locals eat a lot of starchy root vegetables (from Venezuela I'd guess), and other foods arrive frozen in bulk. There is local goat and some fish, and local eggs. Sometimes I dream of retiring on Bonaire, but then I wake up from my fantasy when I think of the limited palette of fresh, local foods. I love goat stew and could eat it a few times a week, but I couldn't handle that kind of cuisine for months on end. Personally, I don't crave steaks in particular, but my group finds them convenient to bring, easy to prepare on the grill, and they make versatile leftovers. I suppose chicken breasts/thighs, which I believe @uncfnp mentioned, would be a somewhat less-exciting but possible alternative for the carnivores in our group.

I loved the "Steakgate" comment, whoever said that!

 

[boat sju]

I wonder what will happen if I admit that I also take kitchen knives and tools whenever we travel and I have a kitchen.

This I completely understand. We like to stay at Caribbean Club - I don't think there's a sharp kitchen knife in the resort. Ended up borrowing one from the restaurant kitchen. It was dull too.

Has anyone looked into packing meat in a styrafoam cooler with dry ice like they do with Omaha steaks. If that counted as a checked bag and you were travelling with a group anyway, that might be an option.

 

[Superlyte27]

HaHa! I completely understand. It sems that no matter where we fly, we are always at the 50 lb wt limit and juggling bags up to the last minute, whether it is a LOB with seemingly nothing more than gear and swimsuits to Bonaire with foods and a pony bottle. I will never understand it.

I wonder what will happen if I admit that I also take kitchen knives and tools whenever we travel and I have a kitchen.

This really was the catalyst for buying my airplane. Helium prices were nuts. Scooters on airplanes used to be a problem. If me and two buddies go with full fuel I can still pack in about 600lbs of Divegear/food. If I bring my own tanks, I’m saving a fortune helium/oxygen costs. Also, it costs about $1000 round trip for my aircraft fuel. Last time we took commercial it cost us $1k each per ticket.

 

[NDL_Diver]

Ok, I'll weigh-in... pun intended....

I struggled with keeping my bag under 50 lbs even with a 30 lb carry on.

I can't see packing food i can buy and cook.

YMMV

 

[Superlyte27]

Ok, I'll weigh-in... pun intended....

I struggled with keeping my bag under 50 lbs even with a 30 lb carry on.

I can't see packing food i can buy and cook.

YMMV

It’s two 50lbs bags and a carry-on right?

 

[drrich2]

It’s two 50lbs bags and a carry-on right?

Traditionally in the U.S. it seems to be 2 checked bags up the 50-lbs. each, 1 carryon bag and one personal item (which can be the size of a modest backpack or large purse, and must fit under the seat in front of you).

But when buying cheap economy tickets these days, watch out! You might not get one of the carry on items (I don't recall which it was when I was booking way back) unless you pay an uncharge.

So don't assume you get all that with all tickets. Airfare buyer beware.