Buying airline tickets

I always hassle with trying to buy airline tickets for a good price. Mostly because I'm always trying to make someone else happy. I got a great deal for hawaii at Christmas by flying somewhat awkward days of 19th to the 28th. But it was around $600, which is dirt cheap. Before when I've flown home from the West Coast to Hawaii it's cost me that much anyway. Part of the problem for me at least is living on an outer island which substantially increases the premium of going home. That and the layover to catch another flight.

Now going to Canada unfortunately is also very expensive. DH's trying to book his ticket, or rather I am booking his ticket, but it's becoming a very expensive. Can you believe he'll pay nearly as much to go to Canada as I will pay to go to Hawaii? This Christmas is turning into a way more expensive proposition than I ever expected.

Of course I had no idea that my mom would need surgery so I can't say that it's a planned for expense. But I am going to tell DH to keep the spending to a minimal. It's ridiculous to be blowing money right now we're both really broke, the majority of which is coming from trying to pay for his ridiculously expensive private school MBA. That is definitely another blog and rant about the cost of a private school.

But back to tickets, ever wonder what the person sitting next to you paid for their ticket? Ever wonder how much it cost them? Ever wonder if you got the short end of the stick? There should be a way to determine how much a ticket should be. But the airlines love to keep us guessing, before they would drop prices at the last minute and still do, but the truth is that many people, ourselves included cannot arrange vacation time last minute. So the vicious cycle ensues where you try to constantly get the best price.

Perhaps this is what it means to be financially free, to be able to buy any ticket at any time no matter what the cost. Where cost doesn't matter, but time does.