Thanks for those who have offered up helpful suggestions, even if they weren't suited to my budget/situation (which you couldn't have known) - I appreciate it. I'm not against renter's insurance nor do I resent the suggestion, the reality is that we can't afford to add another monthly bill to our budget (even if it was $10, which it isn't, but nonetheless) - I'm not bothered by the suggestion and frankly I may have to look into a securing a policy again temporarily just for the trip if there is no other option available/financially viable. That is, if I can find one that covers it though my home even though it's equipment used for my business - our last policy (when we did have renters insurance) was a lot more expensive for that reason.
What I take offense to is those of you who have taken it upon yourselves to judge why I have an expensive camera if I can't afford renter's insurance or why I am traveling coach - I didn't ask for your opinions on my personal finances nor do I think they are any of your beeswax. But since you're all just begging for details in hope you can roll your eyes at the silly irresponsible broke chick who spends all her money on unnecessary toys and then skips responsible things like renter's insurance, I'll tell you exactly what my situation is. If for no other reason than to get it off my chest.
My camera equipment is not a big screen TV (for the record, my TV is a humble 19" old fashioned tube, which sits in front of my $20 slip-covered couch). My camera is not a frivolous toy that I purchased irresponsibly nor am I in the habit of doing such things. It is equipment which I use it to feed and shelter my family. Some people depend on a car to get to work and make money for their family - I depend on my camera. And, as a photographer - only in my 4th year of business - I don't make a lot, and we're currently living almost solely on that not-so-great income because my husband is in school and can only work part time. So things are tight. REALLY tight. Rolling change for milk tight, sometimes. We pay our rent, basic bills, buy food and that's it. That's all we have right now, and we're actually OK with that, because the reason for our current situation is my husband's education. It is well worth sacrificing now for the hope of a better life later.
Without the camera, my husband would have to quit school and go back to his crappy sales job and I'd be back at Target giving 75% of my paycheck to the daycare - only making slightly above what we do now but firmly implanted in a life going absolutely nowhere.
But hey - we'd have renter's insurance again! Well now that would make it all better, wouldn't it.
We could insure our crappy couch and saggy mattress for as many years as we needed. Smrt.
I bought the camera (camera equipment, I should say, since for $5000 it consists of much more than the body) with an inheritance I received so I could expand my business. And it worked/is working. I went from $50-$100/mo average to making enough to pay the rent and most of the basic bills/household expenses. Each year my profits more than double from the year before - a business providing a luxury that I started in the middle of a recession. So I'd say I'm doing quite well, all things considered, and since I work from home mostly I don't have to hand over most of my money to a daycare provider. I have no intention of hoking off my camera for a few thousand bucks that in California would last all of 2 months before I'd be flat on my ass broke. Now THAT would be a really stupid decision.
This trip we are taking is to Portland to visit my husband's father who is dying of cancer. Despite the sad reason, we're excited about traveling by train because we have never done it before (other than local lines, that is) and I hear the Coast Starlight is very pretty. The two days each way on the train will be the closest thing we've had to a family vacation since our honeymoon almost 9 years ago. In order to even go, though, I lined up jobs in Portland for while we are there because I cannot stop working for very long - just because we're out of state does not mean the rent won't still be due on the 1st of the month and when you are self employed you don't get "vacation days". I can't afford to take a vacation from working, and luckily enough, due to the nature of my business I was able to line up enough jobs up there so I can go to Portland and see Dad too, and not worry that we won't be able to pay the rent when it is inevitably due (at least, not worry more than usual). If I have to leave my camera at home, I have to stay home with it so I can work, and I would like to see my father in law before he passes away.
I asked about travel insurance. That is all. I'm a responsible person and I take care of business when it comes to my finances. If a cut is needed, I make the cut and move on. One of those cuts was our renter's insurance. It was $25 and I live in a gated community with 24/7 onsite security as well as video surveillance in common areas and every hallway. It's small and close-knit and security and everyone else for that matter knows if someone doesn't belong there. There hasn't been a successful break-in with any of my neighbors during the entire time I have lived here (6 years). The city I live in is one of the top 10 lowest crime rates in the whole country. I have good equipment and backup equipment if something breaks. All that said, going without insurance is a temporary measure - we're planning to re-instate our renter's insurance when my husband finishes school in 5 months. I think we'll survive until then, unless of course there is a massive earthquake and we lose everything - in which case, my business is pretty much screwed anyway as I doubt anyone will be booking me for joyful family photos for quite some time.
So I took a well calculated risk.
If you don't have any advice about companies that offer travel/temporary personal property insurance to cover a trip away from home, then I respectfully ask that you please keep your opinions to yourself - since, all due respect - you don't know me, it is none of your business how I spend my money and I didn't ask for your opinion on my overall finances. I am not a dimwit desperately in need of your financial expertise. I've managed to live my life completely debt free and without government assistance which is more than most people can say nowadays. I'm a smart woman and I can figure things out. My only point in posting here at all was to save myself a few phone calls, during which my 5 year old inevitably makes a point to immediately start asking for snacks, water, craft supplies, what color the sky is, how do you spell sky and why is it spelled with a K instead of a C when I'm talking to someone on the phone. I figured maybe someone knew of a policy I could purchase.
The sad thing is I was very much looking forward to being a part of this forum to gain information about Amtrak (since I don't plan to be this dirt poor forever and if I enjoy this trip I will probably consider traveling by train in the future quite often as most of my family is scattered around the continent). Now I feel like I will simply be marked as "that irresponsible chick who somehow has a fancy camera even though she's so broke she can't afford $10", not to mention I'll be afraid to say pretty much anything for fear of being tarred and feathered for things without any just cause for concern.
I'm not feeling very welcomed here at all. I don't even know why I came back to argue about this, it has made me very upset and I can't seem to let it go. The fact that people could judge so harshly based on a single post has put a very bad taste in my mouth about this community and I'm not sure I want to be a part of it anymore.
I sincerely hope this is a one-off and you don't normally treat people with such blatant disrespect and scrutiny based on assumptions you know nothing about. Yes, you can only go based on what is written, but that doesn't give you the right to fill in the blanks as you please to the detriment of someone's character.
In the words of the ultimate brat: "How rude."
