Beating the scorching heat wave hitting millions of Americans may be top of mind for many travelers this summer as vacation season peaks. But according to our readers, beating inflation and the burn of airfare costs and gas prices will make any overheated travel closer to home this summer.

Less than half of Americans say they're planning on taking a summer vacation – largely due to sky-high travel costs. So we asked you, our readers, to weigh in on whether our increasingly worrying economy has you nixing or changing those memory-making plans.

Find some of the responses you gave us below. For more opportunities to weigh in, email usatoday.com/forum, leave us a voicemail at (202) 655-3923 or drop us a note at forum@usatoday.com

You only get the vacations you work for – and deserve

Any vacation – even a short, unspectacular one ‒ is important to just be able to get away for a while.

What obligation do companies or the government have to lower prices? Airlines should be free and able to charge what the public will bear. After all, this is a capitalistic society, and cheap airfares are not an inherent right.

I've cut back on entertainment, but haven't made any travel cuts.

The economy needs help, but not governmental help. People need to understand that nobody is owed anything. You only get what you work for and deserve.

— Scott Piepenburg, Pennsylvania

Travel is mostly unaffordable. I don't see an end in sight.

Vacation time is important ‒ it's a nice break from everyday life,........

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