Summer Vacations Can Bite You in the Budget

US_ROUTE66_NMARWhether you live on your own or are a family of few or of many, the summer vacation seems like an earned entitlement of our year of hard work and a must-have part of the all-American dream. The problem is, while you may have accrued paid time off to take a trip, and you didn’t save up, spending money you don’t have for the trip can wreck your financial plans for months to come.

CCCSOK.org was interviewed for this article from CreditCards.com on Common Summer Vacation Expenses.

In addition to the tips in the article, CCCSOK.org has three more tips to a great summer time-off:

  • Examine the motivation for your trip. Are you trying to build memories? Spend more time with the ones you love? Do you feel guilty for working away from home (and away from your kids)? There are many reasons to take a vacation and if all you really wanted was to spend more time together and build memories – yet you don’t feel you’ve planned for the expense of an out of town trip with activities, consider a stay-cation. Use the activities and resources around you that we zip past in our daily lives to truly appreciate your home. My husband and I like to behave as tourists in our home city and our little boy would really rather sleep in his own bed and play with his own things after a day of activities than try to acclimate to unfamiliar surroundings. We have a great time on our stay-cations and we don’t get that feeling that we need a vacation from our vacation!
  • Try not to compare with others. Keeping up with the Joneses and assuming that your options are not as desirable as others sets your budget up for a big fail. Spending money you don’t have for quality time may be fun in the moment, but you will pay more than cash for this decision. You will pay with guilt, stress and jealousy! Nip that little green monster in the bud and give yourself some credit (pardon the pun). I for one feel proud of myself when I am able to keep things simple. Simple and familiar plans allow your friends and family to focus on each other. A few favorite games, comforting meals and gathering at someone’s home can bring some of the most memorable and fun times. Special efforts like making a designated play-list can help you remember this time for years to come.
  • Start saving for next year. If you keep things simple and close to home this year while beginning your automatic vacation savings plan for next year, you will not only have a great summer, but you will also have real actual earned money to spend next year! Imagine the freedom of paying cash for the vacation you saved for month by month all year long. Sounds good doesn’t it?

Resources to help you build your plan:

 

 

 

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