Do you need a vacation? And can you afford one? Well those are two very different questions. The answer to question one? Hmmm . . . need? I would say in Maslow’s hierarchy of needs it would be pretty low down on the list. But do you want a vacation? Well, that’s an entirely different question! As for the second question, the simple answer is if you have the money to pay for it upfront (and are not taking this money from a more pressing need), then you can afford it. If you need to finance the cost, then no, you cannot afford it. So what can you do to make it more affordable? Ahhh… well that’s where I come in! A thoughtfully planned out vacation does not have to break the piggy bank. If you are aware of your budget up front, which you are, since you have put the money aside for it, there are many tricks and tips you can use to keep it affordable. If you are going to whip out the plastic to book it and then again all through the trip you can easily lose track of how much your spending is racking up to. Once the vacation is over, is that one week of relaxation worth the stress of having to pay it off until the next round of big spending at the holidays? So, that said, you will start by planning a vacation that you can realistically afford. The purpose of vacation time is to relax and enjoy yourself. Personally I find that life is more relaxing and enjoyable when I staying in control of my expenses and living below my means. I think you will too. Here are some step by step tips to make any vacation more enjoyable and affordable, starting with planning and throughout the days of your trip. ,Planning: Of course the first step is to be realistic about what kind of vacation you can afford on your budget. If you have $2,000 to spend, you are not going on a six week trip around the world. But can you do something fun on a smaller budget? Absolutely!! Take a little time to think about your priorities? What is the best thing about vacation time for you? Sightseeing? Beach time? Activities? Relaxation? Time with the kids? You may not be able to do everything, but you should be able to hit a few of your priority choices. Half the fun of a vacation is actually in the planning stages. Talk about your vacation dreams with the people you will be vacationing with. Have fun with it! Which of them might you be able to actuate on your next vacation? While you’re at it, daydream about future vacations. There is great pleasure to be had in just the dreaming alone! Accommodations: The time to book is as early as possible, again keeping your budget in mind. If you can’t afford a motel, camping might be the way to go. If you can’t afford to travel, keep it close to home. See if you can lock in a good deal as early as the summer before. Keep your eye out for specials. There are so many travel and discount websites now, you just have to go to your favorites and watch for them. If it is feasible, try to find something with a kitchen to save on meal expenses. Or you can try a house swap, or hostel. Don’t forget to check out Airbnb for some offbeat affordable options. If you are very flexible about where and when you go (retirees for instance) here is where you may be able to snag some great last-minute deals if you keep watching! Transportation: Again, keeping the budget in mind. If money is tight this is not the year to be flying off somewhere. Keep it closer to home. If you have a little more leeway, then maybe this year you can take it further afield. Don’t feel you need to fly away to get away. Remember, some people are flying to wherever you live to “get away.” Again, starting at least 6 months out, keep your eye on the flights. When you see a good deal, book it. Don’t wait to see if there are last-minute specials. The airlines don’t really do that anymore and you may very well end up paying more for a last-minute flight. There are also apps and websites that will alert you to a drop in price, and some airlines will send you a refund for the difference. You can save some money by flying on any day except Friday or Sunday, the two most expensive days to fly. And also by booking at less than optimal times and flights that have layovers. Remember to watch for add-on expenses (checking in luggage, etc.) The best thing to do is learn to pack very light. One carry-on bag and you’re done. I’ve done this on several two week trips with no problem whatsoever. You don’t need a lot! You can wear things over and over with no dire consequences. If you are driving, remember to factor gas prices into your budget, also tolls and parking expenses. If you are renting a vehicle get the smallest (cheapest) vehicle you can make do with (it will also be more fuel efficient). It may be a good idea to just go with mass transit at your destination if you can. Meals: Here, as I have alluded to earlier, the more you can avoid eating out the better. It’s great to have a place with a kitchen. But even if you don’t, always bring a cooler to keep stocked on meal options. Try to get a room that includes free breakfast. Eat up on that!! This way a light lunch will do. Keep things in your room for that. Sandwich bread, peanut butter (or other “fillings”), fruit, yogurt, cheese, crackers, nuts, etc. Don’t forget to bring your water bottle. Now you can eat in your room or take your lunch out on the road for a picnic wherever you go for the day. Dinner does not have to be a fancy affair every night. A quick deli meal or some tacos will do. Also remember to share meals if you go somewhere with big servings (or bring a “doggie bag” home for the next night’s dinner). And for the adults, try not to go out for “drinks” every night. You can have “cocktail hour” on your balcony sometimes, with a bottle of wine (or cocktail ingredients) brought from home (or purchased locally) Activities: These can run the gamut, from those pricey theme park vacations or expensive activities to a (free) hike in the woods or making s’mores around the campfire. You should “limit” yourself to what your budget dictates. Why do I put limit in quotations? Because there are so many beautiful experiences you can have for free that I hardly think this is a limiting factor. It fact I might argue here that the best things in life are truly free! Get the local papers and look up free events in the area. Bring along (or rent) bikes, boats, balls, rackets, etc., etc. Bring board games for those rainy days. The things that bring joy to you and your family are the fun and pleasure of spending time together. You cannot buy relaxation or happiness. If you can’t afford a vacation, you can’t afford a vacation, but you can still enjoy yourself and share good times and laughter with your family and friends. And whatever your vacation budget is you can still have a quality vacation and make memories to last a lifetime for you and your family. It’s all up to you!
0 Comments
I have talked a lot in these blogs about the what’s and how’s of scrimping and saving for a “rainy day” but today I’d like to talk about the why. That glorious goal! In order to keep your spending under control and not keep living for that constant instant gratification it’s important to keep sight of the dream. What kind of a vision do you have? What would you do if you had money? When you have your ideal future visualized, it’s much easier to give up all those pricey extravagances that you feel you must treat yourself to regularly. Be specific, really immerse yourself in the dream. If you have a life partner have fun dreaming together. It makes for fun dinnertime or cocktail hour conversation. Would you buy a nice house somewhere? On the beach? In the mountains? Go on an adventure? Buy a motor home and tour the country? Travel to other parts of the world? Treat your family (and future grandkids) to some fun vacations? Save photo’s that you would like your life to look like someday. Just think how nice it will be to be able to look forward to your retirement years rather than start panicking as the time approaches, wondering how you will live when the paychecks stop coming. It will be such a wonderful feeling to look forward to those golden years knowing that you have enough to live on and then some. Think how nice it would be to have enough money put aside so that you never have to work again. If you do work it will be on your own terms at something you enjoy doing. It really isn’t that hard. The earlier you start, of course, the easier it will be. But even if you didn’t start early you can start right now and you will be amazed at how quickly the money can add up when you are putting it away at a steady automatic rate and investing it for that compounding interest.
So, go ahead and dream! Dreams can and do become reality! Here we are mid-summer, the height of “fun” season, with so many ways to enjoy this glorious time of year. And the myriad of activities at our disposal can run the gamut from free to ultra-expensive. How are you doing so far? Here’s a tip. The amount of money spent does not equate to the amount of fun had. It’s as simple as that. Let’s look at some ways you can have a great summer without breaking the piggy bank, and some alternatives to those activities you are currently forking over oodles of your hard-earned money for. We’ll start with kids who, as anyone who has ever had them in their lives knows, can be a huge drain on your pocketbook. But as the financial savvy among us know, only if you let them. The first thing that comes to mind with kids and summer is camp. This phenomenon alone can empty your piggy bank. The first question that comes to mind is “Do they really need to go?” At the risk of sounding like the old fart that I am, back in my day, we didn’t all get shuffled off to “enriching” summer camps. We just stayed home and played with our siblings and neighborhood friends all summer. And dare I say, used our imaginations and got plenty of exercise to boot. If you still have the need (or desire) to send your kid(s) to camp, there are less expensive, and yes, free options. Look into them. Your little Einstein can have just as much fun at a town or church camp, often run free of charge, then at a fancy “science” (or art, music, sports, etc.) designed primarily to relieve you of your money. Give it some thought before you sign on the dotted line. As for entertaining the little darlings at home (and may I add here that it is not necessarily our job as parents to “entertain” them?), there is no end to the fun things they can do for free or a small layout for materials. There is art (painting, drawing, sculpting, etc.), water play (small backyard pool, water balloons, sprinkler, etc.), backyard games (tag, soccer, hide and seek, red rover, etc.), indoor (board) games for rainy days. Or take them for a bike ride or a hike or a picnic. Get them involved in some gardening. Have them make a little fairy garden. Take them to the library to check out some books and videos or take part in the many free activities offered there. Have a make-your-own sundae party or a campfire and make s’mores. Look around for free family activities in your or neighboring communities. There are often free concerts in the park, street fairs, and other kid-friendly events listed in your local paper. The possibilities for free fun are only limited by your (and your children’s) imagination. Use it! And many of these activities double as adult entertainment too, even for those of you without children in your lives. Bike rides, hikes, picnics, games, campfires, s’mores, ice cream sundaes, and concerts in the park can all be enjoyed by you too. The library is not only a source of free reading material and videos but often also offers programs geared to adults as well, from book clubs to art classes to writer’s groups. There is something for everyone. Again, keep your eyes and minds open to opportunities in your area. Let’s look at some of those things that drain your pocketbook in the summer. I’ve already mentioned concerts. You can find many for free. Even the paid events will often have cheaper outdoor lawn seats available. I much prefer these “seats” anyway as it is very pleasant being outdoors under the stars enjoying the music.
Going out to eat can get costly in the summer months (and always). Why not take turns hosting potluck dinners with your friends at each other’s houses, or take it out to a park or beach? If you just can’t stay away from restaurants, try skipping the appetizers, keeping drinks to a minimum (one or none), sharing an entree, and/or a dessert, or having the dessert when you get home. At least this will keep the cost down to a minimum. And save the eating out for a special occasion. If you do it all the time it loses its specialness and joy anyway. And then, of course, there’s vacation. The cheapest thing to do of course, is not to go on one, or to opt for the ever-popular “staycation”. But if you must go away there are many things you can do to keep the costs down. Staying for a week at a place with a kitchen will cut your meals budget. Going in on a place like this with friends will cut the cost even further. And just as I suggested at home, look for free activities in the area. You can always go on their town’s website in advance to check out the calendar of events. If you don’t want to rent for the week, you can try house-swapping, either with people you know (to check out a new place with in-the-know references as to what is good to do), or through a house swap registry. Some other tactics to save money would be to go on a shorter vacation (do you really need a whole week away?) Try this midweek to save even more. And always be sure to use any discounts you have available, AAA, AARP, Groupon, discount coupon books, etc.) And as for those money intensive kids on vacation, make sure to give them a budget ahead of time. It might be a good idea to provide them with their own vacation fund (for treats, souvenirs, etc.) ahead of time. When it’s gone it’s gone. It’s up to them how long they make it last. This doubles as a good lesson for them for future budgeting (wink, wink). Here’s to enjoying the glorious bittersweet last month of summer. Keep the activities simple and on-budget and you can look back on your delightful summer with no regrets and no debt, only fond memories to treasure forever. |
Archives
June 2022
Categories
All
|