It may only be January 3rd and still in the heart of winter but vacation season is only six months away. Americans will amass millions of dollars in debt this summer on vacations when they don’t need to. Yes, it is possible to enjoy a great vacation at a great price and not go into debt over it.
Like so many other things involved in getting out and staying out of debt you have to plan, save and budget for your vacations. Know where your limits are and what you can actually afford. In other words don’t try to go to Disney World on a state fair budget. If you can’t afford Disney World this year then take a smaller vacation and save for Disney next year. Trust me there is no greater feeling than treating your family to a fantastic vacation and knowing that you are not going into debt over it.
After deciding what you can afford choose your vacation destination. There are several places online where you can get great deals such as travelocity but you may not be aware of checking state tourism departments. Once I was able to book my family for a Florida vacation that included two nights in Coco Beach, a day cruise to and from the Bahamas and three nights in the Bahamas for my family of five for only $2500.00. I was able to book everything except the airfare and rental car through the Florida Tourism Department.
After you have determined your destination the only thing to do next is save, save, save! Put within your regular budget a vacation savings line item and begin now to put money away for your vacation. After doing your planning you should know about how much you need to save so make it a goal to have your vacation paid for before you even leave for it.
Keep in mind that it’s about eliminating debt not building it. Happy planning!
Like so many other things involved in getting out and staying out of debt you have to plan, save and budget for your vacations. Know where your limits are and what you can actually afford. In other words don’t try to go to Disney World on a state fair budget. If you can’t afford Disney World this year then take a smaller vacation and save for Disney next year. Trust me there is no greater feeling than treating your family to a fantastic vacation and knowing that you are not going into debt over it.
After deciding what you can afford choose your vacation destination. There are several places online where you can get great deals such as travelocity but you may not be aware of checking state tourism departments. Once I was able to book my family for a Florida vacation that included two nights in Coco Beach, a day cruise to and from the Bahamas and three nights in the Bahamas for my family of five for only $2500.00. I was able to book everything except the airfare and rental car through the Florida Tourism Department.
After you have determined your destination the only thing to do next is save, save, save! Put within your regular budget a vacation savings line item and begin now to put money away for your vacation. After doing your planning you should know about how much you need to save so make it a goal to have your vacation paid for before you even leave for it.
Keep in mind that it’s about eliminating debt not building it. Happy planning!
2 comments:
I have vowed to get on top of my finances this year. Regardless of the fact it seems like I never have any money, there actually is a decent amount coming into my household. I just need to figure out where the hell it's all going! lol
My new Excel spreadsheet is gonna be helping me in that respect and THEN I'll be able to take that holiday I've been dreaming of for YEARS! lol
It's all about the budget lisa! Most people would be surprised at how much money they actually make and also waste without using some form of budget.
Good luck to ya on getting on top of it!
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