Pay For Your Vacation Now….Not Five Months After You Return

Vacations are fun and also stressful… if you don’t prepare. The key is to pay for your vacation before you make the trip and not pay for it 5 months after you return from your dream vacation. Here are some tips to help you prepare for your vacation?

Start Now!

Save for your summer vacation NOW! The money will not magically appear in your account unless you plan to save. All you have to do is save regularly a few months before you depart and… Voila!...you will have a fully paid vacation. This will make your vacation much more enjoyable when you know it is paid for ahead of time. Use the TWF personal budget to get started

Temporary Gratification.

If going on a vacation is really important to you, your money habits should reflect that. If you're not sure where the money for your trip is going to come from, maybe you should take a look at the $200 a week you spend eating out. Or the monthly cable bill with 95 channels that you don't watch. Prioritise the vacation. Do not go into debt for temporary gratification

What are your family’s expectations?

Talk with your family or whoever is going on the vacation with you. What's it going to be? A five-star resort or a two-star hotel? A villa or a hostel? A mountain cabin or a campground? All this, of course, is determined by  your budget. Stayfirm with the amount of money you are willing to spend.

“Staycations” are Fashionable

When you are struggling to pay down debt or struggling to make ends meet, a vacation simply isn't the right thing to do. Don't make an emotional mistake. Your kids might not like it, but you can always stay at home and have a “staycation” without the costs of travel and hotel. Your patience will pay off. A few years from now, you'll be able to go on an even more enjoyable vacation because it will not be following you home—in the form of bills in the mailbox.