08.24.08
Summer Vacation: Managing the Cost
As I sit here preparing for my last post before we go on a much needed family vacation, many ideas run through my mind. Do I blog about my son’s struggle budgeting his weekly allowance? Or the pile of bills waiting to be paid before we leave? What about the $200 I just deposited at Staples for the twins’ school supplies (we haven’t even gotten to the 14 year old’s supplies yet) or do I write about how we’re going to pay for our vacation without going into credit card debt? What is it about taking a vacation that creates a pool of stress?
The underlying theme is the same. How do you manage when the cost of your everyday expenses keeps increasing? What do you cut back on? I feel we live a pretty simple life but I guess it’s all relative. We don’t drive luxury cars or live in a luxury home. We don’t take exotic vacations (this one is a road trip to the Maryland shore). Our weekly food bill has increased by over $20 a week , gasoline prices are…well we won’t even go there, and even school supplies have increased exponentially! I mean what happened to the Staples August sale this year??
How do you do it without getting into credit card debt? I swear by my debit card because I feel it’s the closest thing to cash. If I don’t have it in the bank, I can’t put it on the card, plain and simple.
Well, in reading over this post I realize I DO need a vacation! So I’ll leave you with that and when I return I’ll let you know how we managed this vacation on a budget.
Stumble it!
girlndebt said,
August 24, 2008 at 8:57 pm
Whenever we went on vacation in the past-we always put it on a credit card. I have never been on vacation without credit. I have not had credit since December 2007 and haven’t gone anywhere since then. What we have decided to do-is save any cash we can and pay cash for that vacation. It might take a while but it will feel nice to not have a credit card bill to come home to when we get back.
When you don’t bring credit cards along with you-you can’t use them. When you can’t use them-you can’t get in trouble with them. You are right, your debit card is as close to cash as anything…unless you get overdrawn as I have been in the past.
You will be fine-just stick to your budget.
Rosie : ) said,
August 27, 2008 at 9:04 am
Vacations are so expensive in general. We try to find camping trips {food and gas are the major expenses} or visit relatives in other towns…Hubby and I have never had an actual vacation, neither did we have a honeymoon. We plan on a big “parents alone” trip soon, but the baby is not quite old enough yet.
Have fun on your trip!
CreditMom said,
August 29, 2008 at 10:33 am
Thanks for your reply.
I agree…vacations are absolutely insane. I’m going to blog about mine in a couple of days after I tallly up the total. The scary thing is we don’t travel in luxury! Unfortunately the only one of the 5 us that would go camping is my husband. The kids tried it in camp and didn’t like it and I’m a city girl…enough said on that one! So I guess if the hubby went alone that could be a cheap vacation :).
We’ve been fortunate to travel alone a few times by saving up points from our rewards points programs. We’re also fortunate enough to have healthy and willing parents to watch the kids….that’s a MAJOR BLESSING.
I’ll post the grand total (and boy is it Grand)…in a few.
Thanks again
CreditMom