Vacation on a Budget

Welcome to my home! This is a debt-free learning community. Leave any self-doubt and judgments outside to make room for growth.

Today I want to talk about the importance of taking vacations even when you are paying off debt. Your brain needs that mental break. If you have a family it’s time to reconnect with one another.

What you want to avoid is spending too much while enjoying your vacation.

How Much to Spend

A bad habit to avoid is not going so far over budget that you are stuck spending the next year paying off your vacation. There is nothing I looooove more than being able to take 2 to 4 vacations per year.

Not all of them are extravagant but they are all fun and recharge my batteries. There are 3 key rules I use to stay on budget during vacation.

1. If you are busy trying to get yourself out of debt only budget what you can pay cash for.
2. If you have any extra income consider setting more aside in savings specifically to pay for vacations throughout the year.
3. Only use credit cards if you are able to pay the balance off in full by the next payment date.

Ugh, I know, this sounds very strict and awful. But here is the reason why. I started with $80,000 of debt in 2016. As of this writing, I only owe $47,583 and some change.

I have successfully paid off $32,417 so far!

See why I keep telling you that you aren’t alone? Back to the point, I do not want to wind up back where I started. I will become debt-free even if it kills me (smile). These 3 key rules help me from slipping back down that slope during my vacations.

I know what you are thinking…But what can I do if I can’t afford anything more than $100 in cash? What is there left for me to enjoy?

Vacation Ideas on a Budget

I’m going to give you a list. I want you to keep an open mind. Not all vacations are designed to knock your coworker’s socks off kind of fun. The idea behind a vacation is to give yourself a much-needed break and explore things you are otherwise too busy to notice. Some are seasonal.

Here is the list:

Explore your own city

1. Art Museums
2. Children’s Museums (Kansas City has a children’s toy museum)
3. Movies
4. Dinner Theater
5. Water Parks
6. Amusement Parks
7. Zoo
8. Sledding
9. Try a new restaurant
10. Live Theater (Find out if your city has an underground live theater scene. I have seen the best works from the least well-known playwrights.)

Traveling Vacations

Before I list this one out I want to explain. This list involves additional rules to help keep you within your budget as well as more vacation ideas. Here they are:

1. Stay within a 4-hour drive of home.
2. Consider staying at hotels outside of the major city you are visiting. Suburb hotels are much cheaper. Consider a room with a kitchen.
3. Buy Groceries instead of eating at restaurants
4. Know which restaurants you will eat at before you go. This will give you an idea of how much it will cost. Menus are online nowadays and very handy!
5. Also, research the entertainment options where you are going. Only plan on one expensive experience. Again remember the 3 key rules.

Now for the Ideas:

1. Camping/Fishing Trips
2. Hiking Trail Trip
3. Biking Trips
4. Beach Trips
5. Explore Tourist Caves
6. National Parks
7. Explore other city’s surrounding yours (The options are endless!)

Keep this in Mind

Vacations do not need to be over the top keeping up with the Joneses amazing. Especially if you are vacationing with a family. One of my greatest vacation experiences as a kid was being snowed in for 3 days.

I don’t remember being without power, no heat, fireplace, no showers, and only cold meals when I reflect on this memory. My adult brain recognizes those things, yes, but my kid brain remembers the best family vacation EVER!

Kid brain remembers no school for 3 days, flashlight tag, sleeping in sleeping bags near the fireplace in our living room, snowball fights, board games, and one on one time with my parents.

Growing up we had gone to Branson, MO a thousand times. Saw live shows, ate at great restaurants, rode go-karts, and went to Silver Dollar City. But after all of that what I always go back to first was when we were snowed in. Sometimes low budget creates the best memories!

Final Thoughts

If you don’t want to spend the next year paying off one huge vacation stick with the 3 key rules. Only spend what you have in cash. Set aside extra income into a savings account specifically for vacations. Only use a credit card if you can pay the balance in full the next month.

Sometimes the most memorable vacations are the ones with the smallest budget. Start building your memories!

Remember, you are not alone on your debt-free journey!

If you have any questions at all or would like to see a specific subject explained don’t hesitate to email me at ask@howtobudgetnow.com. Or complete the contact form on the right.

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