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Smart Vacation Planning: How We’re Budgeting for a Family Getaway

October 2, 2024 We have a family event in Nashville this October, and we decided to turn it into a weekend family getaway. Typically, our trip planning focuses on where we’ll stay and how we’ll get there, but this time we’re applying a new approach based on advice from our financial coach. We’re prioritizing saving and allocating costs upfront to make sure the trip fits comfortably into our budget.

Since family vacations are important to us, we’ve had plenty of conversations about how to make them happen without financial stress. This time, we started by comparing the costs of driving versus flying for our family of four. Our extended family already booked accommodations, so we just needed to factor those into our overall budget.

Next, we set a daily budget for food and activities, making sure to account for any extras that might pop up. Once we had a clear grand total for the trip, we took a hard look at our household budget to see where we could cut back on everyday expenses or reallocate funds towards our vacation savings.

We’re still in the process of saving, but we’re optimistic. The goal is to enjoy our time away without worrying about bills or expenses piling up when we get back. By planning and saving in advance, we’re confident we’ll return home feeling relaxed—without the financial hangover that can sometimes follow a fun getaway. You might also be interested in As we wrap up our Project Money experience, we want to take a moment to reflect on how far we’ve come—emotionally and financially—and share our journey... This past week, our family participated in a door and patio decorating contest hosted by our apartment management company. The grand prize? A $200 gift... Over the past year, my family has been making deliberate choices to save money and focus on our financial goals. One of those decisions recently involved... As we approach the end of our journey with the Project Money program, Cory and I (Je’Lisa) took some time to reflect on how we can apply the financial... Every now and then, life throws a financial curveball—in this case, it was a pleasant surprise. We received a refund from our gap insurance since our car... This week, we faced an unexpected hiccup with our insurance: A doctor charged us for a 2023 appointment because they had outdated information. It was frustrating... Thanksgiving is a time for gratitude, family and of course, a feast. But let’s be honest, hosting a traditional Thanksgiving can come with a hefty price... This weekend, we decided to take a quick overnight trip to Minnesota. It was to record some music and spend time with friends, but we were determined to... This month marked a milestone for our family: It was our first month without a car payment after refinancing our vehicle through Summit Credit Union. With...