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Home › Articles › Money Management › Life, Liberty, the Pursuit of Happiness and a Vacation?

Life, Liberty, the Pursuit of Happiness and a Vacation?

A 3-step Plan for Breaking the Vacation Entitlement Mindset

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  • Limit yourself to one keepsake item for each family member. Does every member of your family really need five T-shirts and a backpack full of trinkets?
  • Befriend the front desk people. They can direct you to the best places in town to eat, drink and be merry (rather than pricey tourist traps). And you never know – a clerk dazzled by your friendliness might "upgrade" your room or offer a discount.
  • Don't order room service. Don't eat or drink anything from the hotel mini-bar. Don't make phone calls from the hotel phone. Enough said.

    • "Finally, don't try to cram too many activities into the vacation," McCurdy says. "Allow some down time to sightsee or lounge around the hotel pool. Not only will you save money, you'll actually be able to relax, which is the whole point, after all."

    "For many people, vacations are just one more way to keep up with the Joneses," McCurdy says. "Even if you're not consciously trying to impress your neighbors or coworkers, you see them taking these lavish trips every year and it starts to seem 'normal.' It's not. If you can't afford a trip, it's an irresponsible choice, and if you have to charge it, then by definition you can't afford it."

    "Chances are the Joneses are in hock up to their eyeballs and living paycheck to paycheck," she says. "They're a financial planner's nightmare, and you don't have to live that way just because they do. So make your budget, start planning ahead and get busy saving. When you finally do achieve vacation nirvana, you'll be able to savor every moment – and you'll have gotten started on a saner, more financially sound way of life."


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