Smart Risk Magazine Winter 2018 | Page 10

10 YOUR NEXT VACATION WINTER 2 0 1 8 / 2 0 1 9 Enjoy Your Next Vacation Without Going Broke: 3 STRESS FREE TIPS HOW WILL YOU DO EVERYTHING THE FAMILY WANTS TO AND NOT GO BROKE? different buckets (and we rhymed them because, why not?). The time falls into three groups: go, slow, and no. Save money and everyone gets a vote with these 3 types of vacations. 1. GO – GO FOR THE BIG VACATION. Vacationing is a great time to make memories, but we know it can be an expensive time if you don’t have a game plan when that final school bell rings. Heading into summer without some kind of a plan is like a trip to the grocery store without a list … when you’re hungry. It may require credit counseling (and a new diet). This is your encouraging shove to “go”. Go for it. Take the big vacation. Get out and go. We figured out the four of us do best when we have a loose plan for the summer and some dates on the calendar that everyone can look forward to. We can’t afford to do everything everyone wants to do but we found we could categorize our time together into three Getaways during the school year do not work with our family’s schedules so we plan our big vacation for each summer. We think of that as our “go”. Go camping. Go east. Go west. Go to Disney. Go visit relatives. Go to the Rock ‘n Roll Hall of Fame. Go find the biggest ball of twine. Just pack some bags and go. This is your one big trip for the summer. Mark it on the calendar while school is still in session and you all can look forward to the dates without work, homework, or the usual demands. It can be pricey if you’re not careful, but you are investing in your family. You are making memories with your children. And you work hard and deserve some time away. You can also use it as an opportunity to teach your kids the value of money. Give them a set amount of cash at the beginning of the trip and let them decide what to use it on. You may cringe when they choose junk food at every gas station you stop at, but they will learn. Either they learn they really enjoyed the freedom to do that or they might regret their lack of funds when they find something they want at the end of the time. Either way, you help them learn: money is finite; money can purchase fun things, and plan ahead because it spends quickly. The Money Couple, Scott and Bethany Palmer are regulars on national TV, radio and speak internationally about “Love and Money.” With 38 years of combined financial planning experience Scott and Bethany launched “The Money Couple” and have dedicated their lives to helping couples bring their love and money together. Their “Make it Happen” slogan quickly and radically changes lives. With their humor, easy-going style, and practical approach relationships are being saved worldwide. Scott and Bethany enjoy an active lifestyle living in Colorado with their two young sons, Cole and Cade. TheMoneyCouple.com