Get A Head Start On Next Summer's Vacation Plans

 

Depending on where you are in the country (I'm in PA.) or in the world, you might be getting ready for some bitter, cold weather or you already had a snowstorm or two. Or maybe you're one of the lucky ones who live somewhere where you don't see snow and ice and temps below freezing! Wherever you call home, you might be looking to get away for a few days or a few weeks. If you are planning to take a vacation, now is the best time to start planning! (and saving!) 

Pick A Destination 

This might be the hardest part of the whole adventure. Of course, this will depend on your budget and the time of year you're planning to visit but this could end up being a tough decision! Especially if you have a kid or 3 and you have a few other people who might have different ideas than you. 

You'll want to definitely do your research! Check out rates, availability of rooms or space, and definitely find out when their off-season is. If you can pay half the price to make reservations a week after Labor Day, that might be the deal-breaker right there. We often go to different campgrounds after Labor Day so we can get the less expensive cabin. Oftentimes this was a great opportunity to add a few nights onto our original plan or we would just have extra spending money to take along. (Well, in one case, it ended up being transmission money for my Saab and tow from Connecticut back to PA.) Either way, there is always a reason to save money where you can. I'm sure you can think of something to do with it! 

Start Planning

So, you have your destination and you checked out reviews on every hotel, vacation rental, bed and breakfast, cabin, and RV park so what's next? Check out the best vacation spots, museums, find your restaurants, shopping malls, maybe you planned and chose your destination around an event. It is never too early to plan an itinerary. (Unfortunately, due to the current situation, you may not be able to set anything in stone so you may want to check out cancelation policies and plan what you can. You can always go back to this once you know what the current situation is wherever you may be going.) I'm not digging any part of this shutdown so I am going to pretend that by next spring, all will be well and we are planning anyway with the expectation that we will be allowed to visit anywhere! 

I've always found that the best way to find the best spots in town is to start searching for local groups on Facebook and start searching Google for local, small-town dining, shops, even right outside of the town if need be. I tend to always favor small businesses and prefer to give them as much business as possible. Even at home. But, they also don't charge outlandish prices. They're not tourist traps. Usually. So, you can save a fortune maybe driving just a little bit outside of your vacation spot but you could potentially save $5 for that Alabama Slammer (OK, maybe $20 on 4 of those...) and you could get a much better quality meal that will only cost you half the price! 

Be sure to check reviews, check for coupons, discounts, and collect addresses, phone numbers, map everything out so you know where you're going when you get there. You probably won't have a printer with you but if you print those half-price coupons off before you leave, you could save a whole dinner's worth of money before you head back home. 

Take Care Of Everything At Home

Even if you're 9 months out, you may want to consider setting up any arrangements necessary for pets or even if you need someone to check in on your house or check your mail. It probably wouldn't hurt to have backup plans too. (Trust me, this happened to us a few times when a friend ended up backing out last minute.) 

You'll probably need a new pair of sneakers or some swim suits for the kids, maybe a few new tankinis for yourself, or a new bag to stuff everything into. So, start checking for sales during the holiday season! I often find the best deals from Cyber Monday the whole way through the New Year. I even stock up on shower gels, snacks, fancy candy, things I wouldn't otherwise buy any other time during the year. But, when they sell for half price or offer free gifts and free shipping I will buy up to last as long as possible! Actually, this would be a great time not just for swimwear but for toiletries and games and puzzles for the kids. All of these things are useful when traveling. 

Years ago when I first started actually using a computer and a printer., (Just 15 years ago! I was way behind on all of this Internet stuff!) I quickly realized how important it was to have a bank bag or an envelope stuffed with any pamphlets or maps from any of the places we were planning to visit. As well as coupons, any gift cards, frequent dining or gas station perks cards, a few blank checks, just in case, an emergency credit card or 2, medical insurance cards, anything I knew or thought we might need going into this bag. It was so helpful to have this so handy (in the glove box). That way, if we were going by a gas station or a chain restaurant, I could quickly find everything and save money too! If you are using a bank bag or a small bag of some kind and you have vitamins or prescription medication, this is the perfect place for those bottles too! Everything is just right within reach and depending on the size, you could easily fit this into your own bag when you stop on the way or are going into a restaurant. I also always throw a few oddball things in there like an extra lip gloss or 2 and a chapstick as well as some bandages, allergy meds, basic first aid kind of stuff. 

Another maybe strange habit I've always had or maybe it's not so strange but, I always think about how exhausted we are when we do finally arrive back home from vacation. The absolute last thing I want to do is have an overflowing hamper and a sink full of dishes! I am usually the last one to sleep on vacation eve because I am busy writing checklists to make sure we packed everything and then I catch up on laundry, clearing out the fridge, making sure drinks are stocked up so we don't have to run anywhere after we are home, and making sure the sinks are cleared out and everything is tidy. I feel a lot better coming home to a neat and tidy house. Where I don't have to do anything. But unpack and make a pot of coffee and fall asleep on my laptop. Of course, these are things you would do right before you leave rather than 7 or 8 months ahead of time! But, I figured I would add them. Just in case. 

Save Your Money

This is sometimes the most annoying part of vacation planning but if you throw a few dollars in a jar each week or you automatically deposit a few bucks into a savings account online or you just save all of your change, this will add up fast and could end up being all of your spending and shopping money while you're gone! (I'm assuming you've already paid for your stay when you reserved.) The next step isn't so bad. You just have to create a plan and a budget and stick to it! 

Years ago when my husband and I first started out and we had just 1 child, I was very cautious about our spending money on vacation and I would write up a piece of paper with exact amounts of money we had to use for each day. For instance; We're going to be out for 3 nights and 4 days so we need 4 days worth of food money and 2 days worth of spending money and the gas money for days 1 and 4. I would gather all of the coupons and discount cards I could find and then simply divide the money up into categories. I love to "overestimate" everything. Even if it's just a $5 overage. This way there is always extra. (I do this with my bills too!) Say my truck payment is $533 a month. It's actually $550 so that's how much I make sure is in the bank to cover that bill. I do this with each bill so this way I am always just a little bit ahead. (Same deal for vacation money just on a smaller scale.) 

One last thing! If you're saving coins, be sure to check with your bank first before paying an outrageous price like 8% at the grocery store. We have a very small bank but they do allow for us to drop off loose or rolled up coins and then pick up later in the day or the next day and they don't charge us anything! 8% may not seem like a lot but it could end up being 2 large pizzas worth when you're counting out a few hundred.

Collecting Or Investing

If you grew up in the 80s (or even the 50s, 60s, or 70s) you may have shoeboxes filled with things you thought might be worth millions or billions one day. If you’re like me, you thought that every week you earned an allowance or earned money if you ran to the baseball card shop or comic book shop, you were investing in your future. (I thought buying every single Darryl Strawberry rookie card would guarantee enough money for a mansion.) Or at least a big enough house for the 6 kids I planned to have.

Sometimes, I’d buy extra packs and keep half of them sealed since my dad always said they would be worth more if left unopened. I did the same with comic books, stamps, superhero action figures, books, toys from my favorite horror movies, vinyl, and I still do this to this day. I “invest’ in a lot of different things from my favorite bands, movies, I even started investing in stamp collections for my kids. Not to mention, they get to inherit the baseball cards and comic books I have stashed away in shoeboxes and those nice albums with the pockets and pages. The problem is, every time I look something up, it isn’t worth anything. Sure, the hockey jerseys and autographs from our favorite players are worth something to us and you never really know if they make it big, that stuff could go for quite a bit of money. I also wonder if I’ll ever really sell it anyway, even if it ends up being worth a lot. I also wonder how much money I would have available had I saved the money I spent collecting things.

I think my most favorite part of collecting these things are the memories each item holds. I have a story for every single thing I bought over the years and it’s nice to be able to hold onto those memories! There are times when you find out those toy collections you had as a kid would be worth a fortune but, you reached a certain age and ended up selling everything at a flea market or yard sale. (My husband did this with his GI Joe and He-Man collections.) But, there are still ways to manage your investments whether it is in the form of collections or maybe investing in something such as gold or bitcoin or stocks. Or maybe you prefer to collect “grown-up” things like rocks, paintings, gemstones, or watches.

Even if you collect toys and comic books, you may want to check into the laws regarding the amount of money you might earn from your investments. Unfortunately, there are tax laws and you could be hit with a whopping 28% tax. That’s pretty huge when you consider you aren’t allowed to deduct anything for your collectibles. However, if you were investing in stocks, you would be taxed at the same rate but can offset capital gains with losses. Another grown-up thing to think about is homeowners insurance. It isn’t too easy to find a decent policy that will give you your monies worth for every single thing you own. If you have a lot of prized possessions, you may need to bump up your insurance policy. If you want to list each item separately and insure each piece individually, you will need to pay a bit more for your policy and be very thorough in your record keeping. Otherwise, you could just insure the contents of your home with a blanket policy and set the limit for each item. If something unfortunate happens, you may not get the price you paid or the value for it but, you will be able to escape the high prices that come with itemized coverage.

I’ve found that when I check online to try to find what things are worth, what collections are holding up in value, it is a little hard to find a direct answer unless you know what you’re looking for. Sure, people can post on eBay and claim that the Beanie Baby collection they’re selling is worth $50,000 but, is it really? You can say it’s worth whatever you want but if people aren’t buying it, it’s probably not worth much of anything. If you find yourself stuck with a bunch of sports cards and toys and a savings account with a balance of $5, how do you plan on purchasing a house or a car or any of the other cool things your collections were supposed to buy?

While I wouldn’t ever consider getting rid of my collections or even selling them. I may consider if the price is right. Until then, I intend on keeping these things and passing them onto my children in the future. Whatever you choose to do with your investments, you can contact The Associates Home Loan Of Florida to ask for help when you’re ready to buy a home. There are so many ways to earn money these days, especially with the Internet!

If you did make good decisions on your investments and you decided to invest in artwork or diamonds, you’re in a great spot for your future and most likely your children’s future and their children’s futures! There are so many different things to buy and invest in and so many ways to earn money and save money and so many different types of situations and nontraditional income anymore. It’s always super helpful to find advice for your own unique situation. Plus, you don’t have to be a billionaire to buy a new home.

As for your collections, whether they are worth monetary value to anyone or not, you should still find joy in collecting! It would be boring if you had friends over for a few games of pool and you had nothing on the walls or on your bookshelves to look at. Besides, everybody needs a hobby and I am still waiting to find out what happens when we grow up. (and I’m 45!)

Budgeting On A Low Income

I know it’s hard to believe but there are usually ways to figure out a budget and save money when you have an extremely limited income. Unfortunately, it may not be very comfortable and you might end up having to give up things that you love. But, if you can make short-term goals and remember that you are making sacrifices for those goals, it may make it much easier.

Saving Without Coupons

Coupons are great and can end up saving a fortune if you have the time necessary to plan, clip, and run from store to store. If you don’t have the time and the money to spend on the newspapers and printer ink to access the coupons, this may not be the best way to budget your family’s grocery bill. Sure, you could use a few coupons here and there that you find in the mail or at your local library or if a friend has some extras. But there are other ways to cut down on your grocery bill.

I’ve found that the easiest way to cut back is to plan our meals. All the way down to snacks and lunches. Writing everything down and keeping a list for the store as you go could save a few extra bucks by itself. I’m guilty of impulse buying much like most people but, if you stick with your list you will notice a difference at the register!

We keep a menu sheet on the fridge and everyone can write suggestions down. You don’t want to sacrifice your children’s favorite cereal or snacks so, making a list of specific items that your family cannot do without is also helpful. Then you can keep an eye on these items in the sale flyers and stock up when they go on sale. (Depending on the sale, you could stock up enough to get through to the next sale.) Stop paying full price for everything or at least as much as you can handle! You’ll notice the sales tend to go in order and sometimes, you can catch a similar sale the following week at another store nearby.

Stocking your freezer when meat is on sale is also a key to cutting back. There are times when the sale rotates and may include boneless, skinless chicken breast at a deep reduction per pound. Even if you only use chicken a few nights a week, you could grab extra to freeze for a later date. (Even if just one extra pound. It will eventually add up!) You will find things like ground beef, hot dogs, chicken legs are typically on sale during picnic holidays. Steaks will be on sale around Valentine’s Day, take advantage of the free or half price turkey and ham that most grocery stores offer during holidays such as Easter, Christmas, and Thanksgiving.

Pantry items are another big sale item that follows a rotation. You can usually grab some very cheap BBQ sauces, marinades, and baked beans during the picnic holidays and green beans, corn, and pineapples during the colder months. Back to school/end of summer sales tend to have some great deals on granola bars, fruit snacks, canned soups, and lunchbox treats. This is another great way to start stocking your cabinets so you always have something on hand. Try to keep in mind that most pantry items have a longer shelf life too!

Between finding out your store’s sale rotation, finding out the time and days your store puts reduced meat and produce out, planning and buying only what is on your list, and even freezing leftovers, you should start to notice the savings pretty quickly!

Increase Your Income

This may be an option for you or it may not be. I understand it’s rough to try and find extra time in a day when you already work or have kids or both! Whether it’s cutting back on your own lunch money, bringing coffee from home, carpooling, walking more, or becoming a minimalist, you have a lot of options here too.

If you do have a few extra hours a week or can figure out how to find a few extra hours, there are restaurants and even retail stores who are sometimes looking for someone to work as a fill-in or maybe pick up a weekend shift here and there. Many times bars, restaurants and clubs look for someone to be on call for different functions, holidays or summer hours. Depending on your transportation situation and where you live, you may be able to find a newspaper route. Sure, it isn’t a lot of fun to have to work more than one job and maybe you would need to pay for childcare to work a side job, no matter how small. In that case, it would be wise to maybe just pick up extra hours at your job, ask for a raise, or check out some side gigs you could do from home in your spare time.

Between apps that will save you money on your grocery bill and cashback sites, if you shop online, you could save a few dollars each month with not much work on your part. These programs usually start you out with a $10 bonus to start you off which is literally a free $10! If you have a few extra minutes, you could check out programs such as Upromise and even websites that will pay you in points just for searching things online. (You can fill out surveys, open emails, watch videos, play games, answer trivia questions, and much more.) The goal is to earn points and turn these points in for gift cards and PayPal payments. It may not seem like a large amount of money but every little bit helps.

Checking your house for things your kids have outgrown, any sneakers or shoes you haven’t worn in a year or more, or all of the extra beauty products you never opened from any subscription boxes you may have had, could bring some extra cash your way if you start an account on eBay or even just sell on your local Facebook yard sale pages. Any extra money you earn could go towards savings and debt reduction.

If you have even more spare time or have a computer at home, you could even start a blog or sign up for affiliate accounts for some of your favorite retailers. The goal here is to post links for whatever products or services while offering your friends and family a discount, you will earn money or credits to spend at their website if anyone places an order! (I have been earning free sock credits and free beauty product credits for a few years by sharing these links!) It comes in handy when you are in need of these things yourself and you won’t have to shell out any cash for it!

Focus On High-Interest Debt

So, now you have an extra $50 a month and you’re hoping to knock down some credit card bills you have been paying for several years. It may seem like a wise idea to start paying off the credit cards with the smallest debt so you can knock them out. However, you should start with the loan or credit card that charges you the most interest. Even if you just pay an additional $20 a month, you could knock a few years of payments off! Every extra dollar counts, no matter how small. If you end up being able to afford a little more to pay each month, keep adding this onto the debt with the highest interest! Eventually, your minimum payments will start to decrease and the extra $20 will go even further.

Sometimes, checking into help such as Nationwide Debt Reduction Services would be extraordinarily beneficial no matter your financial situation. They can get you and your family on the right track to becoming debt free or at least take better control of your finances, lower your payments, and keep you from filing bankruptcy or going into debt even more with late fees.

I know it sometimes feels like it takes forever, but watching your debt fall and being able to save even $5 a week for a rainy day will help attain your short term goals. Cutting back isn’t going to be comfortable but, your end result will be!