Dream Vacations on a Real Budget

Your Roadmap to Adventure Planning

Hello again, 

Ever caught yourself daydreaming about your next adventure but felt your wallet holding you back? Guess what? You're not alone. Better still, I have the perfect roadmap to navigate these financial crossroads while keeping your travel dreams alive.
Any financial guru worth their salt will tell you - it all begins with a good budget. Now, before you run a mile, hear me out. Budgeting doesn’t have to be as scary as scaling Everest

Let's break it down:

Step one:​ Kick off with calculating your income. If you have a steady salary, it's a breeze. For those with a variable income, like yours truly, working with estimates or averages will be your go-to strategy.

Step two: It's time to get up close and personal with your fixed and variable expenses. My preference is a biweekly budget, but if going month-to-month works for you, that’s wonderful.

Start your budget journey by rounding up your fixed expenses, like your mortgage or rent, phone and utility bills, car payments, and minimum debt repayments. Once you've got a handle on this, it's time to subtract these figures from your income. What you’re left with is your pot for variable expenses!

This part’s a bit of guesswork, but you've got this! Estimate your variable expenses, such as groceries, fuel, recreational costs, kids' activities, and of course, pet pampering. Review this at the end of each month or pay period to understand your spending patterns.

Step three: Achieve a zero balance on your budget. This is where the magic happens. If you’ve got loose change left after all your expenses are covered, it's time to pile it into your savings or further reduce your debt. In the world of finance, we call this the zero-based budgeting method.

If you already have a smooth-running budget mechanism, that's fabulous! Just tie in your savings goal to your current budget and designate an amount every month (or biweekly) towards your 'Shine under the Disney fireworks fund.'

Remember, savings and debt pay-offs should be at the top of your plan.

But, wait, there's more! Let's supercharge that vacation fund with these savvy tips:

Tip #1: If you’ve just cleared a payment obligation, like a car loan or credit card, reign in the urge to breathe easy. Instead, redirect that same payment toward your vacation savings account. It's like you're paying yourself for all the fun awaiting!

Tip #2: To keep the vacation savings untapped, set up a dedicated account and schedule automatic transfers. I highly recommend opening a high-yield savings account where your money does some additional heavy lifting. Look at banks like Ally, Capital One 360, or Dollar Savings Direct for easy set-up.

Tip #3: Declare all "surprise" money as dedicated vacation fund boosters. Think tax refunds, work bonuses, mystery checks, and even that $10 bill you found inside your winter coat! Make all these unexpected treasures part of your vacation fund.

Now here's the ultimate hack to saving big on your trip: Commit to it NOW! It's no secret that as time passes, prices skyrocket. So why stall when we can start planning your dream vacation right away.
Start by scheduling a call with yours truly. Let's embark on the journey to making your travel dreams come true, one budget plan at a time!

Dreaming alongside you!