Plan your vacation

I want to visit Thailand; I want to climb a mountain; I want to go Zorbing in New Zealand; I want to run with the bulls in Spain; I want to lie on the beach and drink those drinks with little umbrellas in them.  There are so many vacation ideas i am interested in.  Everyone knows you need to plan your vacation.

Take the time to maximize your fun and plan your vacation

Enough! Enough! Curb the craziness! We all want to take a vacation.
As with anything else (everything else!), for best results make a plan. And, keep it frugal!! (plan your vacation)
If you really want to do something, you need to plan it. Too often, the “I’ll do it next year” becomes 10 years later, and you still have not done it. (My how time flies when…) If you have a dream vacation, take the time.
Start by taking time to make a plan.

Recommend reading  How to save money on road trips 

Decide what you want to do, and when are you going to do it. After you make those decisions, start planning backwards. Determine what can stop you. Eliminate the obstacles.

Determining what you want to do might be the easiest part of the process. We all have an “I want to do this or go there” wish list in the back of our minds. Maybe it’s a visit to different country, catch up with old college friends, or do something like hiking the Appalachian Trail. As you think about it, what is it you really want to do? What will make a perfect vacation for you?

Once you decide what you want to do, decide when you want to do it. Many people associate a vacation with summer, but it doesn’t have to happen then. You can pick the season that matches what you want to do. Let’s say you want to go to Mardi Gras in New Orleans. It happens in February or March. If you wait until summer to go to New Orleans you can have a good time, but you will definitely miss Mardi Gras. In this case, the timing of your vacation is essential. Set the dates carefully.

Other than money (which you provide by budgeting for the trip), what is stopping you from going to Mardi Gras—or any other destination? Is it your work schedule? Find a workaround. People sometimes need to plan this type of vacation a year or more in advance; not just so they can afford to go, but so they can have people and resources in place to cover their absence in the office.
You need to identify the things that are likely to hinder your plans. With planning and perseverance you will find very little that will prevent you from taking your perfect vacation.

So, have you thought about what’s stopping you? Naturally, it depends on what you’ve set as your vacation goal. If you are going overseas you need a passport, and it can take awhile to get one: Apply for it now. Regardless of your destination, are you going to drive, fly, or take a cruise ship? Do you have the money for fuel and/or the tickets, or do you need to start a saving program? No matter what your vacation plans are, I am sure someone else has already encountered the same obstacles you’re facing. Ask people you know how they plan and prepare for vacations. People love to talk about good times—and problems. Your friends and family can be a great source of information. And, you can always go to the internet. Look for potential problems that could stop you from having your perfect vacation. Solve them before they become a part of your memories.

have you ever wanted to climb a mountain

Let’s talk money

Just today I spoke with a young man who sent one of his children to summer camp last year. The comment he made was. “It’s March. I just made the final payment on last year’s summer camp, and this year I’ll be sending two children.” [Ouch!!] He is going to finance summer camp again this year. If you’ve been around this blog very long, you know I don’t believe in financing. If you can’t pay cash, you can’t afford it. Save the money before you leave on vacation. You don’t want to come back from the time of your life, and regret it as you pay off the debt for what will seem like the rest of your life.

Conclusion

We all have a vacation we’d really like to take. It might be sitting seaside sipping drinks or climbing a mountain. Whatever your dream vacation is, “go for it.” You deserve it. You also owe it to yourself plan it well: Make your memories as good as your dreams. Take the time and effort to plan your vacation. Planning backward is a fairly common method used to make vacation plans. Decide where you want to go, what you want to do, collect the items you need, and save the money. Have the time of your life.

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