Do you have a 'vacation fund' that you set aside money to go on that dream vacation or do you go on vacation when you 'have the money'? My wife and I do both... if we have a great month and have a little left over we will treat ourselves but also keep money in a special bank account for that 'big' vacation?
What about you?
[question posted by zeloguy]
responses and comments:
LOL you bet I do I specially put away money so I can go out and not waste my "bill money" and know my limitations and all that. [burnkate]
Yeah that is a great idea. Make sure you get the stuff that NEEDS to be paid out of the way first. Thanks for the response. Thanks happy Zelo happy [zeloguy]
I don't exactly have a specific fund, but I try to save a little every month. I just say about 100 dollars a month or 200, or whatever I can put aside for it with the idea it will be used for a vacation. It sounds good that you guys have it so well organized. [danrunsfast614]
That is pretty awesome that you can put aside that much money. That goes a long way to having one nice vacation a year or a bunch of small ones throughout. A lot of finance services have great suggestions on how to save for vacation or trips. Thanks happy Zelo happy [zeloguy]
I don't have a separate fund for vacation. But I do have a "saving" balance where the money is supposed used for special purposes. It could be for vacation but it could also for medial expenses or family uses. Some will say that I am saving not for a reason at all but then I would say having money sitting in the bank for not particular reason means I am more prepared for unexpected situations. Still, I am planning to use part of the saving for a nice vacation next year. Hope everything goes on smoothly.happy [faisai]
That's great to have a fund that takes care of emergencies and leizure... then you know exactly how much you have to spend when you do go away. Thanks happy Zelo happy [zeloguy]
I save the money for non-routine budget, including for vacation, if possible. [hsofyan]
That is great that you are able to do that! Thanks happy Zelo happy [zeloguy]
No,because there are many things that needed attention than saving for a vacation. In hard times like this vacation is not practical to do. I might get swine flu...just kidding.lol [reckon21]
Ahh I don't know, taking a vacation releases stress and if you think of what you spend your money on, is it that hard to take $20/week and set it aside... would you REALLY miss it... that is over $1000/year and for a family of 2 that could be a nice little get away just by spending coffee money. Thanks happy Zelo happy [zeloguy]
Hi there Zeloguy. Both me and my girlfriend are full time students and we have a debit card with an interest of 9% (at the moment). We save as much as we can on it most of the year in order to be able to afford a good nice satisfying vacation that we deserve after a full year of school accomplishments. Last year we went in Greece for 10 days at the seaside and this year we are going to visit her sister and explore the country in England for 2 weeks. [elitess]
Greece is a country that I have not been to that I would love to go to. It is great that you are taking time to travel when you can. My parents never had the time to travel and I have made sure my wife and myself take the time and the money to travel while we are still fairly young. Great response. Thanks happy Zelo happy [zeloguy]
This is a good idea, that way when your vacation comes you won't have to run around wondering where you are going to get a big lump sum from, or making a huge whole in your account or savings! I do this all the time, I put away my birthday and christmas money in an envelope marked for my next trip, whenever I win a lottery prize I put the money in the envelope and if I get a windfall or earn extra with the sites I do online I will cash out and put that away, it soon adds up! I need £320 for my trip in August, already I have £200. So even if I save no more I only have to find another £120 so there Im more than halfway there and 8 weeks left. [wolfie34]
Hey Wolf... thanks for answering. That is a really great idea. Even saving up for things like Christmas and the such is a great way to know exactly how much money you 'really' have and still be able to afford the luxuries and the giving that should be part of everyone's life. Always great to hear from 'ya Thanks happy Zelo happy [zeloguy]
Yes, we do save money for a vacation. We place this on a special account that we have opened just especially for things like this. We usually deposit an amount every month for it. Its like a vacation and special treats account. So every time we decide to go, we use the money from that account.happy [jpso138]
That's very wonderful. The great thing about it is that you will be surprised how much it will reach later on. I am sure that with such things you will be able to go on a special vacation. Best to you!happy [jpso138]
I go on vacations when I have free time to go. If i don't have money than I can go locally for shorter trip and rest at home. I don't hold my vacations. In general I like to safe money for whatever need, including vacations. [polachicago]
Hey darlin'. Getting out of dreary 'ole Chicago and seeing some of the beautiful sunshine of the Sunshine state (actually there are two of them [Florida/Arizona]) would be great for you. You remind me of my wife though... gotta hold on in case there is SOMETHING that comes up... whatever that something is. Always good to hear from you. Thanks happy Zelo happy [zeloguy]
I always fo for my annual vacation with whatever savings balance I ave in my Bankk balance.But I too felt last month that it would be great idea to have a substantial amount of money just for the purpose of the holidays and started a recurring deposit account on my name.Next year we are going to have a great holidays better than ever.happy [balasri]
Sure I will.And thanks again for the timely tip. [balasri]
Right now we are pretty much in survival mode around here. It is hard to imagine a day when we will have money left over. I indeed have alot of places I want to travel to and vacations that I want to take, but until I have enough money to pay all of my bills and have some left over, it is probably not going to be a real possisbility. [snowy22315]
I think a lot of us are in survival mode but even saving a dollar here or there makes a really big difference. I used to bowl on Sunday nights and now that is over I take that money ($15/week) and put that away as if I spent it bowling. I also have a friend who does exchange trade funds and uses the money he earns that way to do fun things, like vacation. Even that little amount of money is almost $800 in a years time which doesn't sound like a lot of money but allows my wife and I to go to the coast or some other short 'drive vacation' (somewhere you can drive to and drive home). Stay positive, things are bound to get better! Thanks happy Zelo happy [zeloguy]
Typically I'd try to mix business and pleasure, as such I'd find places to work as I'm on vacation and 'move in' for a while... I guess it's just that gypsy personality :) [Drakorus]
Being a small business owner myself I do the same thing. I will go somewhere where I can relax but where I can get information or can do work so I can write it off. I have a Morocco web site (the best morocco web site) and so when I go there I write the whole thing off since the pictures and the stories I write go right to that site. And after having to deal with bankruptcy chapters with my old business, a vacation feels great. Thanks happy Zelo happy [zeloguy]
yeah because it is something to look forward to because of too much work [mimiang]
Yes it is always good to be able to take a break or a nice vacation after too much work. Thanks happy Zelo happy [zeloguy]
Yes i do.. i do and my friends do that many times....last month we made a summer escapade to a beautiful island of Cebu! We really had a great vacation. [neojan]
Cebu. Wow I have been to many islands but never there. That is the great thing about saving is that you have the money ready when it is time to go. Thanks happy Zelo happy [zeloguy]
We plan for a vacation and save for it. With our schedules, it is nearly impossible to do a spur of the moment vacation, even if we fall into some money. So we usually have our trip planned out almost six months to a year before we go. As for having a special fund? Well, the money I make online goes to my paypal account and i am saving that as my special vacation fund. It's not a huge amount, but right now it looks like by the time we go on our trip in October, I will have enough money there to take our family of four to at least one, maybe two nice meals. For me that's pretty cool. [uicbear]
That is really good. There are companies now (even Disney) that put packages together so that your meals are already included in the package so you don't need to worry about that extra money of trying to feed four people on the road. Great response. Thanks happy Zelo happy [zeloguy]
What do you mean a "Big" vacation. I enjoy going to yellowstone national park with my buddies every year for camping. Cost very little but it is a big vacation to me. What do you mean by big? Time? Cost? [doggyhouz]
My definition of a 'big' vacation is one where you cannot drive there and drive back. If I wanted to go to Yellowstone from Florida that would be a big vacation. If I wanted to go to Miami, Naples, St. Pete, Clearwater, St. Augustine, Daytona Beach, etc... that would be considered a small vacation. As for money under $100/person/day would be small so even cruises that we take to the carribean are considered small since we drive there and go in the off-season and pay under that amount. Thanks happy Zelo happy [zeloguy]
I never get to go on vacation :[ [Trooth]
It is always good to make time for vacation even if it is little 2-3 day mini vacations. Thanks happy Zelo happy [zeloguy]
What I do is save all of my loose change and I put it aside. When that builds up my boyfriend and I will go on a nicer vacation. My parents did that when we were little...after 1 year of consistently putting out change in a bin we had over $1000. It was cool. So now I'm starting to do that. [dreamr802]
It is really a great way to do it and if you are putting it into an interest bearing account (even though rates are not good now) then you will be getting even that more for your money. If you save say $500 and you KNOW you are not going on vacation for the next 6 months then put it into a CD (Certificate of Deposit) and get whatever rate is going at the time... check around as rates fluctuate wildly both from day to day and from bank to bank. Great to hear you are saving! Thanks happy Zelo happy [zeloguy]
I'm a single mom and it is hard for me to save. What I do is save all my change all year long. I wouldn't call it a dream vacation but when summer comes, my daughter and I cash in all that change and do something special with it. There is usually enough to go away for a couple of days or sometimes we do a few little day trips. [sid556]
Even going out for a day trip or a trip of 2-3 days is a great way to bond with your children and relieve stress. It doesn't take a $10,000 Disney vacation to do that. Thanks happy Zelo happy [zeloguy]
I need to go on a vacation every year. Even if it is just once a year. That is why I save up every month and set aside a small amount of money to be used at the end of the year for traveling. I am more willing to give up shopping for a month or two rather than forgo traveling if money is a bit tight for some specific months. I won't feel complete if I did not get to travel for a year. [zzyw87]
My wife and myself are the same way. We try to get on three or four vacations a year but because of the economic mess we are in that has come down to two or so and the ones we do take are not as extravagent as the ones we once took. Still... it is very important to get away at least once a year and that is great to hear that you are doing that.! Thanks happy Zelo happy [zeloguy]
i havent a vacation fund,i dont even think to spend my money jus for some vacation.it mybe caused in my family never did that too.my family habbit never go some place togheter to have some vacation.i don't know whhy my parent did that.sometime i'd like hang out with my family together. [pansy45]
That is great. Everyone has their own way of relaxing that that is yours. Thanks happy Zelo happy [zeloguy]
I am saving up at the moment to go to Canada next summer. I hope to get a flight to Vancouver and then travel by train after seeing that to Seattle. Then I hope to catch a ferry over to Vancouver Island. Finally I hope to catch a train and bus up to the Canadian Rockies. I saved up for ages to go to New Zealand and bought a ticket with many stopovers. I was able to see more of lovely California as well as some amazing tropical islands. These were French Polynesia, the Cook Islands and Samoa. When I got home from that trip I knew I had overspent. Therefore my next trip was a few weeks in Croatia, Montenegro and Slovenia. [maximax8]
For several months we took cash out each payday for "entertainment" and eating out. Everything left over went in a jar. In spite of paying cash for a couple of household emergencies, we still had enough to pay for our trip to Minnesota, and still brought cash back. It was a good feeling. [GardenGerty]
No I don't have a vacation fund set aside me and my husband has never taken a vacation together. I have visited people bu never taken a real vacation.sad I would love to have a small one..something like a weekend away thing even but he is a fuddy Buddy and doesn't like being away from home. [mtdewgurl74]
Hubby and I each have a private savings account that we use for various things. We are hoping to save for a vacation eventually, but for now we are saving up for a new couch, and for him to have some dental work. Plus we're looking to form an LLC online because we have a cool business idea. In the next year or so, we're hoping to take a nice vacation somewhere. [danishcanadian]
we do try to save for vacation.. my friends and i would always go and plan for a yearly vacation and i guess it is just fair to spend a little bit on unwinding after working for non stop everyday. [chiyosan]