Abundant Frugal Living – Travel, Home, & Family
How is it possible that my toddler is in her senior year now? With parenting, there are so many things to do to keep the family running smoothly. We’re suddenly writing a check for their graduation ring. Prior to kids, I had it all mapped out in my mind that I was going to teach them to cook, wash clothes, and other skills they needed to know before they were on their own. And then life happened.
Continue reading “Skills to Prepare Young Adults to Live on Their Own”
Vacation time is such an exciting time, but we all know it does not just happen without a lot of planning. Planning involves knowing how much money is available to allocate to it. It also includes researching destinations, deciding the time of year, and many other things.
Do you know what makes vacations even better? Having the money available to pay for the whole vacation before you even leave for it, makes the get-away even better. It is not fun to have to put everything on a credit card because there is no money available and then have to pay for it when you get back.
Is this a vacation just for adults or a family vacation? This is important in deciding the destination. Some destinations are more kid friendlier than others. This also may determine the time of year. If it is a family vacation and there are school age kids, this will need to be taken into consideration.
One option for family vacations is to decide if there are families or friends that you like to vacation with. If so, look into options of renting a bigger room such as a house or condo. It is fun to for the families to be together, but I do recommend discussing with them ahead of time of what their definition and expectation of a vacation is. Some people love to get up before the sun rises and not stop until the sun goes down. Others prefer to sleep in and get a later start. There is no wrong or right answer, but setting the expectations ahead of time can be sure everyone gets what they want out of the vacation.
Don’t forget to look at the kid’s calendars to see what dates they are available if they are in activities such as band, sports, etc.
Vacations that include just adults have more flexibility of destinations and dates. Decisions about how long everyone can take off from their normal routine will need to be determined.
Food is another big expense on vacations. Research the destination to see the average price of meals. Options to reduce the food expense may include limiting the number of times that meals are eaten in a restaurant or getting groceries to eat sandwiches or the like.
I recommend deciding ahead of time how much money you want to spend on souvenirs and let each of the kids know ahead of time. This gives them a good budget teaching moment, which they don’t even realize. It also prevents, “Mom, can we buy that t-shirt?” The kids are able to buy one bigger item or multiple smaller items.
Price the activities that you would like to do on vacation. These can add up quickly, so it is best to be prepared.
One of the expenses that are easy to sometimes forget if you are driving is the gas expense. When traveling in the car, one way to decrease costs is to include a small ice chest of drinks and snacks. This will save money instead of buying them at stops along the way.
If you plan to fly, budget money for parking the car at the airport or arrange for other transportation. There are also parking fees associated with keeping a car at the hotel at some places. Check on parking fees and the taxes when figuring out the hotel costs. Some hotels offer breakfasts too, so this can be factored into potentially less meal expense. Some states have toll roads, so these fees should be a separate line in the budget.
If there are pets that need to be watched by someone, include this in the vacation budget as well.
There are so many options for vacations and various options to fit multiple budgets. Know what you have available to spend and make decisions accordingly. And then have fun!
What are some money-saving tips you do?
Did you know that one of the top things guests notice about Disney are its cast members? Despite the rides and fan’s favorite Disney princesses, Disney really excels at creating the perfect ambiance and friendly atmosphere that tops any other experience. These people help transform Magic Kingdom into a Halloween party and help discover hidden treasure chests throughout Adventureland. They’re your key to unlocking all that Magic Kingdom has hidden. Continue reading “Cast Member’s Guide to Magic Kingdom: Part 3 Lagniappe”
Too often, I see people take care of everyone else around them but forget to take some time for them self. I fall into this category too at times. Many feel selfish by taking time for them-selves. I guess it is because we try to do for everyone else. But we should not feel guilty for taking time for ourselves. I believe it is necessary to recharge.
Need money to pay for medical deductibles and co-pays? Want to save money while paying for this too? Ask your Human Resource department at your work to see if they offer Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA). There are two separate FSA: 1) medical expenses and 2) dependent care. We are going to look at the one for medical expenses.
Continue reading “How Medical Flexible Spending Account Can Help You”
If there is one thing that you should know about me is that I hate having to travel fast. I’m a lazy adventurer. People tell me their travel plans and it’s always two days here and then two days there. While that’s not a bad way to spend your vacation, I just enjoy being lazy and not feeling rushed. Traveling often becomes a lot cheaper too when you stay in a place longer. However, there often comes times when you land a 17-hour layover in the Gatwick airport (UK) and you have nothing better else to do but spend 7 of those hours exploring a new city.
“Mom, she took my toy away and I had it first!” “No fair, he got to watch what he wanted on TV yesterday. It is my turn now.” Are these familiar sayings in your family? Don’t worry, you are not alone. Sibling rivalry is common in families. Learn what the advantages of these disagreements are and how to decrease this somewhat.
Do you feel like you are in the same place (or two steps back) in your life today as you were last year? I have felt that way so many times. New Year resolutions were made and followed. Well, I followed them for a few weeks at least and then stopped. I lost my focus. By setting goals and establishing a plan to break them down into bite size pieces, it is easier to advance towards our dreams.
My friends and I were standing in line to meet Anna and Elsa at Princess Fairy Tale Hall. After waiting in the line for an hour, it was our turn to finally step into a new room and wait some more! But this time we could actually see the princesses and there was only one family in front of us. The family’s daughter walked up to Elsa joyfully. Elsa asked the girl what would she do if she woke up one day with icy magical powers one day. The girl simply replied with, “I would brush my teeth”. Everyone in the room was taken aback by her response. Elsa tried to ask the question again, but the girl was persistent on brushing her teeth. We died with laughter.
Continue reading “A Cast Member’s Guide to Magic Kingdom Part 2: Entertainment”
Are you faced with mail and paperwork piling up on the table and you don’t know where to begin? Once the stack grows, it seems like a daunting task. With a process of sorting the mail and paperwork, it can be managed.