Tweet

Vacation Budget: 4 Strategies to Avoid Overspending While on Vacation

Guest post by: Cindy Parran Brochu

Article Overview: Summer is such a great time of year, and that normally means you begin to think about your vacation budget. Here are 4 strategies to do to keep your summer numbers and your vacation budget in check while being a good host to your visitors:

Vacation Budget: 4 Strategies to Avoid Overspending While on Vacation

Summer is such a great time of year, and that normally means you begin to think about your vacation budget. Summer months seem to take away any of the blues and fill you up with sunshine, watermelon and loads of fun; people are more active, full of life and smiles, and generally feeling carefree and happy. Watch out, though, because this carefree attitude can turn to carelessness if you\'re only paying attention to the sunshine and not your money.

Money is important all times of the year and in all seasons. It never stops flowing and summertime can catch you off-guard with outflow being more than inflow in just a matter of weeks if you don\'t keep a watchful eye, especially if you\'ll be entertaining summer guests.

Here are 4 strategies to keep your summer numbers and your vacation budget in check while being a good host to your visitors:

Pre-Plan Meals

Before your guests arrive, plan the meals you\'ll be eating. Write down the menu for each day and pre-make dishes (like pasta and potato salads) before your guests arrive. This will actually help you experience a more enjoyable and relaxing visit instead of being in the kitchen cooking more than you really may want to be. Decide which evening(s) and how many times you\'ll go out to dinner. Let your vacation budget dictate this. If you can only afford to go out once, than there\'s no reason to feel any guilt about doing so, and if you can\'t afford to go out at all, then focus on inexpensive daytime fun and return home for a nice dinner together.

Do The In Thing!

What\'s great about summertime is that barbecuing is the in thing! This is fairly easy on the vacation budget. It doesn\'t have to be expensive steak or lobster but yummy chicken, fish or kabobs will be a hit instead. Make a side pasta or potato salad to compliment the meal served with some watermelon to make everyone happy! People love this kind of food in summertime and having this kind of meal really brings people together, all at a reasonable price.

Research Pays Off

If you live near the coast, an evening stroll or day at the beach, especially if your guests have kids, is an inexpensive way to have fun. If you live a little more inland, check out where you might find some cool monuments or museums to visit. Researching things to do, as well as the cost for such before your guests arrive will help keep your summertime numbers in check. Be sure to only suggest those ideas you know you can afford.

Relax and Enjoy

Here\'s the truth - your guests came to see and spend time with you, so it\'s not about taking them to the finest restaurants or feeding them the most expensive foods. Nobody is keeping a tally. How much you spend on your guests does not equate to how much you care about them. Focus on the relationship and having fun right in your own back yard. Take out your kids\' croquet set and you\'ll see how much fun everyone has-kids and adults (I did this recently)! Play a game of badminton or have fun passing a frisbee. Having this kind of fun brings people together and that\'s why these people you care about and call friends have really come to visit you!

Don\'t let having fun during the summer months blow your spending plan. If you follow the tips above, you\'ll have little problem maintaining your vacation budget.

Related Articles
  Perfect Vacation Opportunities at All Inclusive Luxury Resorts
  Summertime Blues
  Be Happy and Healthy Take a Vacation
  Working on Vacation
  Rest Relaxation and Recreation
  Running Your Home Business While Traveling
  Florida Vacation Packages for a Perfect Holiday
  What is an Adventure Travel Agent
  Global Resort Network Better than Timeshare
  Is Global Resort Network Better than Timeshare
  Top ten ways for business owners to avoid summertime burn out
  Global Resort Network Plans
  For Entrepreneurs fearing Vacation, this works like crazy…
  "What are using to reward key employees"
  Why You Should Ignore Your Cell Phone and Laptop: Six Keys to a Great Vacation
  Sales Training Ideas on Mobile Cell Phone Use
  Are Emotional Hot Buttons Stopping You from Taking Vacation?
  Why You Should Get a Hawaii Vacation Rental On Your Next Trip to Hawaii
  Travel Professional- Make Your Travel Plans Come True
  How to Make your Vacation Profitable

Article Tags: Cindy Parran Brochu, Financial Coach, overspending, spending plan, SpendingPlanbiz, vacation budget, vacation spending
Referred by: http://www.onlinebizu.com



Related Forum Posts
$500,000 Give-away - I like dreaming so here goes... note: I didn't have much time to dream this up... 1. pay off my mom's mortgage 2. Take family (mom and brothers) on Vacation - probably send each one off to their own destinaton - no need to mix pleasure and family members. 3. buy some beach front property in the US 4. Invest in a business 5. Buy myself some nice suits and shirts.
Re: Moderators on vacation - Vacation was great! Lots of boating, swimming, sun bathing, and over eating! Yes, I am having a heck of a time getting re-focused. I've been back for over a week now and still haven't gotten a single thing done business wise. To make it even worse, I am in the process of planning another 10 day vacation for next month so my mind isn't coming out of vacation mode.
Creativity generation from the Office - Here's what i got from people in the Office: 1. On the Toilet while reading 2. While walking the dog 3. While networking 4. While relaxing on the beach on Vacation (expensive method huh!) 5. While writing in a Journal 6. While reading past entries in my Journal 7. While cutting the grass 8. While jammin on an instrument (several people mentioned different instruments) 9. dreaming (day or at night) 10. while commuting in the Subway (some mentioned that the subway ads gave them ideas)
Current Status Idea - Greetings All I recently wasn't able to come on the forums for about a month and a half recently due to going on holidays, moving house and having extra pressure on at work. I was thinking about this and thought that everyone would believe that I only came on for a month to win a prize therefore possibly decreasing my credibility. In saying this, is possible add an option in the Profiles called "Current Status" that allows a user to select an option like "On Vacation", "Out of the state", "Away", "Overseas" etc (maybe displays in brackets next to the username) so that everyone knows they are actually unable to participate in the forums at any given time during the year? Kind regards TheAnonymousMan
Re: FREE Toronto Referral Workshop - Kevin, I'll try to get a copy of the slides and summarize the 14 Strategies. Stay tuned!


Share this article with your friends. Fund someone's dream.

Leave a comment below or share on the left and you'll help support entrepreneurs in Africa through our partnership with Kiva. Over $50,000 raised and counting - Please keep sharing! Learn more.

Newsletter

Get advice & tips from famous business
owners, new articles by entrepreneur
experts, my latest website updates, &
special sneak peaks at what's to come!

Name:
Email:

Popular Articles

Smart & Simple Internet Techniques

Four Reasons Why Entrepreneurs Should Blog

Pay Per Click Advertising

Suggestions

Email us your ideas on how to make our
website more valuable! Thank you Sharon
from Toronto Salsa Lessons / Classes for
your suggestions to make the newsletter
look like the website and profile younger
entrepreneurs like Jennifer Lopez.