 For those of you out there who have endured through miserable family vacations -- where at the same time you were spending thousands of your hard earned dollars - this guide is just for you.
We have all been on a crumby family vacation and the worst part is that nobody seems to be having any fun once the vacation is well underway; quite the contrary to the biding notion of going on a vacation in the first place.
Yet there we are, toiling away at wherever our destinations take us, wondering all the while if we would have been better off spending the money on paying down some of our unsecured debt and taking a financial vacation instead. So for those of you who are sick and tired of hearing the kids cry and whine, and for your own goodness sake, here are some simple tips that will allow you to enjoy better family vacations one trip at a time.
Deciding where to go and when
For families who have a few kids and tend to have to fight with them over where they plan on vacationing each year, here is a simple fix to your problem. Have each member of the family write down their two most desirable vacation destinations; within reason of course. Then pool the pieces of paper together into a hat and draw a piece out randomly to decide where you are going to vacation that year. This way there is no fighting, it is up to chance. Obviously if one family member gets their vacation drawn that year, they do not get chosen the next year in a row. Another way to remedy this common issue is by taking two, smaller family vacations each year, using the same draw-from-a-hat method.
The three do’s of every family vacation
To better enjoy your family vacation plan wisely and you will never have to worry about things going awry. Here are the three do’s of any vacation that will surely make your life easier when on that expensive trip.
- Always purchase trip and travel insurance, just in case. If you are like most vacationing families and you have spent thousands of your own dollars on going on that exotic vacation, then make sure that you protect your investment. Trip insurance, or travel insurance, is not very costly and will protect you in the event that something happens. Like an accident while traveling and the associated medical costs, or missing a flight, or even having to cancel your trip due to unforeseen circumstances.
- Plan a few activities where the kids and the parents are separated so you can get some mom and dad time in, and so the kids can really feel like they are on their own vacation. Many resorts and hotels will offer kids programs, such as poolside activities and other kid-geared activities that the kids love. These allow the children to be entertained for hours on end in a safe and structured environment, while the parents can go out and enjoy their own planned activities.
- Plan trip allowances for the kids, so they cannot bicker about money—incorporate spending skills and math into the equation to help them better learn to budget their money. By setting a daily allowance budget for your children while on vacation, you can help them to incorporate better spending skills by teaching the value of their money, and you will not be constantly pestered about things that they want to buy. If they want to purchase something that they do not have enough allowance for, urge them to save the rest of their trip money to afford that item.
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