Before I leave on a vacation, I always try to tidy up the house: clear the desk, put everything away, empty the fridge of food that won’t be good by the time we return. This makes coming back to regular life slightly less painful. This time, I also put together a round up post, to share some blog posts that spoke to me over the past few months.
I didn’t have much of a budget for this vacation–after over a year at home, I sort of didn’t care what it cost. Sometimes it is time to loosen the purse strings, and for the PiN household, this was that time; though I still like to get a good deal if that is possible. A number of the posts below reflect that mindset.
Why Spending Money Is A Good Thing is a great post from Millers on Fire about spending mindfully. Of course, the trick (as it usually is) relates to the mindful part.
Sometimes the issue isn’t spending money, it’s not-spending money. Penny from She Picks Up Pennies wrote about the importance of remembering why you are saving money in her post on Saver’s Remorse.
I was poking around on Freddy Smidlap‘s site, and found a post from before I used to read him regularly. Are you working for Needs money or Wants money is a great illustration of how to think about personal finance. Without using the terms lean FI, FatFIRE or any other trendy term (Freddy is not trendy, as far as I can tell), he shows how to break down the costs of different levels of spending. Which makes it easier for him to decide if going to his J.O.B. is still worth it to him.
This is a great article by The Female Money Doctor about managing finances. Probably more for people just starting to address their spending and savings goal, but, still, great. Money Loves It When You Have a Plan.
A plan by another name might be: budget. Hubert at Love, Success, and the Sock Drawer writes about the importance of budgeting in Five Budgeting Myths That Steal Financial Freedom.
A (good) budget is often described as ‘a plan for your money.’ Everyone’s goals and plans are be different, as excellently described by the Millionaire on the Prairie in Priorities Are Personal.
I very much enjoyed this article from Clever Girl Finance, How to Live a Luxurious Lifestyle on a Budget. I read it in that precious quiet hour before my alarm went off, lying in my delicious sheets, in the bedding I’ve assembled over the years. Luxury.
I found this sassy article at FinanceRox about emergency funds and their proper use(s): Why I Dislike “Rainy Day funds”. It paired nicely with a not-quite-as-sassy article about keeping several savings accounts. Or sinking funds. What Types of Emergency Funds Should I Have?
On this, our first vacation in over a year, we decided to tip generously. I am not complaining, but I suspect we spent several extra hundred dollars at hotels and restaurants. I figure if we saved enough money to spend without too much of a budget, we could spare a little more for people who probably saw some tight times last year. The physician at Solitary Diner calls out cheapness in Budgeting Without Being a Dick ( or an Asshole). Thank you for pointing out that making money while treating others poorly isn’t a good look.
How do you feel about the B word (budget)? Have you applied it to your travel plans this year?