{You are in for a treat with a little ‘Tea with E’. Where my hubby, Eric, stops in to guest post and give us a little peek into the male perspective.}
One of the most rewarding experiences in life is to vacation, to escape the pressures of human doing to be a human being. By simply being, we can find a state of reflection, relaxation and connect with others that may not happen at the frequency or depth we desire in our everyday lives.
God modeled and gifted us the Sabbath day as an example to escape and restore from our labor.
There remains therefore a rest for the people of God. For he who has entered His rest himself also ceased from his works as God did from His.
Hebrews 4:9-10 (ESV)
Taking the time to consider and budget for vacation experiences is a wise decision for your health, relationships, and direction. As we navigate life, maturing in our faith and our many roles as servants, husbands and wives, parents, professionals, mentors, coaches, and so much more. We need to be renewed spiritually, emotionally, and physically.
Making plans to vacation can be challenging. Finding the time to break away and finances are key drivers for most to experience a vacation. Budgeting is key since you will need to take time off from work and may miss some income unless you have the benefit of paid vacation time.
Furthermore, your vacation will need to be funded. Given these considerations, you should plan ahead and steward your finances so that you can have a wonderful vacation experience. Most importantly, we should be seeking the Lord regarding rest from the grind of life. Jesus has an offer for us (Matthew 11:28-30).
Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
Matthew 11:28 (ESV)
I used to view vacation as a burden; I would rather continue to grind at work to ensure outstanding performance and earnings. A ‘no days off mentality’, but I realized that I was missing out on new experiences and connecting with my family and others that would actually energize me more and aid my decision making. Whether you plan a vacation some distance away or a staycation, you need this reprieve in your life.
One of my favorite vacations was renting a beach house for a long weekend with my extended family. There were four generations under one roof, what a blessing. This trip took some coordination and the costs were shared, but it was all worth it. Planning ahead for both big and small vacations opens the possibility. Pray and ask the Lord to lead you accordingly.
In our budget, we save monthly for vacation so there is a budget available to experience this gift. The gift of rest and restoration connecting deeper with God, family, and friends is priceless. The place and amenities are nice, but are icing on the cake so to speak. Taking time away to be with loved ones is the heart of a vacation. I encourage you to prioritize this activity, even if you can’t experience this every year, plan for bi-annual experiences.
I’d love to hear your thoughts and vacation experiences!
Such a nice idea to make a budget for vacations, holidays can be pretty expensive
I love this sentiment! Our family vacations are absolutely necessary, and we plan our budget to account for them. Everyone needs time to recharge!
I agree…vacations are super important!
I definitely needed to read this. I’m the kind of person that always keeps taking on work hoping that eventually, I’ll reach an ideal place where I will be able to relax. I think it would definitely be a good idea to actually plan out leisure time, especially as a college student balancing blogging, grades, work, and eating. I really like your blog! And the way you used a Biblical principle to bring this important reminder. Thanks for sharing!
I can’t believe there are people that don’t do this! Vacation is so much more relaxing when you don’t have to stress over finances!
Mariah
I agree that travel is a super important life experience and working it into your budget is a great idea if at all possible. I’m currently saving up for my next trip but I can’t decide where to go!
Thanks Nellwynn! Consider looking out for vacation deals that may fit your budget target and choose accordingly. E
I agree that we should budget for restorative vacation time. Thanks for sharing your method!
Right now, we are saving to have a Dow payment on a house. After that, I want to save for a getaway vacation. I think savings a bit every month is very smart. It might take longer, but small chunks of money won’t be missed over time vs one large payment
We love to travel and have always found that budgeting helps us enjoy more without coming home flat broke. It’s not always easy on one income but we make it work. We put our money into experiences rather than flashy clothes and shoes.
Yes, the rest from the grind of life is so needed. I’ve been studying “living from Sabbath.” I love MTthew 11:28, too! Great post. Hey
I agree, vacations are essential and one of life’s blessings <3
We spend 3-4 days in Florida over the summer with my hubsand’s family in a beach house also. His family is HUGE with 5 Brother and sisters who each have no less than three kids each, plus his mom, dad, sibling’s spouse and now significant others of his nieces and nephews. He even had a grand niece now! Love this concept, although I had never really considered it there way you put it in perspective here.
budget oriented can be better vacation and good
thank you for sharing
I love this! I always find vacations to be so relaxing and a great time for personal reflection, on my life, my creativity, and my faith. It’s so important to know that we’re financially prepared for these times to get away.
I absolutely love this. Most of our vacations are centered around trying to be with family that is far away so I 100% get the importance of making it less stressful by saving monthly! This is the first year we are actually going to start doing this!
Oh I completely agree! Vacation is so important!
We didn’t always take vacations and now I wish we could have done more. Lesson learned and now we are doing more traveling.
I love it that you take family vacations! It was part of our agreement when we got married that we would take family vacations at least once every 3 years and we have done so, whether it’s a stacation or off island (we live in Hawaii) or to the continental U.S. or to another country. We learn about new places, new cultures, new foods, and make friends along the way! May you be blessed with many more family vacations together!
Vacations (a break from routine) are just as important to our children as they are to us. One year when our budget was a little less, we went camping and spent time at the beach instead of staying at costly hotels and visiting amusement parks. I recently gave up my full time job to say home for our special needs children, so I really need to budget vacation in this year! I am confident that God will provide.
It is a great idea to save monthly for a vacation. That way you already have the money set aside when it comes time to pay for it, leaving you feeling relaxed on vacation!
I love that you budget ahead of time. TOo many people just put vacations on credit cards and try to deal with them after the fact (Im in your camp – save the money to spend on travel before you go!)
Great tips! Our family loves to travel and I admit to overdoing it at times since we don’t go often, but you had some awesome ideas on keeping the travel budget in check. Thanks!
Vacations are just part of life. And a must to keep your mind and body alert for your busy lifestyle. Fun article.
I think I actually struggle in the opposite way. I tend to live for those vacation moments. I wait with baited breath for when I don’t have to work (even though I like my job pretty well), and I will try to take vacations even when I can’t afford them. Budgeting for a vacation is so wise and the right way to do it. There’s a healthy balance there of budgeting, looking forward to vacation, but not living for that vacation.
This is a really great idea to plan ahead. We never do it. But I guess have to start somewhere
Vacations are definitely needed I think – even if you just do a staycation. We all need a breather/break sometimes. And budgeting is key!!
-Lauren