I can't believe summer is already coming to a close. Last year we went on two vacations over the summer break, but this year we haven't been able to go on a vacation at all. I am struggling just to get the kids back to school and am feeling really kind of sad that we haven't gotten to go on a family vacation. We love to stay at hotels and even motels and in the past I have been able to find a weekly vacation rental that did not cost a fortune. Unfortunately, with a large family, normal hotel accommodations don't always cut it. We sometimes have to get two separate rooms, just to accommodate the family and that leaves my husband and I sleeping separate, as leaving the kids to have their own room is not really an option at their ages. Although, I think the older ones would love it, they are not quite to that place yet.
I am really hoping that I can afford a beachfront rental in the coming month or so where the weather will still allow for an enjoyable beach vacation, but the prices will be down because it is off season. My soon to be 13 year old has informed me that he would really like for our family to take a ski vacation over this coming winter. He really wants to try and ski, but I am not sure how much staying at a ski lodge will cost. I will look into it for him, but I don't know if it will be possible to take 2 vacations this year, since I have been really struggling just to put one short vacation together.
Times are really tough and for a large family like ours we are really feeling the pinch. My husband finally has a better job again, but I have learned a lot over the past year and I now know that saving is way more important than getting in that extra vacation. We have had a really tough year, but in that time I have learned a lot more about the importance of saving money and trying to get ahead and stay ahead. With an unstable economy and rising food costs, it has become more important than ever to create a cushion for ourselves, even if that means tightening the belt more than it needs to be tightened. This is a lesson that I think our whole society is getting the hard way.
Posted on Monday, August 18, 2008 9:06 AM by Carol Ann