The vacation is over. All the money has been spent, the card is empty, and a new transfer is not coming soon — surely many people are familiar with this situation. Here's what you should do to avoid being in it.
It often seems that after a vacation, a completely different stage of life will begin. So, there is no need to think about it in advance — when it comes, then we will start planning. But in order not to be financially stranded, it is worth using a different tactic.
Try to consider the time from the last salary before the vacation (or from receiving vacation pay if they are accrued earlier) to the first receipt of money after the vacation as a single period for planning. If you leave for two weeks, then it can be equal to a calendar month. Start planning expenses a few months in advance.
If you keep a budget, it may be more convenient to open each financial month not from its beginning, but from the day of the advance payment or salary. For the vacation period, make a financial plan with several sections.
These are the cost of tickets, payment for housing, insurance. The required amount can be calculated in advance — when you only choose where and how you will rest.
You can start planning from the other end. First, determine the maximum amount that you are willing to allocate for mandatory vacation expenses, and then look for suitable places to relax.
Compare the different options and choose the one that will be more comfortable for you.
Think about what you can save money on. For example, try not to stay in a hotel, but to find an apartment with a kitchen where you can cook your own food.
If you think about it a few months before your vacation, it will be easier to find an option that suits you. And immediately book a hotel room or apartment for the selected days. Perhaps this will also help save, because prices will rise during the season.
There will be spending on food, entertainment, transport, souvenirs. The cost of food can be calculated at least approximately in advance. It is also worth considering how much money you can allocate to the rest of the items on this list.
During your vacation, try to meet the set amount. To do this, think about how you can spend time in your chosen place without serious expenses. For example, not to purchase excursions, but to go to the suburbs with interesting architecture on public transport. Information about paintings or monuments can be searched on the Internet.
As a rule, during the holidays there are always expenses that you did not think about in advance. For example, you might want to go to a nearby city. Or you'll have to buy new shoes because the old ones suddenly have a loose sole. Or maybe you will need money for medicines.
It is always worth having a cash reserve in case of force majeure. If everything goes according to plan and there is no need for additional spending, you can decide how to dispose of the money from the reserve. You can spend them on the last day of rest or postpone them for the first time after returning.
This is as important a point as the previous ones. It's worth thinking about how much money you will live on after your vacation. Add to the budget plan the amount that you usually spend in the time remaining from the day you return to your next paycheck.
Calculate what you have done. Perhaps the amount will be much more than you planned to spend in a month. Then think about whether you can save up this money or better look for other vacation options.
Some start saving for the next vacation as soon as they return from the previous one. Others — after the end of the New Year holidays. Still others remember the upcoming holidays 1-2 months before they start. Choose the period that will be comfortable for you.
It is worth setting up a separate account, where you will gradually transfer money.
Calculate how many months you have left before the start of your vacation. From the total amount from the previous paragraph, subtract the amount of vacation pay that you plan to receive. Divide the remainder by the number of months. This will be the amount that is worth saving.
If it is very difficult, think about where you will get the missing funds. For example, you can look for a side job. Or adjust future expenses by choosing another vacation option.
Utilities, payments on loans, mobile communications and the Internet — do not miss a single regular payment. By the way, if you are going away for a long time, part of the expenses can be frozen. For example, if you do not need wired internet or satellite TV for most of the next month, inform your service providers in advance and suspend payment.
If possible, it is worth paying for electricity or housing and communal services and for the month following the holiday. Before the holidays, these expenses may seem insignificant to you. But then you will thank yourself for such care.
It happens that a vacationer thinks: he did a great job and deserved a rest. So why not treat yourself to a small gift as well? For example, to purchase a new tablet. Or a handbag from an expensive brand.
Yes, such purchases can please you. But think about it: maybe it's worth pampering yourself not before your vacation, but after it.
When you return to your workdays, it may be difficult to immediately immerse yourself in the usual flow of tasks. That's when small joys will be very useful. Therefore, postpone large purchases — you will think about them later.
If you apply for a loan, you will need to make the first payment shortly after returning from vacation. And this will not be the only item of expenditure. Therefore, you should not put yourself under additional stress.
Try to postpone all purchases on credit until the moment when you return to your usual schedule of income and expenses. That is, until the time when you receive an advance payment or salary after your vacation. Then it will be much easier for you to make both the first payment and all subsequent ones.
Determine how much money you are willing to allocate for the day. If you spend a little more, you will see it in the evening or the next morning. And you will be able to reduce spending a little in the next few days so as not to go beyond the budget.
For example, instead of a popular restaurant, you should look for small cafes without bright signs, which are preferred by locals. Or go to the market for fresh vegetables and fruits, find a bakery nearby with inexpensive pastries and have dinner in a hotel room for a couple of days.
If you don't want to do calculations every day, divide your vacation into short time periods — for example, three days each. And set a limit, which cannot be spent more during this time.
Check at the end of each such period whether you have met this amount. If not, immediately adjust the expenses for the next three days. This way you won't find yourself in a situation where money suddenly ran out and you can't do without an emergency reserve.
You may be ready to plan a vacation next year. But the next vacation is a month or even a week away. The salary was recently, vacation pay is about to come to the card, and it's too late to make long‑term plans.
Here's what you can do in such a situation. When you receive your vacation pay, calculate the total amount that is available to you. Immediately allocate money from there for the next utility bills.
Then determine the minimum that will be enough for you from the day of the end of the rest until the next accruals. Set aside this amount and promise yourself not to touch it in any case until the end of the vacation. Dispose of the rest of the money as you see fit.
