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If You Have Debt = No Vacation


"A vacation is what you take when you can no longer take what you've been taking." This quote is interesting as I view it as you can no longer handle your life. Vacations should be an adventure and enjoyment to your life. Not something you take to escape it. The issue with taking a vacation while you have debt is it is going to be there when you come back and you are going to have increased it by taking a vacation you couldn't afford. You may have thousands of dollars of student loan debt or massive credit card bills that you accumulated while you were young and dumb. We've all been there, but if you want to get out of debt escaping to a Caribbean island for a week-long getaway isn't the answer.


Staying focused on your end goal is going to get you that dream vacation. Here are five ways to restrategize and re-engage your plan when you inevitably become ill with FOMO (fear of missing out) by the everyday people around you.

  1. Plan your dream vacation - Think about your dream destination. Where have you always wanted to go or experience? The sky is the limit and it can be anywhere in the world. Once you have the place. Print out photos of it and put them in an area in your home that you see every day. Keeping your eye on the prize will help remain your focus and drive to get to that end goal

  2. Find free activities around your community - In Los Angeles there is this great website called We Like LA. It lists all the various activities all over the city, including activities that are free to the public. Find a local website the lists the various activities happening in your community. You may be surprised by what you find.

  3. Make your home a destination for fun - Staying in can be a good thing! You can do a spa night, give yourself a personal facial, and do your nails. Find a good book or movie from your local library. The library is a great resource for music, magazines, books, and movies.

  4. Activities, when you were young, are still fun as an adult - Coloring books, playing board/video games, or even having a fun theme night such as Harry Potter or Disney Princess Night can be a great way to include your friends and family in a mini-event that could have minimal cost. Doing a potluck can be perfect in developing these fun times and have each person bring something on the list of things needed for the party - decorations, food, dessert, drinks...etc.

  5. Make cooking your travel adventure - Meal prep is a great way to save money, but why not have some fun doing cooking (which I personally hate). One week find recipes from areas in Italy. The next week Mexico. After that Greece. This is a perfect way to keep doing some travel research, eat healthily, and experience new types of meals.

Being grounded in your hometown doesn't mean it has to be all work and no fun. Stay focused is important, but staying engaged is even more important. Don't forget to live a little while you are paying off that debt.



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