Ok, I need some advice from all of you. I need to put in for vacation time at work. Per our company policy, we have to take at least one full contiguous week of vacation per year. Then, we can break up our remaining time however we want. This policy is in place to promote good mental health among our employees. I like the policy personally.
So, I need to plan a vacation. Its been a couple of years since DH and I went on a real vacation. But I just feel like I shouldn't spend money on a vacation because I want to save every possible cent towards a house. I have to admit though, I'm feeling like I could use a break. I don't want to start dreading my job and I know I need to take some time off. The biggest problem for me is that noone at work knows how to do my job. I'm the finance manager and I don't have anybody working under me. I'm the whole finance dept. for the company. So of course I worry that if I take a week off, the place will fall apart, payroll won't get processed, bills won't get paid, etc...
I'd really like to go to Disney World. I was looking online and pricing out trips and we could go for a week for about $1700. That includes airfare, hotel, and park tickets. We'd of course have to eat, but I've heard it can be done relatively inexpensively. I also heard you can now bring your own food into the parks. So if we had a fridge in our hotel room, we could do some grocery shopping and save money that way. DH doesn't drink alcohol at all, and I very rarely do, so that wouldn't be an issue.
I know this is really long, please bear with me. For this year, I'm maxing out my Roth IRA contribution and I'm also putting 10% of my salary into my employer's 401K plan (no employer match). We have 13K saved so far for a house. Would it be bad if I took some money out of savings to use for vacation? When DH goes back to work in the spring, I'd be able to replace the money to savings within a few months. Or if we finally get some snow and he gets called in to plow, that would be even better because he gets paid time and a half for snow work. But I can't rely on that happening.
What do you all think? I feel like I need to ask someone's permission to do this. Savings has always been a one-way street for me, it usually doesn't come back out. DH doesn't have clue about our finances so I can't really get a straight answer from him. (Long story there, btw, about him not having a clue. I'll just say this...serious car accident 11 years ago, still some brain damage, really bad memory problems and very impulsive when it comes to spending...therefore, I control our finances)
Please help!!!
Vacation Plans
January 17th, 2007 at 01:28 am
January 17th, 2007 at 01:30 am 1168997437
January 17th, 2007 at 01:47 am 1168998436
January 17th, 2007 at 01:54 am 1168998857
January 17th, 2007 at 12:41 pm 1169037698
Also, there are so many good mortgage loans out there right now. You seem to have enough to buy a house. Why don't you take a week off and go house hunting, or at least go looking in the area where you would like to live. And, if it is farther away than just a day's drive, spend the night there and check out the town you want to live in.
January 17th, 2007 at 01:33 pm 1169040800
Also, to campfrugal - the reason I don't want to buy right now is because I wanted to have 30K saved before we did anything. DH's credit needs some fixing too. I could buy a house on my own and add his name later, but I really want to do this together. House prices where we want to live are still kind of high. I'm hearing that prices should continue to fall this year. I see people struggle all the time to make their mortgage payment and I don't want to be in that situation. I'd rather wait. I get impatient sometimes and think "lets just do it now", but then I wait a day or two and my rational mind takes control back.
January 17th, 2007 at 03:01 pm 1169046096
2 - That is A LOT of money to go on vacation. I have had many a vacation in Disney, HAwaii, New York, Vegas etc. that didn't cost more than a few hundred. If you really want to save for a house I would seriously consider some cheaper options. I don't think you shouldn't go on vacation, I just think you can really evaluate the price of it. & I know DisneySteve said he goes all the time and doesn't pay that much so seriously ask him for some tips...
But we can't decide for you - you gotta do what you gotta do, all the same.
Good Luck!
January 17th, 2007 at 05:35 pm 1169055351
I understand how you feel about wanting/needing to take a vacation. I cherish my vacations. Go on the vacation, but find ways to cut corners on costs. think of ways to make a little extra money now, whatever it takes so you can do it without depleting your house savings fund.