Okay, so I had a baby boy at the end of May. It was a difficult delivery and I am now all healed up and ready to get out of the house and go somewhere. My husband is a Dave Ramsey listener. We are working to pay off new windows that we bought last November. We have saved up half of the money to pay off the windows. After the baby was born we also purchased a new vehicle (a mini-van as my car was too small to accommodate all of us and the baby's things), but let me say that large purchases are extremely rare and carefully thought out. Here is the dilemma. I love to travel and go visit new places. I especially like to visit the beach at least one time per year. I feel that I worked hard during the school year and I would like at least one chance to get away during the summer. My husband argues that we should not spend any extra money and should work work work to pay off our debt. We have not gone anywhere overnight since last February and it was to a Train show that my husband wanted to go see. How can I convince him that I need a little R & R/romance this summer? Any words of advice for how I can word a good argument? His other argument is that with our little one we will have to stop every hour and feed him, so it won't be as fun. I would just like to get out of town!
Someone can correct me if I'm wrong, but I think most financial advisors, including Dave Ramsey, recommend that you not totally deny yourself those entertainment pleasures. I am pretty sure on the Ramsey website I read that people can become bitter and resentful if they stop all of their fun activities. Of course under your current circumstances (that would be the case for us too) I wouldn't go to Europe or Hawaii, but a small vacation for just a couple of days, with careful attention to not overspending, would probably be relaxing and refreshing, and something worth spening a little money on.
treat yourself to a weekend spa if your husband does not want to go. It will just be you and you can relax. I know you want to go with him, but you could also use the defense that you would be paying for only one to go on a trip rather than two.
It sounds like you really need a vacation. You have been through a lot the last little while and I totally understand the need for a change of scenery. You are probably at home with the baby all day and are itching for something new. Beach vacations don't have to be expensive, especially if you have a kitchen where you are staying. Perhaps if you go online and see what options are available and their prices, you can present these options to him to help him understand that it does not have to break the bank. As for stopping frequently, he needs to understand that this will happen for years to come now--feeding breaks, potty breaks, need to burn off energy breaks--can you tell I've been through it? I also think it is a good idea to have the little one get used to long car trips as early as possible. It makes it easier later on. Good luck, I'm rooting for you!
I had a baby girl the first of May, and at only 5 weeks we took her on a 10 hour drive to the beach. (My family had already booked the house before we knew we were expecting). My DH absoluetly did not want to go. We argued about taking her a lot, but I finally convinced him to go. I have to say that was one of the best decisions I've made. She was young enough that she slept most of the time on the car ride. We left really early in the morning, so that we would be driving during her regular sleep time. I was able to keep her on her same routine. My family was there, so I had a lot of help with her, and I actually had some me time. I felt like a new person at the end of the week.
As far as money goes, I certainly believe in being responsible, but if you wait to have every little thing paid off how long will it be before you can go somewhere again? It's not like you're asking for a super expensive 5 star vacation.
I understand how you feel. You could do a short vacation to the beach, or somewhere closer to home, for that matter. What you need is to get away, even for a weekend. You can find deals that will be more affordable. You don't need to bust your budget to do so ether.
We sometimes take small trips to places near where family members live. We stay with them or eat with them to save money and see nearby attractions. Pack water, food and snacks to access as you travel and go to smaller, out of the way attractions. They are sometimes free or reduced admission to get in.
Even your husband's arguement can be overcome. When my daughter was 8 months old, we took a 3 week trip across the country, and I breast-fed so I was about as tied to her as one could get. She loved her car seat and the view it gave her. We did take frequent stops for me to nurse her, but we all needed a break by then. I carried her around on my chest in a pack at the rest stops and at the tourist attractions and she was no trouble. It is much easier to travel with a little one, before they start crawling much, than with an older child. Good luck with your vacation before school starts.
I had to twist DH's arm to plan a vacation this year, but I finally convinced him that we all needed to get away. It's not as elaborate as our past beach vacations, but we're going to a city we've never been to before that is within driving distance, and we're finding as many coupons as we can for attractions to do in the city. We probably won't put money into savings this month (a couple of other major one-time expenses have used up quite a bit of money), but I believe that making memories with the family is important too.
I don't think you have to totally deprive yourselves of vacation in order to pay off debts. Instead, just find something within driving distance that won't cost a lot of money. Making a budget for our vacation and sticking to our plan for the rest of the year really helps us.
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07-12-2009, 09:02 PM
