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Dec 29, 2019    |       32 comments

Cash Flowing a Family Vacation

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I’ve been spending a lot of time this past month thinking about the future. And I’ve been working on plans for 2020 both financial and otherwise. But I’ve also been thinking beyond that…to Princess 2021 high school graduation and what that will mean overall.

And I’ve decided that I want to plan a family vacation for that summer, the summer of 2021. And by vacation, I do not mean a trip to my parents. I mean a trip that will create a lifetime of memories. I’ve always been someone that has loved the idea of a vacation. Just the feeling of being able to relax on the beach under the sun, or to explore an unknown city has always provided a sense of excitement to me. My only wish is that I could hire a private jet, with the help of a company like Jettly, to make the trip even better. This is something that I want to experience and I know it will come with time.

However, for now, my idea of a real vacation is a cruise. That’s what I’ve been thinking about doing, and it will be a celebration of the kids who live at home all graduating and saying goodbye to that phase of my life.

I figure if I plan it now, I can 1) cash flow it over the next year and half and 2) all the kids can plan accordingly. The twins will have to take off work and will most likely want their girlfriends to come. We will all have to get passports. (Sea Cadet has his, but History Buff has never had one and the littles and I will need to renew ours.)

I realize that chances of me being completely debt free at that point are slim to none with the car debt and student loan. But I think it would be worth it. Before Princess heads to college and who knows when we will all be together again.

Searching for a Cruise

So I figure the first step is to come up with a budget for the trip and then a monthly savings goal, right? We haven’t really had a real vacation in forever and the trips we have taken have been mostly bootstrapped. But this one, I want to be able to relax a bit.

I laid in bed the other night a did a random cruise search…and found one in February for $389, 8 nights. Crazy! I can’t wait until I am in a financial place to be able to just get up and go like that. Definitely a life after kid goal! But I don’t think we will find those kind of prices in the summer…

Any cruising experts here that want to give me tips for getting a good deal on summer cruises? Any other thoughts about good family vacations? (And yes, I am doing this now, so I can incorporate it into my 2020 budget starting immediately.)

Dec 26, 2019    |      0 comments

Creative Ways to Teach Kids About Generosity

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Teaching Kids Generosity

I’m a decade into this parenting gig, and I still feel like I’m winging it. One thing I’m still working on is teaching our three kids generosity. Especially when we’re paying off debt and we can’t give like Oprah, I see we have to find creative ways to teach our kids about being generous.

During the holidays it can be easy to find opportunities to have kids give and serve. But what about the rest of the year? Here are some ideas for teaching kids generosity in the new year:

Save 10% For Giving

Whether you give it as a church tithe or to charity, I love the idea of saving 10% of your income for giving. I want them to have better financial wisdom than we have, and I hope generosity is always part of their budget and mindsets. This awesome jar gives your child a visual of where their money is going. (I went with the even more budget-friendly Ziploc containers.)

Introduce Children to World Problems

A few years ago I watched the documentary “Living on One Dollar” with my girls. I realized my kids had never really seen serious, widespread poverty before, and it led to an interesting discussion about what people have in different parts of the world. We also talked about how we could help people right in our own town.

Create Opportunities to Give

I want our kids to know generosity isn’t just giving money. It can be giving time or giving compliments or just sacrificing for another person. Whether it’s helping your neighbors or going out in the greater community, here are 10 ways to show kids how to give:

  1. Offer to help an older neighbor with yard or housework.
  2. Do a lemonade stand or bake sale and donate the profits.
  3. Make cards or Valentines for a senior center or nursing home.
  4. Make dinner together for a friend or neighbor.
  5. Encourage kids to surprise their siblings by making their beds or doing their chores, especially if they’re sick or having a hard time.
  6. Volunteer at a food bank. In our area they allow you to bring children as young as 5.
  7. Give to the homeless: Wrap burritos in foil or stuff a rolled pair of socks with chapstick and granola bars and hand them out to people you pass on the streets. (Use appropriate caution.)
  8. At a birthday party, ask for small donations to a children’s hospital instead of gifts.
  9. Make a blanket for Project Linus. Even young children can help make easy, no-sew fleece blankets to donate.
  10. Do a Coat or Clothing Drive: Contact a group that supports foster children or refugees to find out what they need. Leave a large box on your porch and advertise to your neighbors and friends with fliers or on social media (never post your address online). Set a deadline and drop off the donations together.

 

For 2020, our family is setting a goal to do an act of service together (even small and simple) once a month. I’m hoping it will help each of us to be more generous and less attached to our money and things.

I’d love to hear your ideas.

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