I’m one of those people who fell into a credit trap straight out of college and even when I was making good money I immediately begin spending beyond my means. I’m paying for it now and I’ve been really strict with paying down my debt. There are struggles but one of the things I never thought I’d be able to do while paying off my debts is pay for large purchases such as a vacation. Since my plan I’ve been taking staycations but I decided to go out on a limb and try my hardest to go on a vacation using cash only… and I did it!
So, what did I do. I calculated how much it would costs over and over again. Went through it with a fine tooth comb. I feel like at one point I was looking at flights every single day hoping there would be a sale. I also planned out my pay to see how long it would take and how much I’d need to set aside from each pay. If that meant I couldn’t go on vacation in May its okay I could go in October. I also was not allowed to purchase any piece of the trip until I had the funds. Every thing that I was going to do on the trip that could be paid for beforehand was done as well. For example, I didn’t wait to figure out transportation when I get there. I purchased every shuttle before so I wouldn’t be strapped for cash and use my credit card.
This was the best feeling ever when I saw I was able to do it without those good old credit cards. If it worked so well this time I know I can continue making better choices like this!
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