Balancing family travel with long-term financial planning

This piece is sponsored by First National Wealth Management

By Maggie Groteluschen, First National Wealth Management

My love of travel began in childhood when my parents drove cross-country with my siblings and me.

I still marvel at how well my mom could pack our minivan — she conquered real-life Tetris — separating giant bags into one-night hotel stays and always packing a cooler full of sandwiches and sometimes even homemade pies!

We often traveled to see family in places like California, Florida and Massachusetts, prioritizing time together even when family lived far apart.

As we grew, we traveled more internationally to explore and learn.

My husband and I both studied abroad separately in college, then we did one summer abroad together; we feel that the histories and cultures we were exposed to were some of the most important parts of our education.

For families, shared experiences build connections, traditions and values that shape how children view the world.

Research consistently shows that people derive longer-lasting happiness from experiences over material purchases.

So to the extent we can, we have set out to intentionally create these experiences for our children.

Yet working in financial services, I know that many young families wrestle with the same question ours has: How do we balance family travel today while still maintaining our budget and building wealth for the future?

Start with the basics — creating financial balance

To balance family travel with long-term financial planning, my husband and I have worked to apply seven recommended steps over the years, starting with the foundational principles of money management:

1. Save at least $1,000 — because life happens.
2. Establish a budget for necessary expenses.
3. Establish a budget for discretionary expenses — like travel!
4. Pay off credit card debt.
5. Pay off student loan debt.
6. Save three to six months’ worth of household expenses.
7. Save at least 10 percent of your gross income in a retirement account.

These steps create financial stability that allows young families like ours to confidently spend on travel and invest in family experiences without jeopardizing long-term goals.

With these foundational elements in place, we feel the freedom to prioritize family travel in our budget.

Our approach to planning family travel

Beyond setting a yearly travel budget, I also have developed a forward-looking cash flow system to help guide our decisions.

I built an Excel spreadsheet that outlines every payday for both my husband and me, as well as the expected contribution we will make to our shared savings account.

Over time, we have gotten pretty good at anticipating cash inflows and outflows of our savings throughout the year.

When booking travel accommodations, there is often a down payment and then a remainder balance.

If we have the down payment saved, and if I can confidently project cash flows to satisfy the remainder balance by our travel date, I create our travel plans without hesitation!

Knowing whether we can afford a trip before booking it removes financial stress and allows us to fully enjoy the experience.

How our family saves money on travel

When we do spend money, I want to ensure that we are getting a good value.

Over the years, I have discovered a few strategies — or travel hacks — that help us stretch our budget:

• Travel in the offseason. The destination is the same, but there can be an amazing price difference in flights and hotels depending on the time of year you are going.
• Set flight trackers. Several apps allow you to watch flights to and from destinations on any given dates. I often have trackers on trips more than a year in advance, setting up notifications for prices that rise or fall.
• Plan meals in. When we travel, we often stay in a place with a kitchen. We love making an adventure out of going to the grocery store; seeing and learning about local fruits, vegetables and interesting Pringles flavors abroad has been one of our delights in discovering new places.
• Purchase trip insurance. My dad used to say, “Only insure the risks you cannot afford to take.” For a once-in-a-lifetime international trip with five flights and lodging, I will certainly be looking at trip insurance. I look at the insurance as both an expense of travel and a safety net.

Using travel to teach our kids about money

We promised each of our kids that when they are 10, they can choose any national park for us to visit as a family.

We have an encyclopedia of national parks and spend time researching and looking at the photos together.

They are all dreaming about where we might go, and I may be headed to the Grand Canyon next!

This process has become an unexpected opportunity to teach our children about money.

By involving them in the planning process, they learn that meaningful experiences rarely happen by accident.

They require patience, intentional choices and financial planning.

It is so rewarding and gratifying when the departure date comes and the kids understand all the work, dedication and love that has already been poured into making the upcoming experience a memorable one.

Balancing family travel with long-term financial planning

Here at First National Wealth Management, one of the most meaningful parts of our work with clients is helping families identify what truly matters to them.

The deposits to our memory bank are a worthwhile investment for my family. For you, the spend could be on whatever you value most.

Our Wealth Advisory team excels at getting to know your unique priorities and values so you also can spend money on the things you desire most for your family.

Reach out to me, and I can help connect you with one of our advisors who best matches your situation!