How Can I Enjoy Summer Travel and Plans Without Overspending?

Summer has a way of loosening your grip on money, just a little here and a little there, until you look back and wonder, hey, where did it all go?And so if you want to enjoy this season without paying for it and stress later today, I'm going to help you build a plan that lets you enjoy summer and stay in control all summer long. Going to be a very insightful show today. Hey, friend. Ralph Estep Jr. Here. Welcome to Financially Confident Christian.If this is your first time joining us, welcome.And if you're coming back, you know, every day on the show, my goal every day is to help you break that cycle of financial shame and, and live in confidence. And today's topic, as the weather starts to warm here on the east coast in the United States, how to enjoy summer without overspending.And that really is the key today. Well, let's get right to today's listener question. And this listener question comes to us all about summer.And she says this, Ralph, summer is coming, and I can already feel the spending creeping in. Travel plans, little extras that add up fast. I don't want to drift through the next few months and look back wondering where my money went.At the same time, I'm already starting to feel behind, and I'm unsure if I'm even managing things well. I want to be intentional this time to actually have a plan. Ralph. And to check on where I stand. So, Ralph, here's the question.How do we prepare now so I can enjoy the season without losing control of my finances? What a great question. And I love this question because it isn't about cutting joy out of your life.Not one time did this person say, well, Ralph, I need you to tell me what I can't do. It's not at all what they were saying. They were saying, how do I make a plan?Because in the end, it's about protecting your peace while still making memories. And you can do both. As I look back at it now, I think in a lot of ways, summer was a time where I just remember making so many wonderful memories.I remember as a kid we wouldn't be in school, so we had those late nights wandering around the neighborhood and meeting new friends and doing things you didn't get to do all the time. So today's big idea is this enjoyment and stewardship can actually coexist when you plan your spending on purpose. But how do we do that?Well, here's how I think you should do it. Number one thing you've got to do before you do anything else, decide what matters.The Most this summer, you got to start with an idea of what matters to you. So before you start moving, before you make any decisions, take a few moments and list out what matters this summer.And these things are honestly different for all of us. Maybe for your family, it's that one meaningful summer trip.I remember when I was a kid, when my mom and dad were still together, we always had a summer trip, usually across country to somewhere. My dad actually was an insurance salesman, and they always had this summer conference in Des Moines, Iowa.Now, I'm from Delaware, so if you look at the United States map, we are just about all the way to the east coast, and Iowa is just about dead center of the country. So it was across the United States trip. And I remember one time we even went a little further.We went out to the Rocky Mountains and we went to Colorado. But for us, that was that one meaningful trip. For a lot of people, summer is about spending time with family.It's all about going back and connecting with family. I know in the United States, we have a lot of family reunions. A lot of times we call them homecomings in the South.Those are the kind of things that people do. Maybe for you, it's a few special experiences, or maybe it's just a time for rest and some simplicity. Maybe a nice book afternoon on the porch.Just let the breeze go through your hair. But you have to do this, because if everything feels important, then everything gets funded.And when everything gets funded, you start to have an issue, don't you?But when you set out at the beginning to choose what matters most, you're actually giving yourself permission, kind of like a report card, to say, I can do this, to say no to the rest of those things. So think about what matters the most to you. Once you do that, then you can start to create a summer spending plan.Now, you noticed I said a spending plan. Not a budget, not a restriction, a plan. So set a simple number for yourself.Ask yourself this, what can I afford to spend this summer without creating stress later? Because that's the main part of your question today, Ralph. How do I do this without creating stress? So set out the beginning.Here's what I can afford to do, and then break it down. Break it down for travel costs, those outings. Don't forget to factor in food and entertainment, and, hey, the extras.I know when my kids were really young, we had to always stop at the gift shop, so we had to plan in those extras. But when you give your money direction, and, you know, I talk about this on the show all the time.When you give your money direction, you remove the guesswork. And guesswork unfortunately is where overspending lives. So do that and then once you've done that, use those pre decided yeses.This is where you can become a yes man. And this is super powerful. So instead of deciding in that moment, you're going to be tempted with things.But if you know what your yeses are ahead of time, you decide ahead of time. You think to yourself, this trip, yes, that's on the list. That weekly family outing, absolutely. But every random expense, well, that's a hard no.Because in those moments, and we've all been there in those moments, the emotions are loud, you're going to be feeling, feeling like, oh, I think I can make this work. But those pre decisions protect you from the impulse. Another thing I'm going to recommend that you do is build in some simple check ins.I think one of the big problems a lot of people find themselves in is they wait until September to see how they did. Not a good plan. Check in weekly, see how things are going. Ask yourself this very basic question. How am I doing compared to my plan?And you're not doing this to shame yourself or to guilt yourself. It's just about building awareness.Because when you have that awareness, you build in adjustment and those adjustments keep you steady without breaking it. But here's the main key thing for today. We've got to really spend a moment redefining joy beyond spending.This is where we got to talk honestly about this. I think so many people get hung up on joy equals spending. But it's not just about spending.I will tell you personally, some of the best parts of summer don't cost much at all. That evening walk or time spent outside, maybe a simple meal with people that you love or rest without rushing around.I don't know about you, but summer for me is a lot of times it's that time of rest without having to rush around. Because in the end, joy is not something that you buy. Joy is really something that you experience.And when you can finally disconnect joy from spending, that's when you'll actually gain freedom. So here's my big takeaway for today. You can enjoy the moment without regretting it later. And here's your win for today.If you're new to the show every day, I want to give you a simple win to help you keep this momentum going. So here's your win for today. I want you to write down one thing that you truly want to enjoy this summer.What's that one thing like, I really hope we can do that. Maybe it's a trip to an amusement park, maybe you always do a week at the beach.But whatever that one thing is, and then assign it a place in your plan. Now you notice I just said one. Don't overwhelm yourself. You may be able to add more later, but just for today, just add one.Because that intentional joy is always more meaningful than the stuff that just sort of happens. Well, let's get into our Bible verse. We always want to structure our episodes in Scripture, and today we go to Proverbs, chapter 6, verses 6 to 8.And this one says this Go to the ant, you sluggard. Consider its ways and be wise. It has no commander. It has no overseer or ruler, yet it stores up provisions in summer and gathers its food at harvest.Now, to be very honest with you, I picked this one because it uses the word summer in it. And that's what we're talking about today. But here's why it fits. God shows us the wisdom of preparing in advance. Why do you think that is?So we can enjoy what's ahead without creating stress later. That is really the answer to your question today. Let's prepare in advance so we can enjoy what's ahead without creating stress later.How about we pray together? Heavenly Father, thank you for the gift of seasons.I think sometimes we take it for granted, Lord, but thank you so much for these gift of seasons, for time with family, for rest, and for the joy you've given in our lives. And I lift up right now, my friend who wants to enjoy this summer without falling into stress or regret.And I just ask that you would give them wisdom to plan ahead, Lord, and discipline to follow through. And most of all, Lord, help them to find peace in their decisions.Help them to find joy in those simple moments that spending could never give them and remind them that you are the true source of contentment and peace. Guide all of our steps, Lord, and let this be a season of both joy and stewardship at the same time. And we ask this in Jesus name. Amen, friend.A planned summer brings more peace than a spontaneous one with zero regret. And if you've got a question for this show, I'm all about answering questions. You can go to financiallyconfidentchristian.com/questionNow if you haven't been there for a while, we've kind of kicked it up a notch, made it a lot simpler. Let's go to financiallyconfidentchristian.com/question I just want to thank you so much for joining me today.As I always say, stay financially savvy, plan for that summer joy, and may God bless you. And you have a truly great day today.