Kick One Habit and Take A Vacation Instead!

Habits can be budget-killers. It’s a lot more fun to go have a drink, a smoke, a latte, or a dinner out than it is to worry about how much it is costing you to do those things each month. It’s really human nature. Who wants to feel deprived, or like a slave to their budget? Who wants to go without the things they enjoy just to save some money?

Well, the trick is to not go without. Don’t give anything up. Just decide whether or not the habit is worth the money. If the habit is worth it to you, keep it. If it isn’t, ditch it and give yourself some motivation. Kick that habit and take a vacation instead!

Let’s take a look at a few habits, how much they cost most people, and whether or not you really could take a vacation if you wanted to.

Smoking – Let’s say you spend an average of $60 a carton, and smoke three cartons a month. That’s $180 a month, or $2160 a year. If more than one person in the household smokes the same amount, you’re looking at $4320 per year. You can definitely take a vacation!

Drinking – What if you spend $20 a week on beer? That’s not much beer, just enough to keep your fridge stocked for company. That works out to $80 a month, or $960 a year. Ok, so not a vacation-of-a-lifetime, but a nice weekend getaway in a great hotel with dinner out and a bit of shopping.

Lattes – Let’s say you stop before work every day and spend about $3 at Starbucks. That would be $15 a week, or $720 a year. $720 would take your entire family to an amusement park, with games, souvenirs, and all the fun you can handle.