Planning for the next year – do you have the money?

Good morning Dinks.  Almost every single time I write a post about my own issues or experiences I feel guilty about being a little bit self centered – but yet, here we are.  With another post about what I want to do with my life, where I want to be in my career and where I want to go in my travels.

I like writing about my life because my plans seem so much clearer when I write them out.  Having my goals posted here on Dinks Finance also helps keep me accountable for achieving my goals and not slack off or procrastinate with them.  I am also a HUGE fan of lists because I like to be organized so all and all it’s a good thing, for me.  I can only hope that you enjoy reading about my life and that my tips help you achieve your personal goals.

This year I am turning 33 years old and my best friend and I decided that this is going to be OUR year.  It’s our time to really have fun, stop worrying about where we SHOULD BE in life and just enjoy where we are.

Admittedly I am not exactly where I thought I would be at 33 but hey, what can you do?  I was always told that I should graduate from university, get married and have kids.  Well, 1 out of 3 isn’t so bad, right? I did graduate from university but I am not married and I do not want to have kids.  To say that my parents are a little bit disappointed would be an understatement.

This year I am planning an amazing trip for my birthday.  I will be off work from October 3 to October 15 and during those 12 days I will visit my beloved New York City.  I will also travel on a new adventure to visit Philadelphia and end my excursion in Washington D.C.  To say that I am extremely excited would also be a major understatement.

So how am I planning to stay in a hotel for 2 weeks?

The key to travelling is to do it on a budget without sacrificing your fun.

Budget.  I have a total budget planned for my trip and the less money I have to spend on food and hotels, the more money I can spend on enjoying the cities.  I found some really cool things to do during this trip – I am going to the American Museum of Natural History in NYC (total $22), I am going to the jail where Al Capone stayed in Philadelphia (total $14) and I am going to the Smithsonian Zoo in Washington D.C. (FREE).

Plan ahead.  I like to plan ahead for my vacations because I don’t want to miss any great things that the city has to offer.  I like to plan my transportation to find the most efficient and cheapest ways to get from point A to point B.  I also like to plan the location of my hotel based on the things that I want to do.  Sometimes cheap hotels are not in the best location – I learned that on my last trip to Las Vegas.

Photo by IanD

Kristina Tahnyak

Tahnya is a Certified Financial Planner and former Investment Advisor turned marketing and communications professional She holds a degree from Concordia University, is debt free and currently works in the field of digital marketing.