Published On: June 5, 2026
Summer can be wonderful.
It can also be sneaky.
A trip here. A wedding there. Kids or grandkids out of school. Graduations. Meals out. Camps. Gas. Hotels. Ice cream cones. The “oh, let’s just do it” moments that seem small until the credit card bill arrives.
And then what started as fun can turn into regret.
This is one of the tricky things about summer spending. So much of it is connected to love, family, celebration, and memory-making. We don’t usually overspend in the summer because we are trying to be irresponsible. We overspend because we want to say yes.
Yes to the trip. Yes to the grandkids. Yes to the wedding. Yes to the extra dinner out. Yes to the experience everyone else seems to be having.
And it’s not just a feeling. The numbers tell the same story.
A recent Bankrate survey found that 36% of summer vacationers were willing to go into debt to pay for their summer travel. And according to LendingTree, nearly 1 in 4 Americans were still paying off debt from their previous vacation.
That is a lot of people trying to create joy while quietly carrying the financial aftershock.
But here’s the problem. When we say yes without a plan, that yes can come with a very uncomfortable aftertaste. The credit card bill arrives. The checking account feels tight. The vacation glow disappears. And the old shame, worry, and “how did this happen again?” feeling moves right back in.
That is not what summer is supposed to feel like.
A Spending Plan Is Not About Saying No to Joy
One of the biggest misunderstandings about a spending plan is that it will take the fun out of life. People often imagine a spending plan as something strict, punishing, or joyless.
But a good spending plan does something very different. It helps you make room for what matters. It helps you decide what is truly important, what is optional, what can be adjusted, and what would create harm later.
A spending plan is not there to say, “No, you can’t have a vacation.”
It is there to help you ask, “What kind of vacation can we have that we will still feel good about when we come home?”
That is a very different question.
Our Staycation in San Francisco
Years ago, John and I took a staycation in San Francisco. We lived in the Bay Area for many years, and instead of planning a big trip away, we decided to enjoy the city as if we were visitors.
No airport. No packing and unpacking. No wondering if I brought the right shoes. No standing in line with luggage, silently questioning every life choice that led to that moment.
We stayed local, enjoyed the city, ate good food, walked around, and had a wonderful time. Was it the same as flying somewhere exotic? No. Was it special? Absolutely.
And maybe best of all, we came home without needing a vacation from our vacation.
That is the kind of thing a plan can help you see. Sometimes the best choice is not the biggest choice. Sometimes the best choice is the one that gives you the experience you want without creating stress you don’t need.
The Disneyland Story
I once worked with a couple who wanted to take their two young children to Disneyland. Before we worked together, they had been carrying the weight of not being able to take their 5- and 3-year-olds on the trip. As Beth later wrote to me:
“Everyone else was doing it, but we couldn’t afford it.”
That sentence says so much.
They weren’t being careless. They weren’t trying to be extravagant. They simply wanted to give their children a magical family experience, and it hurt that they couldn’t see how to make it happen without going back into debt.
So we made it a goal. Not a vague wish. Not a someday dream. A real goal, with numbers attached.
Early in their Financial Recovery work, I encouraged them to put the trip into their plan. I also asked them what would make the trip feel special. They wanted to stay at the Disneyland Hotel. That was the dream version.
But when they ran the numbers, they realized that flying and staying at the Disneyland Hotel would put them right back into the credit card cycle they had worked so hard to stop.
So they made a different plan. They decided to drive instead of flying. They chose a more affordable hotel. They adjusted the trip so it fit their real life, their real numbers, and their real commitment to not going backward.
And here is the beautiful part. They had a wonderful time.
They did not feel deprived because they didn’t fly. They did not feel deprived because they didn’t stay at the Disneyland Hotel.
More importantly, Beth said they came home with “a new sense of agency as parents.”
That is the part that moves me most. They felt like they had done something good and healthy for their family, both in the short term and the long term.
That is what a spending plan can do. It does not just help you avoid debt. It helps you feel powerful, clear, and aligned with your own values.
The Question Is Not “Can We Afford It?”
Of course, “Can we afford it?” matters. But it is not the only question. A better set of questions might be:
- What do we really want from this experience?
- What would make it meaningful?
- What version of this is actually doable?
- What could we change without losing what matters most?
- What would cause financial harm?
- What choice will still feel good 30 days from now?
These questions turn spending into choice. And choice is very different from impulse. Choice is also very different from deprivation.
Deprivation says, “We can’t have anything.” Impulse says, “Let’s just do it and deal with it later.” A spending plan says, “Let’s find the version of this that honors both our joy and our well-being.”
That is where freedom begins.
Make a Vacation Spending Plan Before You Go
Before you take a trip, even a short one, make a vacation spending plan. Not a vague estimate in your head. Not “I’m sure it will be fine.” A real plan.
Here are some categories to think through:
- Transportation
- Lodging
- Meals and snacks
- Activities and tickets
- Souvenirs
- Gas and parking
- Pet care
- Tips
- Clothes or supplies for the trip
- Childcare or camps
- House sitter
- Airport food
- The “I forgot about that” category
That last one matters. Every trip has a few “I forgot about that” expenses. If you plan for them ahead of time, they stop feeling like emergencies.
And if the numbers don’t work, that does not mean the trip is ruined. It means you get to adjust. Maybe you drive instead of fly. Maybe you stay one less night. Maybe you rent a house and cook some meals. Maybe you choose one big activity instead of three. Maybe you take a staycation and discover there are beautiful things nearby that you’ve been too busy to enjoy.
The point is not to shrink your life. The point is to make choices that don’t hurt you later.
The Real Gift of a Spending Plan
When Beth and her family went to Disneyland, the gift was not just the trip. The gift was the feeling they brought home.
They had kept a promise to their children and to themselves. They had created a memory without betraying their financial recovery. They had made a plan and followed it. They had agency.
That is such a powerful word. Agency means, “I have choices.” It means, “I can participate in my life instead of feeling like money is happening to me.” It means, “I can make decisions that honor what matters now and what will matter later.”
That is the deeper work of Financial Recovery. It is not about tracking every penny so you can scold yourself. It is not about never having fun. It is about waking up, looking clearly, and making choices that support the life you actually want.
Before Summer Gets Away From You
If your summer spending already feels a little fuzzy, this is a good time to pause. Look at what is coming. Look at what you have already committed to. Look at what you want to say yes to.
Then put numbers to it.
You may discover that some things are possible. You may discover that some things need to be adjusted. You may discover that the most life-giving choice is not the most expensive one.
And you may discover, as Beth’s family did, that a clear and doable plan can make the experience even sweeter.
Because when you come home without regret, the memory gets to stay beautiful.
That is the kind of summer I want for you.
