Sunday, July 31, 2005by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger Editor of NaturalNews.com (See all articles...) Tags: health news, Natural News, nutrition |
This year, the Travel Industry Association of America forecast a record-breaking summer travel season, with travelers planning to spend an average of $1,109 per person on their longest trip. Taking a family of four to a ballgame now costs around $150. Even barbecue grills add up, moving into the thousands of dollars for the deluxe models made popular on today’s home TV shows.
"Debt is like a swimming pool: Getting in over your head can be dangerous," warns Bradford Stroh, founder and co-CEO of Freedom Financial Network, LLC. "With vacation travel, outdoor entertainment and expensive toys like RVs and hot tubs, summer can be a financial minefield."
To avoid breaking the bank for summer fun, Stroh suggests the following:
1. A budget knows no season. Just because the boss is in Hawaii doesn’t mean your budget is on vacation. Post your budget somewhere visible, like the fridge door, so summer can’t burn it out of your mind. For those toys you really want, make a plan to save a certain amount every month so you can afford them – next year.
2. Stay old-fashioned. How did you spend summer days and nights as a child? Revisit old favorites: star-gazing, basketball in the driveway, frozen fruit pops, a cookout with friends, a trip to a local swimming hole. Challenge your family to have fun on a dime.
3. Scrimp on vacation. If you haven’t yet escaped home, you might have a bad case of wanderlust. Try a camping vacation or a road trip. A recent study found that a family of four can take a weeklong RV trip for $483, compared to $1,169 for a car trip (staying in motels) or a painful $2,918 for a vacation by plane (source: PKF Consulting). For a getaway on the (dirt) cheap, pitch a tent in your backyard – and borrow your indoor plumbing.
4. Think cold. Think “Christmas in July” and plan now for holiday purchases. Make sure you have a budget in place for seasonal gifts. Then, take advantage of summer sales to get great deals.
Freedom Financial Network, LLC (www.freedomfinancialnetwork.com) provides consumer debt resolution services through its Freedom Debt Relief, Freedom Foreclosure Relief and Freedom Tax Relief divisions. Working for the consumer and negotiating with creditors to lower principal balances due, the company offers an alternative to bankruptcy, credit counseling, and debt consolidation. Based in San Mateo, Calif., Freedom Financial Network serves more than 3,000 clients nationwide and manages more than $100 million in consumer debt.
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About the author:Mike Adams (aka the "Health Ranger") is a best selling author (#1 best selling science book on Amazon.com) and a globally recognized scientific researcher in clean foods. He serves as the founding editor of NaturalNews.com and the lab science director of an internationally accredited (ISO 17025) analytical laboratory known as CWC Labs. There, he was awarded a Certificate of Excellence for achieving extremely high accuracy in the analysis of toxic elements in unknown water samples using ICP-MS instrumentation. Adams is also highly proficient in running liquid chromatography, ion chromatography and mass spectrometry time-of-flight analytical instrumentation.
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