Well, September is nearly over and it’s time for another update on our journey to saving for a family vacation for next summer.  As I mentioned in my last post, we had a couple of financial hurdles to tackle in August, and that really slowed our trip savings down quite a bit.  We’re back on track this month, but saving is still a slow process and I think I’ve concluded that this is just a time of the year where extra expenses are going to be a fact of life.  We’ve been spending on school uniforms, school lunches, gas for my commute to work, and school supplies.  Getting ready for school can definitely put a dent in anyone’s budget.  I’m also looking ahead and seeing some major car repairs (yes, again) and wonder if saving for a family trip when there are other bigger priorities is even reasonable.  Yet, I can’t help but remember all of the wonderful memories we made this summer and I want that for us again next year.

Obviously, budgeting is the way to go, but it can be overwhelming when you have so much to think about saving for.  I sometimes don’t know exactly where to start, but I found this wonderful article on Adaptu entitled, There’s Too Much To Save For:  Picking Savings Priorities, and it really helped me to understand how to prioritize our “wants and needs” and plan to save accordingly for those.  I’m so glad I found this article because I feel so much more organized and confident as we forge ahead in our financial journey.  If you’re feeling a little stuck with your finances (perhaps you are in debt and don’t know what to do next or maybe you have a tough time making a budget), I encourage you to check out Adaptu and all of the amazing services offered and create your free account today.