Weekends away are so much fun! Whether it is skiing, camping, shopping or visiting, it feels like a proper break from work. After having children, the logistics and destinations change quite a bit but one thing doesn’t…how quickly the cost can add up.

Even if you carpool and share meals and accommodation, you typically spend more than if you stayed home. Not that you should stay home. Simply that there are choices to make and planning to do.

Make an educated guess at how many weekends away you participate in and approximate the average cost. Divide by 12 and make sure this is included in your monthly budget. Decide whether you will have a separate allocation from your weekly spending or if you will combine them.

Here’s an example:

Lucy likes to hang out with her friends, ski and explore British Columbia. Her weekly entertainment budget is $100. It doesn’t allow for ski season or weekends away and her credit card bill is often greater than she expects.

She estimates that she skis 10 times over the winter season and goes on holiday weekends once per month. The ski days cost on average $100 each including a discount ski pass, food/drink, accommodation and gas. Holiday weekends can range in cost between $250 and $600 depending whether it’s a trip to the Okanagan for a wine tour or to Tofino to try surfing.
Skiing: 10 * $100 = $1,000
Holiday Weekends: 12 * $400 = $4,800
Lucy’s budget is calculated at $5,800 per year or $485 per month. No wonder her credit card bills are surprising. This is worth including in the budget!

Time to do a quick scan of her budget to make sure there’s room for this along with her other expenses. Once she’s reviewed her other expenses and compared total expenses to total income, she may have to make some choices about budget allocations. The best way for Lucy to manage this part of her budget is to transfer $485 from her regular account to a savings account so that the money is there when it is time to pay her credit card bills.

It’s simply about being aware of the cost of the activities and planning for it!