As soon as the holidays are over..
By katsmeow1213
@katsmeow1213 (28716)
United States
November 22, 2015 9:38am CST
Are you putting off any sort of plans or financial goals until the holidays are over?
My brain is always thinking about finances these days. How to work on getting out of debt, what I want to do with extra money once we're out of debt, things I want extra money for and how to save for them...
The other day my daughter mentioned something about Hershey Park, which is in Pennsylvania. There's a large amusement park and some other attractions in this town dedicated to Hershey chocolate, as the founder once lived there and built his Hershey factory there.
My oldest son and I visited this place probably about 10 years ago. The twins were too small to take the trip, and my mom paid and only invited me and my oldest son who was about 8 at the time.
My daughter was talking about how she never got to go but would absolutely love to.
So I got to thinking, maybe I could plan a weekend trip there for this upcoming summer.
It would take some planning and some saving... but I won't start that until after the holidays. My focus right now is on finishing up my holiday shopping and getting that all out of the way.
Do you have anything you want to start planning/saving for after the holidays are over?
7 people like this
8 responses
@GardenGerty (169406)
• United States
23 Nov 15
I may look for work after the holidays. . . or get into some hobbies. A lady asked me yesterday if I could teach her to sew. I do not think of myself as a teacher, but I could help her select and make stuff.
1 person likes this
@katsmeow1213 (28716)
• United States
23 Nov 15
I don't think I'm much of a teacher either, I am too impatient with certain people.
@fishtiger58 (29819)
• Momence, Illinois
21 Dec 15
We are going to go on a trip. Not sure where yet and what we will do but I gotta get away for a couple of days. My sister and her husband are retired too so maybe they will come along.
@katsmeow1213 (28716)
• United States
22 Dec 15
That's great! I wish I could plan more family trips!
1 person likes this
@katsmeow1213 (28716)
• United States
22 Dec 15
@fishtiger58 We get vacation time every year, so it's not too hard to find the time, we just don't really have the money unless we leave all the kids home, LOL.
1 person likes this
@fishtiger58 (29819)
• Momence, Illinois
22 Dec 15
@katsmeow1213 We didn't got much before my husband retired but now we can.
@katsmeow1213 (28716)
• United States
22 Nov 15
I save a little, but it's hard to do with 5 kids. I basically put my change in a long term savings account, a few bucks in my Fall account when we have Marching Band and soccer which get rather expensive, and a few bucks in my Christmas account. Soon I will open a vacation account and put some money in there every week to start planning for yearly vacations!
1 person likes this
@katsmeow1213 (28716)
• United States
23 Nov 15
I have never been to disney. That's a trip I'd like to take eventually, but we'll start small with Hershey Park.
1 person likes this
@simone10 (54180)
• Louisville, Kentucky
27 Nov 15
@katsmeow1213 I've never been to Hershey Park and think that would be a fun trip.
@boiboing (13147)
• Northampton, England
22 Nov 15
Oddly for a non-American, especially one who thinks Hershey chocolate isn't really chocolate,, I have actually been to Hersheytown.
@katsmeow1213 (28716)
• United States
22 Nov 15
LOL... okay, that's going to require a bit more explaining. Why isn't Hershey chocolate actually chocolate?
@boiboing (13147)
• Northampton, England
22 Nov 15
@katsmeow1213 It's such terrible quality. I'm sure I read somewhere that it barely qualifies on technical grounds. This article will probably do a better job than I would to explain:
Read the Is a Hershey’s chocolate really chocolate? discussion from the Chowhound food community.
@katsmeow1213 (28716)
• United States
22 Nov 15
@boiboing Well, if it's not real chocolate, then I don't want to know what real chocolate is, LOL. I love Hershey chocolate.
@PainsOnSlate (21845)
• Canada
23 Nov 15
We are always planning and saving. It wasn't as easy back when the kids were home to do that but its easy now. My husband and i took our kids to every historical place that is also fun and not outrageously expensive (like Disney). It was always fun and the kids loved it. They learned a lot on every trip too.
@katsmeow1213 (28716)
• United States
23 Nov 15
Last time I took a trip to Hershey I did a tour that explained the history of the chocolate factory... and I plan to do that again when we go this summer, so the kids will learn something and have fun.
1 person likes this
@PainsOnSlate (21845)
• Canada
24 Nov 15
@katsmeow1213 Never been to Hershey but it sound delicious. 
@Marilynda1225 (91013)
• United States
22 Nov 15
Hershey Park is well worth going to and I'm sure you'll have a great time
@katsmeow1213 (28716)
• United States
22 Nov 15
I'm sure we will. I'm really excited to go. We haven't gone on a family trip in years! Not since my good friend moved away from Ottawa. We used to go up and visit her and stay with her. It was a cheap vacation. But she moved so we haven't been able to afford to go anywhere since.
@katsmeow1213 (28716)
• United States
23 Nov 15
I have 5 kids to buy for, that is my only expense. I try to keep their gifts on the less expensive side, but still get them things that will excite them. Either way it's always a big expense this time of year.
