AdviceIQ: How to pay for vacation

As the grass turns green and the temperatures warm up, you find yourself gazing out the windows and dreaming of a vacation escape. Before you embark on your summer adventure, be sure to consider the family budget. Without careful planning, vacation expenses can derail the household budget and create more stress than your worst day at work.

With summer vacation season soon upon us, many families have already started planning their getaways. Of course, making the transition from work to pleasure doesn't happen without some effort. Piling the kids into the car for an eight-hour drive or wading through airport security with bags in hand can be an ordeal that sours your fun.

Prior to requesting time off from work and charging up the digital camera, make sure your vacation is affordable. There is no reason to incur debt or deepen your debt load just to see a national landmark or baste in the sun's rays. Families should not get discouraged if they lack room in the budget for taking that trip around the world. While the flight to Europe or Hawaii might need to be put on hold, plenty of places are left to take the kids or grandkids and enjoy time together.

The initial step: Calculate the financial outlay. What's important is recognizing the budget constraints and planning a family adventure around them. That's why first you determine how much you can afford to spend. With that number in mind, you can begin looking for a vacation destination. Doing the planning in this order is the first step to stress-free traveling and managing expectations.

How much will the family vacation cost? A common mistake that travelers make is to consider transportation and accommodation expenses, but overlook incidental costs. Be sure to consider snacks and meals, souvenirs, transportation once you arrive and any tours, park fees or excursions. All of these incidentals can sometimes total more than airfare and hotel costs combined.

Budgeting doesn't end during the planning phase. Be sure to monitor expens! es once you arrive at your destination. Being mindful of locations visited, activities planned and where to eat can help keep you within your budget while enjoying your travels.

Vacations are a wonderful way to create memories with family and friends. They are also an excellent way to unwind. Unlike many developed countries, American companies are not required to offer employees mandatory vacation time. Elsewhere, workers view their U.S. peers as workaholics.

While we all work hard, incessant work can affect stress levels and health. Therefore, our bodies and spirits need opportunities to relax. If the budget stays in focus and we invest the proper planning, we can create great times and memories.

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Joseph "Big Joe" Clark, CFP, is the managing partner of the Financial Enhancement Group in Indiana and is a member of the AdviceIQ Financial Advisors Network, which is a USA TODAY content partner offering financial news and commentary. Its content is produced independently of USA TODAY.