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Your Refund: Experiences Are Better Than Possessions

BOSTON (CBS) - Not everything in life needs to be practical!

Our basic needs are shelter, clothing and food. I like to throw in retirement planning as well. If you have those covered consider spending your refund creating a memory.

How about a vacation? If it's a family vacation you could do something during April vacation or wait until the summer. Think of the fun you will have creating the memories while planning. Experts tell us that half the fun of a trip is the planning.

I found a Blog, Saving by Design. The author and her husband took their kids to Disney last summer for under $3,000. They live in Pennsylvania so the drive to Florida was 14 hours and cost about $300 in gas. The drive from Boston is over 20 hours. I know many folks who drive right thru but budget in a night at a hotel on the road for your sanity.

If a trip to Disney isn't covered totally by the refund start a vacation fund and have everyone contribute what they can and when you have enough dollars you go.

Set up a budget before you start to talk to the kids about it. Make this a family affair. What can you reasonably afford.

Entertain ideas from everyone and vote on them. Where do you want to go? The cape? Camping in the White Mountains? The National Parks? Washington, DC? Disney? A road trip? Let the kids do some of the research.

By making it a future trip you are teaching the kids a great financial lesson. Learning to save for a future goal. So often instant gratification gets all of us in trouble for you want it now and if you have a credit card you can usually get it now.

And if you are single consider a vacation or an experience you have always wanted to try. Sky Diving? Wouldn't be my first choice but if it's on your bucket list go for it. On my bucket list is a trip to Ireland to see how they celebrate St. Patrick's Day

Christmas is nine months away but using the refund to cover holiday expenses so you don't go into debt is a very good financial move. You could also then take advantage of the sales throughout the year so you are not crazed come December.

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You can hear Dee Lee's expert financial advice on WBZ NewsRadio 1030 each weekday at 1:55 p.m., 3:55 p.m., and 7:55 p.m.

Subscribe to Dee's Money Matters newsletter here.

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