Summer after summer, many families embark on the sea, the mountain or exotic destinations … with the credit card in their hand. It is a dangerous routine that, according to the financial formator and investor José Luis Díaz, You can ruin your annual budget if it is not planned with head.
The solution? Treat holidays as a fixed expense more – like rent or insurance – and automate savings to enjoy them without guilt or financial shocks.
Vacations must be part of the annual budget
“The holidays are not optional,” says Díaz. “They are an investment in mental and physical health, and must be budgeted as a necessary and recurring expense”
The idea is simple but powerful: instead of improvising at the last minute or resorting to loans, the expert proposes Include a vacation section in the annual budgetin the same way that it would be done with a mortgage. Thus, the expense can be anticipated, fractionation during the year and avoid the most common mistakes:
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Bread to cover vacation expenses.
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Break the financial planning of the rest of the year.
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Suffer anxiety or guilt during or after the trip.
How much to go to vacation?
Díaz recommends dedicate between 5% and 10% of annual income to vacation. For example, if a person wins 30,000 euros a yearthe reasonable thing would be to reserve between 1,500 and 3,000 euros For this purpose.
The danger of “lending” money
A frequent practice is “borrowing” from savings with the promise to return it later. For Díaz, This strategy is a self -deception.
“It is a mental trap. You break the discipline of savings, you generate a debt with yourself – which is the easiest to forgive – and open the door to toxic financial habits.”
This type of autojustifications ends up generating anxiety, lack of control and credit dependence. Therefore, The best way to protect is to eliminate the will of the equation.
Automates savings: the trick that does work
Diaz’s system is what he calls “Pay yourself first”:
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As soon as you enter money, automatically transfers 10-15% to a separate account and difficult to access.
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Use percentagesno fixed amounts, so that the system adapts to your real income.
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This method guarantees that you are always saving, without relying on your mood, will or unforeseen expenses.
In addition, separating savings by objectives helps maintain motivation and clarity. A vacation account, another for emergencies and another for investments, for example, allows you to have control without stiffness or extreme sacrifices.
Tools to control holiday spending
José Luis Díaz also recommends using technology to have visibility without overwhelms:
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Splitwise: Ideal for group trips, allows you to divide expenses and know who owes what without discussions.
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YNAB (You need Budget) and Pocketguard: They allow establishing limits by category and receiving alerts when you approach the top.
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Real -time bank notifications: They help maintain control at the moment, without constantly reviewing the bank app.
For those who prefer the classic, a spreadsheet in Excel or Google Sheets It is still a valid tool: it is enough to divide the budget into categories (accommodation, meals, transport, leisure) and record the real expenses to maintain the course.
Balance between the present and the future
Is it possible to enjoy the holidays without mortgaging the future? For Díaz, it is not only possible, but necessary for financial and emotional health:
“I am not deprived of living waiting for ‘someday’ having enough money, but I don’t sacrifice my future for immediate pleasures.”
The solution is to understand that Living the present and building the future are not opposite goalsbut complementary. Assign fixed percentages both savings and leisure It allows both objectives to live without conflicts.
Vacation without debt, savings effortless
The approach of José Luis Díaz breaks with the belief that enjoying now and having future stability are mutually exclusive. The key is in planning and automation. With a realistic budget, constant savings and simple tools, It is possible to enjoy a full vacation, without guilt and without ruining your economy.
Because in the end, as he summarizes:
“True wealth is not how much you earn, but how much freedom your money gives you.”
And that includes, of course, the pleasure of disconnecting … knowing that everything is under control.