Shore Nice to Sea You: Family Driving Vacations Part 1
Posted on 08 22, 2006 under Brokedad by foodad | Comments
Back in the day, my dad would wake us up at the (_._) crack
of dawn. He would then proceed to toss my brother and I into the station wagon,
scream and yell at my mother while squeezing in a few more last minute
necessities, put the dog in the way-back, pay 88 cents a gallon for gas,
complain about it and then attempt to break the world record for slowest drive
time from Clevepuke, (not to be confused with Pittspuke or Pukesburg, PA) OH. to
Vacationland, USA,
also know as Buffalo, New York.
Some families have traditional vacations that they pass down
from generation to generation like “going to the lake” or whatever. All of my vacations as a kid were just as
lame as the one above. My old man and old lady’s idea of a vacation was what I
now call a DAYTRIP. Of course that is why I have chosen to do exact the
opposite of what my parents did. My kids
will benefit from the lameness of their grandparents.
In the Boston area, we have had rain for almost 2 weeks straight. Great for the grass, not so great for kids who want to play outside. And certainly not so great for my poor wife, who has been home with 2 sick kids and no playground to go for relief. So when this past Saturday brought both sunlight and a local school fair, it was time to take out the ATM card.
Recently the Walt Disney Company launched an advertising campaign to promote the fact that a family of four can take a week long vacation to Disney World for under $1,500.00. While this price doesn’t include airfare it is still cheaper than many people would imagine. Even so, the trip to Disney is a luxury that not everyone can afford. If a vacation to the Magic Kingdom is not in your budget don’t fret. There is a cheaper way to get there if you are lucky – believe in the magic and you can win a major subsidy for next vacation to Disney thanks to the folks at Radio Disney. 
The Keebler Elves came up with twelve cents. Tony the Tiger pitched in seventeen. Reckitt Benckiser chipped in a dollar and I don’t even know who they are. Every time I visit the local grocery store major retail brands make a small contribution to my child’s college fund. It comes in nickels and dimes, often with little initiative on my part. This effortless fundraising occurs because my wife took two minutes to register our family with UPromise, an organization that links corporations willing to donate money to people like me who are willing to accept it. 
My kids are not old enough yet but they are getting there. Boy I can"t wait to shell out a few more bucks per week to my offspring who don"t do anything but eat my food and scrape my walls! But seriously, allowance can be a great way to teach children about responsibility and money. The real important thing that I have heard about allowances is that you should never give them to your children in exchange for chores. Chores are a responsibility. And allowances should be part of the agreement between you and your kids. 
Here are some links to information on the Child Tax Credit. Some may argue that the tax credit is no where close to where it should be. But let"s face it: it is something so take what you can get. 
