Over the last six years, our discretionary budget has been simplified to vehicles, skiing and vacations.
Let’s start with vacations.
Most families with kids, place their vacations before considering Childcare and the size of their mortgage/rent payment. I recommend you reconsider your priorities. Earlier I explained why, I sold assets so the grown ups could maintain their health and relationship.
When I was living with a 4, 2 and 1 year old – my favorite kind of discretionary spending wasn’t a vacation, it was “more childcare”.
Always, more childcare.
Why?
To be a good investor, you need to know your opportunity cost.
Same deal for being a good spouse!
The Bora Bora vacation (above, still on my fridge) is the equivalent of 150 date nights.
When I was working through a decade of bedtime dramas… I priced my life in date nights (time with my wife, time without a kid melting down).
Date nights where someone else can put the little ones to sleep, and you can alternate the following morning with your spouse.
Alternate the routine so each spouse gets a slot where they are “off” from 5pm to 10am.
“Sweetie, I just need two nights a week where nobody is yelling at me.“
I was willing to do whatever it took to achieve a nervous system reset 2x per week.
Still want to head out of town? These were my rules for luxury spending:
- make it “fridge-worthy” (re-live the vibe over-and-over)
- book it way in advance (create anticipation)
- take a lot of pictures
The trips were a good bang for the buck, we spread them out, got stuff done and had something to look forward to.
We found shorter trips were better – if we left for more than a few days, our Alpha Pup would try to take over the household!
We left the kids at home, in their normal routine – never risk the sleep schedule!
Take a look at your budget, are you making time to enjoy each other?
Feel The Byrn 
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