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Life, Liberty, the Pursuit of Happiness and a Vacation?
A 3-step Plan for Breaking the Vacation Entitlement Mindset
Step 1
Find fun ways to recharge this summer without breaking the bank. A few ideas: 
Vacation in your hometown. If you live in a big city or within driving distance of one, there are likely lots of local tourist destinations you haven't explored. Give them a try. You might be surprised how wonderful your own backyard really is. - Instead of taking a whole week off, plan several long weekends. Use them to take the kids camping or go hiking in a local state or national park or check into a nearby bed and breakfast.
- Consider trading houses. If you live in the mountains and would like to visit the beach, consider trading houses with a seashore dweller. There are numerous Web sites devoted to helping you explore the wonderful world of house swapping.
"Be creative," McCurdy says. "Get the whole family involved in brainstorming cheap or even free vacation ideas. You might discover that a day at the local water park is as satisfying to the kids as a week at Disney World."
Step 2
Start saving for next year right now. First and most obviously, you must create a budget. If you don't have one – and most of us don't – McCurdy's How Much Is Enough? is a great starting point. The idea is that after you take care of your immediate financial needs, start paying down your debt and create a savings plan for your future, the rest is yours to spend as you see fit. It's all about priorities and goal-setting. Here are some suggestions for building up your vacation fund for next year:
- Cut out all the little "un-necessities" that add up. Do you really need that $5 latteevery morning or could you make do with a thermos of homebrewed coffee? Could you switch to no-name detergent and/or clip coupons? Could you get rid of the gym membership and dust off that treadmill in the basement?