Vacation Checklist - Plan Your Dream Trip Now

Are you tired of the cold and snow?
Do you feel the need to get away...and soon?
Have your children been to your very favorite places?
You need a vacation. And the time to plan it is now!
Dreaming of a fabulous vacation and actually pulling one off are two different things. As a modern professional, you are probably an expert at scheduling, time management and project coordination in your career.
These are the same skills you need to use when it comes time to plan your dream vacation.
And the first tool you need is a vacation checklist.
A vacation checklist will get you on top of your planning immediately and keep you there right up until the day you leave on your trip. A vacation checklist will ensure

- you don't forget anything and take exactly what you need,
- and you actually pull off the trip of your dreams.
Your vacation checklist doesn't need to be fancy. Just thorough. You can make one yourself or find a free one by looking in the resource box following this article. Whatever checklist you use, you'll need to customize it for your own use, of course. And if you start now, customizing your entire trip will be easy.
Using your vacation checklist to keep track of your notes, start out by vacation dreaming.
- Where do you want to go?
This is easily decided by determining what type of vacation you're in the mood for. If you're tired of the cold, you'll want warm...and maybe beaches. If you need rest and recreation, you'll look for places that can pamper you and evaporate your stress. If you want to show your kids the world, you'll look for family-friendly and educational adventures.
- How long a trip will this be?
Mark down on your checklist the length of your vacation. Are you working around a school schedule? How many vacation days are you willing to trade for your dream vacation? Would you rather take one long vacation or several long weekend jaunts? Factor in travel days...that will tell you whether you want to drive or fly. And that will affect your next item...

- What's your travel budget?
This part of vacation planning needn't be a downer. By planning ahead, you can maximize your travel monies through booking the least expensive travel and hotel arrangements. Do a little upfront research and write down on your vacation checklist how much your dream vacation will cost. Divide that amount into equal monthly payments between now and your travel dates. Can you make that happen? Do you have other monies set aside you can allocate for your trip? Be wary of just putting your trip on credit. No matter how wonderful your dream vacation is, paying for it after the fact can tarnish its memories.
- What are your expectations?
We've all been on vacations that we had high hopes for but didn't turn out as we envisioned. Sure, stuff happens, but you can put the odds on your side that your vacation will be what you dream of by planning as much detail as possible ahead of time. It also helps to ask yourself the simple but powerful questions of
- am I wanting to make lifetime memories with this vacation?
- am I wanting to cram in as many activities as possible on this vacation?
- are my vacation wants in conflict with my vacation realities? For example, do I want to take my spouse on a romantic getaway but I have five children under the age of ten and they must accompany us?

Bottom line...when it comes to vacations, planning is king and your vacation checklist is queen. Plan your dream trip, make sure your expectations are in line, keep track of everything on your checklist, and before you know it, you'll be THERE...exactly where you want, with the people you want, doing what you want. Enjoying the vacation you dreamed of.

Colleen Langenfeld has been parenting for over 25 years and helps other moms enjoy mothering more at http://www.paintedgold.com/ . Get your free vacation checklist here.

Enjoying Affordable Family Vacations in Florida

Affordable family vacations in Florida don't have to be dull and boring. In fact, budget vacations can still offer you and your family unlimited options for fun, relaxation, and even education. And saving money on your Florida vacation is easy to do, as long as you do your research ahead of time and investigate all of the possibilities, from the month in which you take your trip to the places that you plan to visit.

Affordable Family Vacations: It's all in the Timing
The most important aspect of planning affordable family vacations in Florida is to remember that timing is critical. By visiting the state in the off season, March and April or September and October, you can enjoy budget vacations and save money, time, and hassle. During the off season, everything from accommodations to theme park admissions can be had at a reduced rate.
In addition, remember when planning your affordable family vacations that plane fare to and from Florida, whether you are traveling from within the United States or from outside the country, is likely to be less expensive during the off season. Plus, when you book your budget vacations during off-peak times of the year, you will find that the parks, museums, shops, and restaurants are all far less crowded, which can save you a great deal of time.

Quality Accommodations Can Be a Part of Budget Vacations
Whether you visit Florida during peak or off-peak months, one of the best ways to ensure that your budget vacations are enjoyable is to stay in a privately owned home rather than in a hotel. Private homes are a mainstay of affordable family vacations, offering quality accommodations in excellent locations, often for less money per night than a standard hotel room, particularly for larger groups. In addition, vacation rental homes offer amenities that hotels can't match, including fully stocked game rooms, private pools and hot tubs, comprehensive kitchens, and spacious bedrooms.
Staying in vacation rental homes during affordable family vacations means that you can save money on food as well. Visit a local supermarket at the beginning of your trip and stock the kitchen with either fresh food, if you like to cook, or readymade meals if you are looking for a way to save time as well. Either way, keeping the cost of food low will keep your budget vacations on track. And if you do treat yourself and your friends or family to restaurant meal, you can save your leftovers for the next day, rather than having to leave them behind.

Additional Tips for Your Affordable Family Vacations

• No matter what area of Florida will be the focus of your affordable family vacations, from the Panhandle to the Keys to Orlando, you will find discount coupons are available online and also in grocery stores and other local shops. Because many tourists visit these areas, there is a great deal of competition for your business, and so it makes sense to take advantage of this when planning your budget vacations.
• Budget vacations require booking every aspect of your travel as far in advance as possible. For example, some theme parks offer specials if you book your tickets at a certain point before your trip. Other attractions and accommodations may also offer you a deal if you book in bulk (for multiple tickets or multiple nights). Always call ahead to see what offers are available.
• Don't limit yourself to the "big name" attractions. If you are set on visiting Orlando, check out some of the smaller parks as well as those that are more famous. The rest of Florida has some amazing sights to offer for those taking budget vacations as well - museums, aquariums, and beaches are plentiful throughout the state. Affordable family vacations can also include trips off the beaten path, where you can find fun activities that also can save you money.
• Travel agents may not find you the cheapest deals, so it makes sense to instead book your budget vacations yourself. However, if you feel that using the services of a travel agent could save you time, you can utilize their services and still take affordable family vacations by researching things such as car rental and home or hotel rental to find the best rates and then presenting your findings to the travel agent for booking.
• When booking your flight, particularly if you are doing it yourself, make sure that you thoroughly investigate all of your options. Today, there are many websites that cater to budget vacations and that give you competitive prices on flights from anywhere in the world to Florida. Don't just use one - check them all out before you finalize your plans.
• Above all, take advantage of the Internet for every aspect of creating affordable family vacations. Go online and search on the cities you wish to visit or the specific attractions in which you are interested to see if anything special is going on while you will be there. You can also call or email each destination to see if they are offering any deals that can make your budget vacations even more exciting.

Remember, a trip to Florida doesn't have to equal a major expense. As long as you take into consideration the time of year in which you are traveling and do your research before you go, you will find lots of ways to enjoy affordable family vacations while not skimping on your fun. Have a great trip!

Fraser Hannah spent eight years working as a freelance television production manager and researcher before leaving to join his family's business working with the elderly. He founded Traveling2Florida.com in 2003 after purchasing his own vacation home in Florida and being frustrated by the lack of vision shown by many of the existing vacation rental sites. Traveling2Florida.com now connects thousands of travelers directly with the owners of high-quality vacation rentals in Florida, from Orlando to the Florida Keys.

Free Vacation Rentals Listings Sites

Although vacation rentals owners should not rely on FREE vacation rental listings sites to generate the majority of their bookings, they can be helpful in filling vacancies. However, how do you go about selecting the most appropriate FREE vacation rentals sites for your vacation rental?

To start with, FREE vacation rental listings sites come in various forms. The type of free sites you should choose depends on the objectives and expectations you have for your listing on that vacation rental site.
Firstly, there are new sites, who are seeking to build up the number of vacation rental listings on their site. In order to be attractive to renters, vacation rentals sites need to have a decent number of vacation rental properties listed. For new sites, the easiest way to generate new listings is to offer a free trial period, usually for a minimum of 6 months and often for more than 1 year. Once established with a strong pool of potential renters visiting each day, the intent is for the vacation rental site to begin charging vacation rental owners for their listings and ultimately reduce or eliminate the free trial periods.
Listing on these sites is somewhat of a long term bet. They are not likely to produce a lot of bookings in the short term, but as the site gets established in the vacation rentals market, they may well generate bookings for you.

Examples of this type of site are Villa Holiday Homes and Tenant.com, although there are many others. (You can find more information on these sites on the Compare Owner Holiday Rentals website.)
A second type of site that offers FREE vacation rentals listings is the permanently free site. These are funded either by advertising (e.g. Google ads) or offer the opportunity to upgrade your free listing to a paid listing. Generally, the sites that offer a free upgrade tend to be a better bet for generating bookings, particularly if there are not many other vacation rental properties in your location listed on that site.
An example of this type of vacation rentals site is Vacationrentals411, on which a basic listing is free, but which allows you to bid for a premium position in search results. (You can find a review of Vacationrental411 on the Compare Owner Holiday Rentals website.)

A third type of FREE vacation rental listing is the "free trial" offered by some of the established vacation rental sites. This is a "try before you buy" model, with the intent being that you should be sufficiently impressed by the level of enquiries and bookings for your vacation home during the trial period that you will go ahead and pay for a listing at the end of the trial period. Trial periods are usually relatively short (between 1 and 3 months).

These sites are generally quite effective at generating bookings, although once the free trial period is complete, you will then need to pay for your listing (and most sites can identify vacation rental owners who have previously availed of a free trial). For best use, I would recommend you sign up for these trials during the "busy" season for bookings in the location of your vacation rental: this has the highest chance of generating bookings and also provides the best test of whether this particular vacation rental site works for the location of your vacation rental.

Examples of this type of vacation rental sites are Homelidays and VacationHomeRentals. (You can find reviews of these sites on the Compare Owner Holiday Rentals website.)

Finally, there are sites which offer FREE classified listings. The most famous of these is Craigslist, although US Freeads is another popular example. The primary drawback with these sites is that you need to continually repost your listings, although they can be effective, particularly for filling specific vacancies at relatively short notice.

With all of these free options, why would anyone pay for their vacation rental home to be listed on a vacation rentals site?

The answer lies in the fact that most free vacation rental sites will generate fewer enquiries and bookings than the paid sites. However, it's still worth listing your vacation rental home on several of these free vacation rental sites: after all, what do you have to lose?
(Research completed by Compare Owner Holiday Rentals shows that you should list on at least 3 paid sites, plus a number of free sites in order to optimize bookings. You can find more details in the articles section of the Compare Owner Holiday Rentals website.)
For a list of some of the better FREE vacation rentals sites, visit http://www.compareownerholidayrentals.com/ Sign up for the free newsletter to get a list of FREE vacation rentals sites, plus some special offers on paid sites.

Kevin Graham is the founder of Compare Owner Holiday Rentals (COHR). COHR provides a guide to choosing the best vacation rental by owner sites. For further details, please see Compare Owner Holiday Rentals (http://www.compareownerholidayrentals.com/).

How to Book a Vacation Rental Home

While there is a growing abundance of options when it comes to booking a vacation home, many travelers still find the rental market to be a little chaotic - at least in comparison to more traditional accommodations like hotels/motels. The increasing popularity of vacation rentals as a value-packed alternative to pricier hotels has led to an abundance of options that can be overwhelming.

Here are some tips for booking your vacation rental to ensure that you are getting the most bang for your buck, while protecting yourself from scams or disappointment.

Booking a Vacation Rental Tip #1: Check out niche listers that focus on specific destinations.
Whether you've rented a vacation villa before or not, you'll want to work with a local company and representatives who know their stuff.
If you're interested in a Santa Barbara beach house rental, a qualified representative will earn their stripes by walking you through the suitable available properties based on your unique needs and desires. For instance, if you're bringing your three Bernese mountain dogs, they'll recommend Santa Barbara beach rental locations that are both dog-friendly and bric-a-brac-free.
Additionally, once you arrive, you'll want to enjoy concierge services to help you get reservations at that trendy new restaurant, or simply recommend a hike that overlooks the ocean. An anonymous operator three states away won't be able to deliver that level of local service.

Booking a Vacation Rental Tip #2: Use a credit card to protect yourself and minimize risks.
You want and expect every detail of your vacation to be perfect. But unfortunately that won't always be the case. So you need to protect yourself.
Renting with your credit card through a Santa Barbara vacation rental management company offers you that protection. If for some reason the property doesn't meet your expectations, and the management won't do anything to fix it, you can keep a record of the problem and dispute the charge with your credit card company.
Property owners who rent person-to-person usually insist on a cashier's check for 50 percent of the vacation rental to reserve it, and then the other 50 percent in cash upon your arrival. If you later discover roaches scuttling through the kitchen of your vacation home, or other elements of the property that were grossly misrepresented, you will have no leverage because you will have already paid in full in cash.

Booking a Vacation Rental Tip #3: Get the most bang for your buck.
Dollar for dollar, a vacation rental gives you so much more than a luxury hotel. You get exponentially more space (both indoors and outdoors). You get a host of amenities from private pools to high end kitchens to top flight entertainment systems, all for your exclusive use. Unlike an anonymous hotel room off a crowded corridor, you have a serene home away from home to call your own.
But there are a host of priceless intangible benefits you get when you book your vacation rental through a professional management company. Working with a premier management company to find your ideal vacation home gives you a whole new level of service. A professional company has skin in the game. They are working to establish a good reputation and a list of return clientele, rather than just trying to make fast money.
In the-best-surprise-is-no-surprise category, unlike an absentee owner off Craigslist, a professional Santa Barbara rental company has someone who is troubleshooting issues 24/7, working hard to keep both the renters and the owners happy.
The most underused amenity is the professional staff. Once you arrive at your rental villa in Santa Barbara, they are at your beck and call. Concierge and housekeeping services are a mere button-touch away. The staff's local Santa Barbara knowledge and connections can turn an average vacation into something amazing. There is no extra cost, and the return is priceless.

Booking a Vacation Rental Tip #4: Book with confidence.
There's a HUGE difference between someone who just wants to sell you a room, and a professional vacation rental company that wants to make sure that you enjoy your ultimate Santa Barbara vacation so much that you return again and again. The key to that difference is delivering on what is promised.
Many vacation rental agencies are just big clearing-houses that list properties, sometimes all over the world. They do not usually specialize in a region and offer no other services, aside from rental matchmaking. They can't make guarantees about the Santa Barbara beach house rental you've booked because their representatives have never visited them, inspected them for health and safety concerns, or even met the owners. They cannot vouch for the actual condition of the vacation rental property, the advantages/disadvantages of the location, etc.
Some agencies just want to book the beach rental and collect their fee. They may not care too much about what happens during your stay.
If you've never visited the Santa Barbara beach rental house you're considering, or gotten a firsthand report from a trusted friend, you have no idea whether the photos you've seen on the web site are an accurate representation. They might be outdated, retouched or from an entirely different place. (It goes without saying that you should never rent a vacation rental that doesn't offer photos!) Beware of any site that only offers view or exterior shots. If they're not willing to show you what the vacation house rental looks like inside, you don't want to stay there.
With a professional vacation rental company, you can be assured that the quality you see is the quality you will get.

Booking a Vacation Rental Tip #5: Go with the highest standards of quality.
Professional vacation rental agencies are held to higher standards than private owners. Even if an owner fervently believes that their Santa Barbara vacation rental is clean and up-to-date, their standards might not match your own. One person's no-visible-dust-bunnies and hi-fi-system are another person's filthy and anachronistic. A professionally managed Santa
Barbara vacation house rental will also be a professionally cleaned and maintained vacation house rental.

Booking a Vacation Rental Tip #6: Understand the risks of booking through free listing sites like Craigslist.
Listing on a free site is, well, free. No crime in that (who doesn't love free?), but that might point toward a general laissez-faire attitude the owner has toward his property and tenants.
The owners who are willing to pay a fee to keep their vacation houses booked and in first-class condition have already demonstrated their care and commitment to a working relationship that is beneficial to all parties. The management companies they work with are companies you can rent from worry-free.

Booking a Vacation Rental Tip #7: Don't be afraid to negotiate.
The more often these vacation rentals are occupied, the happier the owners are, so if you are planning a last-minute or a long-term stay or if you are a frequent visitor, there is often room to negotiate on the price of your vacation rental. Sometimes the discount might be as much as 30 percent.

Booking a Vacation Rental Tip #8: Do your research and compare rates, amenities, and conditions before entering into a rental agreement.
When you're trying to narrow down your choice of a Santa Barbara vacation rental, be sure you're comparing apples to apples. A smaller house on the beach will likely cost more than a larger one in the hills. Know what you're getting from each property, and from each management company. Follow your gut and go with the company that will cheerfully show up in the middle of the night to snake the sink.
Another benefit to working with a Santa Barbara vacation rental professional management company is that it's so easy to do a background check on them. Call or visit the Better Business Bureau or a vacation rental site like FlipKey.com. Has the firm had any reasonable complaints lodged against them? How were they resolved? Type the name of the Santa Barbara vacation rental firm and its owner into Google and you'll get a wealth of informative opinions.

The increasing popularity of Santa Barbara vacation rentals has led to an abundance of online resources. Your best bet is to do due diligence and compare rates, amenities, reputations, views, and conditions before entering into a rental agreement. It's your vacation and booking the right accommodations will help you ensure that your holiday will meet and exceed your expectations.

Graham Farrar is a Santa Barbara local with specialized knowledge in the popular destination's attractions and activities. He is a Santa Barbara Vacation Rentals expert and offers tips and advice for traveling to Santa Barbara on the http://www.sbluxuryrentals.com/ blog.

Amazing Honeymoon Luxury Cruises For A Cherished Experience

There are several cruise lines at different destinations and they attract large numbers of honeymooners in today's date. These lines also offer perks through which the newly married couples are attracted. Several arrangements are made for these newly wedded couples ranging from a warm welcome with fresh flowers, to even champagne. In fact, if the nature of the tour that you are planning is of outdoor types, then the luxury cruises are certainly the ideal option for you. In fact, nothing can be better than gift to your partner than a romantic trip to this luxury liner. There is nothing to be worried about the budget, because you would get several budget cruises, as well.

The moment you step into the cruise, you would feel the difference. Apart from the warm welcome that you receive, you would also get plenty of assistance from the crew members. They would show you the way to your suite, which is indeed very luxurious with spacious bedrooms and washrooms along with a balcony, so that you can enjoy the real beauty of the sea. In addition to that, the range of food that you would get from these luxury cruises is also something that you would simply fall in love with here.

There are many luxury lines that would give you an option in the selection of the food. These cruises have many restaurants, bars even lounges. Therefore, while you are at the cruise, you can visit any of these in accordance to your needs. Surprisingly, you would also find theatres at night for your entertainment. It can be a beautiful night in the luxury cruises with casinos, night clubs and celebration. You can also avail the facilities of fitness centers or swimming pools in these cruises. Thus, you can spend time with your partner here as and when you want. In fact, it is true that you would get the perfect charm of relaxation when you are on a cruise honeymoon trip.

There are many special packages that are offered by the luxury cruises. You would have the freedom to make your own choice in terms of the package selection, as well as, the selection of the activity in which you will enjoy. Thus, this can give the best ever experience to you and your partner, and you would cherish this trip throughout your life. Thus, it is high time that you select the destination for your honeymoon and make planning in advance. This would be the best gift that you can give to yourself and your partner.

The Best Taiwan Luxury Hotels, Vacations, Tours, Travel Packages

Shaped roughly like a tobacco leaf, 240 miles long and 85 miles wide, Taiwan is located 100 miles off the coast of southeastern China and is approximately the same size as Holland.

The Portuguese named it La Isla Formosa ("beautiful island") during their occupation in 1517 and for very good reasons. The east coast has magnificent cliffs that dive straight into the ocean and mountains, many over 10,000 feet high, cover two-thirds of the island. The Jade Mountain (Yushan), for example, is the tallest peak in northeast Asia at 13,114 feet; the climate at sea level is subtropical.

Taiwan has been loosely affiliated with China since the 13th century and independent since 1945. Today, Taiwan is a living showcase of Chinese culture and tradition. The best display of China's past is seen in The National Palace Museum in Taipei, reputed to be the world's greatest repository of Chinese art.

Another of Taipei's attractions is the Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial, one of the most breathtaking sites in Taiwan. Jade markets, tea shops, parks and more museums also await you.

Taiwan is situated in the Western Pacific about 160 kilometers (100 miles) off the southeastern coast of the Asiatic Continent. Lying midway between Korea and Japan to the north and Hong Kong and the Philippines to the south, Taiwan is a natural gateway for travelers to and within Asia. Taiwan has a total area of nearly 36,000 sq. km (14,400 sq.miles).

The island is shaped roughly like a tobacco leaf, and is bisected north to south by the Central Mountain Range. About two-thirds of the island is covered with mountains with the rest made up of foothills, terraced flatlands, and coastal plains and basins. Yu Shan (Jade Mountain), the island tallest peak, towers 3,952 meters (12,966 feet) above sea level. The Tropic of Cancer crosses the southern part of Taiwan.

Taiwan proper also includes the Penghu Archipelago--a group of 64 islands--and 21 other islands. Most of them are of volcanic origins, while some are formed by a mass of coral reefs.

Taiwan is a stable democracy and has a strong and well-developed economy. Tourist facilities are widely available.

Managing Your Marriage, Mission, and Money

If you are an "average" American couple, you just dropped $27,000 on your wedding, not including your honeymoon, and you have both credit card and student loan debt, but you did not spend one minute on personal financial planning prior to the big day. Your bouquet is drying in garage; your ring is a bit less shiny; and your wedding album has found its home on your coffee table. So what's next?

Welcome to the marriage. It is time to talk about what your life will be about and how you will manage your money in order to achieve the vision. Relatively speaking, the wedding vision was easy-date, dress, rings, color scheme, guest list, venue, music, etc. The marriage vision is a bit more complicated, and maybe you just expected "happily ever after" now that the big day is over, but you must have heard that terrible marriage statistic, right? Fifty to sixty-percent of marriages end in divorce during the first five years.

Yikes! Fear not---couples that have a mission and some basic financial literacy and planning beat the odds.

So, what is a marriage mission and how do you get one? Your marriage mission is similar to a strategic military mission, a religious mission, and a corporate mission statement. Like a military mission, you need a target: who and what do you want to focus your life on together? Like the religious mission, you will want to focus your target on serving something larger than yourselves and your own interests. Finally, like a good corporate mission statement, you need to summarize the mission in a sentence or two, complete with action verbs, value words, and the targeted people group. For example, "Our mission is to serve and educate homeless children in Los Angeles."

This is a mission. It is clear. It is specific. It is focused on two action verbs, one people group, and one location. Ideally, it matches up with your shared values, talents, careers, passions, and interests. Wow! Suddenly your life is about something specific, which takes the focus off of looking towards each other fulfillment, and looking for ways to serve and grow in the same direction. And, because this mission is so laser focused, it makes it easy for you to know where to spend your two most valuable treasures-time and money.

Without a mission, time and money are generally scattered in all directions. This mission dictates where you will live, what you will do in your spare time, and on what you will spend or save your extra money. So, how do we actually achieve this mission?

There are ten basic money management tricks to help you live your mission and lead a fulfilling marriage:

1) Get out of debt-list your debts from least to greatest, and pay the minimum payment on all debts, except the smallest one. Once that smallest one is paid off, apply the money you were paying on the smallest one to the next debt on the list. You cannot live your mission if you are a slave to financial institutions.

2) Make sure you save as much as possible in your long-term retirement accounts, so that you can retire sooner and start working on your mission full-time. If you have a corporate job, you likely have a 401(k). If you are with a small firm, you might have a Simple-IRA. If you work for a government agency, like a school district, you likely have a 403(b) or other pension plan. If you are self-employed, you need to set up an SEP (self-employed pension) if you do not already have one. These are tax-advantaged accounts, meaning they allow you to grow your money tax-deferred or tax-free. This allows you to increase your after-tax-income, which is like giving yourselves immediate raises.

3) Set up a Health Savings Account (HSA), not a Medical Savings Account (MSA), and you will give yourself an immediate tax break, equivalent to a serious pay raise. This account allows you to spend less on your health care coverage premiums by increasing your deductibles, but you will pay your deductibles out of this tax-free account. This money grows tax-free, and you can use it on qualified medical expenses, and unlike an MSA it does not expire at the end of each year. It continues to grow.

4) Create a monthly budget, and stick to it. You will save thousands of dollars annually by tracking expenses closely. We like Themint.com, but there are many money management tools online and possible free services available through your financial institution.

5) Save six months' worth of living expenses in a bank account for emergencies only. Sorry, Christmas is not an emergency!

6) Start a Donor Advised Fund Account (DAF), which gives you the ability to invest and grow funds that you plan to donate to your mission. You get an immediate tax-deduction when you make the contribution to the account, and you may grow it tax-free over time, allowing you to make one huge lump sum donation to your cause. This is like having your own personal foundation, without the legal fees or the multi-million minimum balances.

7) Put money for major expenses including home maintenance, car payments, home purchases, and vacations into a liquid investment account, like an Exchange Traded Funds account (ETF), and put stop-losses on it. An ETF is like a mutual fund, except with stop-losses, you can pre-set it to sell before it falls to your specific minimum dollar value. For example, if you buy at the ETF at $40 per share, and you set a stop-loss at $30, it will automatically prevent you from a free fall. Also, you can set it to adjust the stop-loss automatically. If your fund grows from $40 to $50, you can arrange for the new stop loss to automatically change from $30 to $40. This gives you access to the highest performing asset class (stocks) while minimizing the volatility.

8) Only pay cash for cars, and buy slightly used vehicles to avoid luxury taxes. Save for your car every month; instead of paying that $450 to the dealership, pay it to your own savings account. When your car needs to be replaced, you will be ready. Also, extend the life of your car by one or two years, and you could save hundreds of thousands over your lifetime.

9) Only buy a house when you are convinced that you plan to live in that location for five or more years, and when you have saved for a 20% down payment. Look for the value property-an older house in a newer, up-and-coming neighborhood.

10) Make regular dates to talk about and plan your financial life. Set and agenda, go somewhere beautiful, order your favorite drinks, and spend time reviewing your mission beforehand to keep you on track.

The pursuit of the mission will automatically prioritize your spending, saving, and giving. It will contribute to greater levels of intimacy in your relationship, and you will make a difference together in your corner of the world. In order for the mission to give you this momentum, it must be based on ideas about which you are both passionate.

Robbye Schroeder is a wife, mother, and recovering spend-a-holic. Drawing on her copywriting background for the financial services industry, she distills complex lingo into manageable action steps towards a "revised version of the American Dream," which includes the pursuit of successful life-long marriage. Robbye is passionate about helping newlyweds gain tools to avoid potholes on the path to marital bliss.

Find out more at: http://www.themarriagepurse.com/