Vacation is a great way to take a break and reset. And now that you’re back home in your everyday routine, you might have noticed your wallet isn’t as thick or may have been surprised when you looked at your latest credit card statement... or your account balances! Here are three ways to help financially recover from vacation.

Review Your Spending

Look at all the purchases you made and find out where you might have overspent. Did you splurge on any activities or souvenirs? You want to take advantage of fun opportunities on vacation, but did any unexpected expenses arise? Reviewing your bank statements will give you a better understanding of where your money went. Create a breakdown of needs versus wants from the trip as well as any money you may have spent with family and friends to help better manage expenses next time around.

Create or Change Your Budget

Once you have a good handle on your post-vacation finances, creating a budget or making a few changes to your budget will jumpstart your journey to financial recovery. A budget will help you keep track of everyday expenses as well as keep you from making purchases on items you do not need in the moment. Not only will sticking to your budget impact your recovery time, you’re much more likely to achieve your long-term financial goals as well.

Develop a Plan

Whether it’s replenishing an emergency fund or paying off an overdue credit card balance, plan out how much you can contribute per week (or month) and how long it could take to achieve your goal. Although you have a budget and plan in place, there will most likely be unexpected expenses along the way. Don’t let those expenses discourage you or take away from your progress. It might be in your best interest to save any extra money to help offset those costs.

With Great Occasions (GO) accounts, you can set aside money with auto deposits (if enrolled) for specific purposes - perfect for next year's vacation. A short-term certificate can also provide a great rate without tying up your money for too long.

If you’re struggling with your finances, you’re not alone. The Cinfed Financial Education Center has budgeting tools to help guide you - for free!