A testimony from Kayse from Finding Hope ^[1]

My husband and I had a stressful year. He was in grad school and worked three jobs, and I worked full time from home and took care of our daughter.

That didn’t leave much time for each other, and we needed to get away together for a few days! However, we already had a tight budget and didn’t know how we could possible afford a three-day trip.

Here’s what we did:

• We put a cookie jar on the dresser in our bedroom, and collected all of our change for about six months.
• My husband put aside all of the tip money he received from one of his jobs, adding it to the cookie jar, all year long.
• He also picked up a few extra gigs throughout the year (he is a professional musician) that we hadn’t expected or added into our budget, so all of that money went in the cookie jar!
• I cut the grocery budget and didn’t by any extras in any category during the last three weeks before the trip.

Although I knew about and helped contribute to the money saving, my husband did all the planning, keeping the trip a complete surprise for me! He scoured the internet and found all the best deals! He also planned the trip mid-week for the best hotel prices!

Here’s what we got to enjoy:

• Three glorious days in Big Bear Lake, only an hour and a half away from our home. (We didn’t have to spend much on gas.)
• A toddler-free trip! He asked his parents to come stay with our girl… for free!
• A car rental — just for fun, he rented a convertible for the trip! He knew the manager, as she came into his store every day, so he got the car for less than $50 a day.
• Two nights in an inn with an in-room spa tub — for $150 total!
• Freedom! Because we had more than enough cash on hand for the three days, we were able to do whatever we wanted. We went out to nice dinners, took a boat ride, and got a couples’ massage at a local spa!

It was so much fun to be able to go on a trip and not worry about how we were going to pay for everything when we got home!

The freedom of paying for everything in cash really added to the relaxation of our trip! It allowed us to spend time together and take advantage of enjoyable opportunities, without having to worry about the cost. We were able to invest in the weekend and each other! You can read more about our trip here ^[2].

We’ll never do it another way again!

Kayse is a wife, mommy, and teacher. She writes over at Finding Hope ^[1] about finding hope among the day-to-day realities of dinners, dishes, and diapers.

Have you saved up and paid cash for something — large or small? Submit your story for possible publication here ^[3].