So, you want to take the family on vacation. Good for you! Vacations can be wonderfully educational. More than that, they are great memories to be savored over and over again. They're times of family togetherness that are generally unsurpassed. But how can you do this on one income? In a word, PLANNING. The more time you have to plan, the better your chance of meeting your budget.
That's the first step -- a budget. For most of all, we'll end up going a little over, but a budget sets parameters. I like to think of it as a GOAL, not a mandate. Paul, of course, would prefer it was set in stone.