My husband surprised me with an off-season beach getaway, our first overnight outing with our daughter in tow. I thought this was very sweet but the sad thing is I would have rather have saved the money as I am unemployed and struggling as is to feed the bank account.
I also think my inlaws will be going and help pay as well.
The amusement park is closed so I'm kind of thinking why do this?
Thoughts?
Family time is Family time!
I say be grateful and take full advantage of this family vacation! Time is precious...
My thought is that things would be financial tight whether or not you took the vacation, right? It's a one time thing, and he was very romantic & sweet to plan this for you. Some people never get family vacations & some women don't have DH's that are as considerate as yours. Resentment due to money issues is a sure path to issues later down the road. Turn your brain off, be grateful, and go have a great vacation.
There will always be good economic times and bad but there will never again be this time in your life. You are your husband are alive, able-bodied and have your daughter. Go and enjoy the trip. If your in-laws are going and helping pay, even better. I'll be less of a financial burden to you and a blessing to them to spend the time with you and your family.
We always went off season before kiddo started school.
Still nice, not sweltering hot.
Have fun!
Why? Because, he LOVES YOU.
Chill out, and be thankful.
My husband and I do an off season beach overnight without the kids once or twice a season. First of all, it is much cheaper. Second of all, we are really there to enjoy the room and the view and each other, we don't want an amusement park! We go out for lunch, spend the afternoon looking in the shops, go for a walk on the peir and down the beach. Then we go for dinner. Watch a movie in our room. Go for a swim in the pool. Enjoy our alone time. Sleep in. Check out, breakfast, some more shops or a walk, then home. Try to have a good time.
Men don't know, or they don't think of ALL those details, like a woman/Mom does.
So, he surprised you with something he thought would mean a lot to you and that you would enjoy. AND it seems, he took a lot of time in planning it... and saving HIS money for it, and even your In-Laws are helping to pay. Wow. Your Hubby did a lot of prep for it.
But you don't like his idea. That's fine.
BUT... I would just, show him appreciation though, for thinking about you. Otherwise, he will be salty and resentful about your not appreciating it and then, he may not do anything thoughtful, in the future.
Later, you can talk to him, about how you are unemployed and struggling as is to feed the bank account.
Talk to him about it, after your beach getaway.
To enjoy a beach, there does not need to even be an amusement park there. Here in Hawaii, there are NO amusement parks, at the beaches. We all still have a nice relaxing quiet fun time.
Maybe he's watching you stress out and took the chance to give you a vaca. As it is off season, it was probably cheaper and he wanted to offer you a moment to decompress. Sometimes when we are consumed (and I say we, because I am in the same predicament as you...no job, money concerns and my b-day just passed) by all our problems, we forget the good stuff. I know I turn into a beast about everything. So......go on the vacation and forget for a minute, relax and enjoy the sweet gift your husband is trying to offer you. I promise you won't regret it. My husband recently did something sweet for my birthday and I too was worried about the money the money......but it will all work out....money is not everything, sometimes we have to give in to the pleasure life has to offer in order ofr everything to make sense. You'll see what I mean when you get back ; )
When you are old and gray, you won't remember all the days you struggled with money. But you will remember a trip to the beach, a favorite meal at a restaurant, making love on the beach under the stars, etc. Do this..you both need it! All couples do :)
Because he's a man, and they don't think like we do. They always want to do the romantic thing... not realizing that most women (not all) prefer the security of cash on hand or in the bank vs. a few days on a beach. Well... the grown up ladies, for the most part, anyway. ;) If you have both, then YAY. If you have one or the other, most adult women with kids, will pick security.
But, since you are there (or will be) try to enjoy it. It isn't such a bad place "after season". The crowds are gone, and you can find more shells during hurricane season and after storms. :) Do you run? It might be pretty cool to try an early hours run on the beach/sand. And walking on the beach at sunset with hubby, holding hands? That is pretty cool, too. Especially if it is deserted and there aren't mobs of people you have to walk around.
You sound a lot like me. No matter what the situation, I always feel guilty spending a lot of money on vacations.
However, getaways have come to be one of the most important luxeries in my life. It's when I get a chance to enjoy my family and not worry about the day to day distractions.
The beach during the off time is a great place to be. We go to Cape Cod every fall. It's not too crowded. The prices are reasonable. It's truley relaxing.
He probably wanted to do more and regrets that he can't take you guys on the vacation that he'd like to, so he did this instead, which is the best he had to offer. Look at it this way: he gave you the best of himself. Guys get tunnel vision sometimes. He was probably zoned in on "what can I do for my wife that I can afford" and not "how can the money be better spent.
As for the off-season. My brother-in-law and his wife go to Myrtle Beach twice a year. They always go on the off season because it is so much more affordable. The upside is that it is less expensive, the beaches aren't crowded, the restaurants aren't crowded. The amusements on the boardwalk are closed, but the money adds up like crazy and you can actually do more for less by going a couple of blocks away from the beach and seeing what the community has going on. That's what my in-laws do every year and the LOVE it and wouldn't ever want to go during high season so they can pay double to squish themselves on the 4th row of blankets at the beach between two families of 20 each who kick sand in their drinks.
I bet you are going to end up having a marvelous time and that it will be the highlight of your memories of a really difficult time. You'll all be like, "Man, that was really a tough time, but do you remember that trip to the beach?!"
