Tammy Camp, Author at Women’s Money

26Sep 2021 by Tammy Camp

Best Unique Travel Resources for Planning a Trip

I remember a trip to Ireland about 15 years ago. We drove across the entire country. How did we know where to go? We purchased an Irish road atlas from a travel store. I also used Mapquest (yes, remember Mapquest?!) to pull up the step-by-step directions on my home computer, then I printed them out and brought the printed directions on our trip. Now, I often travel to cities and don’t even do restaurant research ahead of time. I just use my Google Map to find-top rated restaurants “near me.” As we plan our extended trip for my sabbatical, here are the top unique travel resources I’m relying on to plan our search. Top Travel Resources for Planning a Trip We have become so incredibly dependent on the internet, but…

19Sep 2021 by Tammy Camp

How to Set Up Price Alerts to Find Cheap Plane Tickets: 7 Tips and Tricks

Travel

Given that my passions include travel and personal finance, it should be no surprise that I love searching for cheap plane tickets. A key to finding cheaper plane tickets for an international trip is to start your search early and set up a price alert. This gives you a baseline price and then allows you to strike and make a purchase when you see a good deal. Setting Up Price Alerts for Plane Tickets Here are my seven best tips for setting up a price alert and finding cheap plane tickets. 1. Get a Baseline Price Today The first step to finding a cheap plane ticket and setting up a price alert is to know the baseline price for the itinerary you are traveling. What tool you use doesn’t matter, but…

12Sep 2021 by Tammy Camp

Where Should I Travel Next Internationally? 9 Unconventional Ways to Figure It Out

Sabbatical Sundays

When you have an extended period of time to travel, like I will with my sabbatical, or even when you are just planning your next week-long vacation, you have to figure out where you should travel next. Have you been considering traveling abroad and found yourself asking, “Where should I travel internationally?” If so, these tips can help you figure it out. Ways to Figure Out Where to Travel Internationally Figuring out where to travel abroad doesn’t need to come down to spinning a globe and going wherever your finger lands. There are some unconventional ways to find an international travel destination that you’ll enjoy visiting. Here are some out-of-the-box ways to answer the question, “Where should I travel next internationally?” 1. Consider Your Personal Bucket List Do you have…

29Aug 2021 by Tammy Camp

I’ve Got Job Offers. Now What?

Sabbatical Sundays

In the last few months, my job prospects have improved dramatically. I continue to get growth opportunities at my current job, and I have had numerous outreaches and offers for other great jobs. So what’s the problem? I want to take a break from my career in the form of a sabbatical, not climb the ladder. Or do I? All of these reminders that I’m good at what I do for my career throw me into a spiral of doubt. I start thinking about making more money, having more friends at work, and contributing more to the world through the work I do. I think, “Maybe I don’t need a break after all. Why was I even planning to take a break in the first place?” These feelings make me both…

08Aug 2021 by Tammy Camp

$100,000 Savings Goal Update

Sabbatical Sundays

This week, I’m providing you with an update on my journey towards saving $100,000 to take a sabbatical. As you know, I’ve chosen this amount based on a specific savings plan with my “why’s” in mind. At the end of this month, when some equity I have in my company vests, I will have reached my goal. There won’t be a big party or celebration. The calendar will just roll over, and it will be another day. In fact, I’m not even planning to take my sabbatical for some time yet. Why not? That’s a story for another post. So, what does this mean for my day-to-day life? Not much. Just like when people hit whatever goal they are aiming for, whether it’s a million dollars, a FIRE number, a weight loss…

06Jun 2021 by Tammy Camp

Should I Take a Sabbatical or Retire Early With FIRE?

Sabbatical Sundays

Since I had a quiet May writing for Women’s Money, you might be wondering where I’ve been. The truth is that I’ve been doing less writing, more thinking, and more doing. First, the doing. I’ve been spending more time doing the things I want to do on a sabbatical. I’ve been spending more time with my kids, exercising more, cooking more, and working on a side business. Next, the thinking. Sometimes it’s hard to write about something when you begin to question it. (Though, when you are questioning something, this is often the time you should be doing the most writing and journaling about it.) For me, it’s been challenging to write about my sabbatical planning because I’ve been wondering more and more if I want to take a sabbatical.…

25Apr 2021 by Tammy Camp

How to Get Health Insurance During a Sabbatical

Sabbatical Sundays

Recently, I had some significant unexpected medical expenses (no need to worry, everything is ok). These expenses caused me to start thinking more about medical costs during my planned sabbatical and how I will cover them. Right now, my entire family is covered by medical insurance through my employer. While I used to have a vague understanding that the Affordable Car Act would be available to us when I take my sabbatical, the recent health care expenses caused me to look into that more seriously. Health Insurance Options When Taking a Sabbatical Here are the options available to you for health insurance during a sabbatical: 1. Stay On Your Current Employer’s Plan If you are lucky enough to be able to take a sabbatical where you still keep your job,…

18Apr 2021 by Tammy Camp

Where to Put Your Money for Short-Term Savings

Sabbatical Sundays

Saving $100,000 is not easy. It requires a lot of hard work, side hustle, persistence, and sacrifice. It is making me think about what is most important to spend money on and what’s less important. But once I’ve set aside money for my sabbatical, where am I keeping it? The market is roaring right now. If I had bought $20,000 of Peloton stock last March, I would have more than $100,000 today! (Truly, Peloton was a stock I considered investing in when the market was down in March 2020. It was trading around $25/share. In the last few months, it’s been higher than $150/share. Coulda, woulda, shoulda.) But, as a fairly risk-averse person, I keep almost all of my money in index funds. However, this isn’t where I keep my sabbatical savings. Stock…

11Apr 2021 by Tammy Camp

4 Questions to Help You Plan Your Sabbatical

Sabbatical Sundays

Some people plan a sabbatical because they have a particular thing in mind they want to spend their time on. Maybe it’s a round-the-world trip, a massive art project, writing project, house project, or something entirely different. Others (like me) plan a sabbatical because all they know is that they need a break to avoid burnout. If you fall in the latter group, as your time gets closer to actually telling people and then going on sabbatical, you start to wonder, what exactly are you going to do with your time off? Questions to Ask When Planning a Sabbatical Here are some questions to ask yourself as you start figuring out what your sabbatical will look like. 1. How do you spend your time on vacation? Vacation isn’t the same…

29Mar 2021 by Tammy Camp

Is a Sabbatical Like a Long Vacation?

Sabbatical Sundays

I’m currently working remotely and also taking some much needed vacation time. It’s wonderfully relaxing. I get to sleep in, go for runs once the sun is up, cook more meals, spend more time with my kids, feel less rushed, and still feel productive. And I find myself wondering: Is this what my sabbatical will feel like? And the short answer is: I hope so. Some people imagine a sabbatical to be like a really long vacation. For anyone who has been on a long vacation before, you know that towards the end of it (even the middle of it), you are ready to go home. There is only so much completely unstructured down time you can have. On the extended vacations I have previously had, I started having weird dreams or getting…

Author: Tammy Camp