Harris Financial Coaching Blog

There are some places you visit that are not meant to entertain you. They are meant to make you pause. That is how I felt walking through the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, DC. From the moment we stepped inside, the quiet felt different. It was not just silence. It felt like the building itself was asking us to slow down, pay attention, and truly see what happened.

A resort can look beautiful online, but the real question is this: what does it actually feel like once you arrive? That is what I wanted to capture during my stay at Catalonia Royal Tulum. It is an adults-only, all-inclusive resort in Mexico’s Riviera Maya. Catalonia Royal Tulum has a calm, tucked-away feel. Here is one of the first tips I would give anyone visiting this resort.

Sometimes the best part of a trip is not the big-ticket attraction. It is the place you wander into for food, then end up staying because every corner has something different to see. That was Ponce City Market for us in Atlanta. We visited three times during our three-day trip because it was close to everything and gave us a little bit of everything: food, desserts, local shops, rooftop views, vintage finds, and easy access to the Atlanta BeltLine.

Tybee Island is just outside historic Savannah and is known for its beaches, lighthouse, seafood, and coastal feel. The official Tybee Island visitor guide describes it as a coastal escape with several beach areas, including North Beach, Mid Beach, Back River Beach, South Beach, and Little Tybee Island. For this trip, we spent about $500 total for a four-day getaway, and the biggest reason it worked was that we planned before we packed.

Military families often know how to stretch a dollar because they have had to. Between moves, deployments, family visits, school schedules, and tight vacation windows, travel is rarely as simple as picking a destination and booking the first price that pops up. But here is what I have learned as a veteran, military spouse, financial counselor, and someone who loves to travel: many military families are paying full price while earned benefits sit unused.

Discover how hiking and nature unlock financial clarity by reducing stress-driven spending. Learn mindful money strategies from a financial coach's Saint Lucia experience.

Planning your next vacation presents a critical financial decision: hire a travel agent or manage the logistics yourself?

Welcome to Paradise: Arriving at Sandals Royal Barbados. Our Barbados adventure began with a smooth arrival at the airport, where the tropic