Wendy and I were taking a trip to Alma, a small town in South Georgia, to visit her aunt. The driving time was over 5 hours, and we needed to leave on a Friday evening. We therefore agreed to stay at a hotel along the way to avoid driving through the night.
I wanted to go ahead and book a Holiday Inn Express in Dublin Georgia. Dublin was almost 2 hours away from Alma, but it was still the largest town along our route. The Holiday Inn Express would also have a tasty breakfast option at around 6:00 AM the next morning.
Wendy did not want to book as she felt we needed to get closer to our destination before finding a hotel. She felt we could always book a room upon arrival in a town somewhere closer to Alma.
I was nervously scouring the internet for other hotels along the route. There seemed to be fewer than a handful, and none of them had brand names. These hotels almost certainly had rooms facing the outside, which have always scared me. I have always felt a level of security from having my room inside of a building (with cameras).
A cleansing hot shower or bath
As we approached Dublin, Wendy gently persuaded me to turn away from the Holiday Inn Express, and with it a comfy bed, more rewards points, and a 6:00 AM breakfast.
For the next hour, we were driving on a very dark road, with no sign of any other cars or people. I knew there wouldn’t be a Waldorf Astoria popping up along this route. I was getting tired, and asked Wendy if we could pull over to switch drivers. It took a little convincing as Wendy was getting increasingly nervous about how desolate the road was. We finally came upon a very small town with two hotel options. I looked both up on Yelp. One had received a single star rating (out of 5), which I didn’t even think was possible for a hotel that was still in business. The other had received two stars, which felt like a jackpot relatively.
However, when we arrived at the two-star hotel, it looked a little scary. The property had not been kept up well and many of the windows were cracked with some too dirty to see through. Wendy said there was no way she would stay at the Bates Motel, so we agreed to drive to the next town another 30 minutes away.
It was here that we came across a hotel that received three stars on Yelp. I couldn’t contain my excitement and immediately indicated this is where we would stay. The room rate seemed reasonable, and the folks at the front desk seemed friendly. The room charge included a very large deposit, which I inquired about. I was told that folks will frequently punch holes in the walls and that the hotel needed to protect against this contingency. I hesitantly and nervously indicated that I understood and assured the manager that no such shenanigans would occur with Wendy and me.
The hotel ended up being clean and Wendy and I got some good rest. We also received our full deposit back.
Setting the mood with incense
In financial planning, not taking care of things in advance can cause your available options to diminish quickly in the face of an unforeseen event.
If tragedy strikes, how will your family navigate the absence of proper retirement plan beneficiary designations or the lack of an organized estate plan? How will your heirs cope financially without proper insurance in place to replace your lost income? If there is no cash reserve, where will your income come from in the event of a job loss coupled with a bad stock market?
The outcome could be a bit more perilous than having to choose amongst some less than desirable hotel accommodations. Wendy and I were forced to rely on luck. While luck can help avoid a disastrous outcome, it is never a plan.
Our motto is “we can help you with that.” We will collaborate with you on any financial decision you make, engaging other subject matter experts when necessary. We will not stop until we get things right. We encourage you to reach out to us for assistance in making important financial decisions and we always appreciate you recommending us to others.
Setting the mood with incense
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Most investments are meant to be long term. Always evaluate whether the time horizon required for an investment to succeed matches your timeline for liquidity.
Imagine in mine and Wendy’s case if the doors and the windows locked just as we were trying to leave or that someone came down the stairs just as we were wandering around the main level.
Our motto is “we can help you with that.” We will collaborate with you on any financial decision you make, engaging other subject matter experts when necessary. We will not stop until we get things right. We encourage you to reach out to us for assistance in making important financial decisions and we always appreciate you recommending us to others.
by Hetmayar
Authored by Gary Alpert
Tracking ID: 634911
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