Summer vacation is right around the corner. I'm not a big believer in preplanning every single detail – sometimes the best vacation moments are spontaneous. But unless your rich uncle is paying for the trip, you'll need to do a certain amount of preparation or your budget will fly out the window.

You do have a vacation budget, right? If not, here are a few suggestions for creating one and some cost-saving ideas to help keep expenses down:

First, be realistic about what you can afford. If your vacation will take more than a month or two to pay off, you may want to scale back on this year's trip and start setting aside money now for next year.

When building a trip budget, try to anticipate all potential expenses. Consider things like:

•Airfare-related expenses. Include taxes and fees for items like changing flights, extra leg room, priority boarding, Wi-Fi access, meals, and checked, oversized or overweight baggage.

•Kayak.com, Airfarewatchdog.com and Travelnerd.com provide handy charts that compare various fees for popular airlines; however, always double-check the airline's own posted rules before booking your flight.

•Transportation to and from the airport – at home and all travel locations.

•Car rentals. Factor in taxes, gas, fill-up penalties and insurance (check your auto insurance and credit card policies to ensure you don't pay for duplicate coverage).

•Hotel/lodging. Don't forget taxes and other local fees, charges for phone/Internet, room service, early check-in or departure, gratuities, etc.

•Hotel room rates often are based on double occupancy. Although kids usually can stay for free, many hotels charge extra for additional adults.

•Entertainment. Include meals and snacks, event admission and ticket-ordering charges, transit passes or taxis, sporting equipment rental, babysitters, and special clothing or accessory requirements (sunscreen, hiking boots, etc.)

•Throw in an extra 10 or 15 percent for unanticipated expenses – lost luggage, flat tire, etc.

•Search for deals on flights, hotels and rental cars at comparison sites like Orbitz.com, Kayak.com, Priceline.com,  Hotwire.com , Hotels.com  and Travelzoo.com. But beware: Before clicking "confirm," make sure the final price matches the initial quote. I've seen fares jump $50 or more in just minutes or had the seat I was booking suddenly become unavailable.

A few additional tips:

•Follow and "like" airlines and ticketing sites on Facebook and Twitter. They'll often share sales, discounts and promotional codes with their followers.

•If the airfare goes down after you've purchased your ticket, ask the airline or ticketing site to refund the difference – it couldn't hurt to ask.

•Print and carry a copy of your airline's Contract of Carriage, which outlines your rights and the airline's obligations should your flight be cancelled or delayed for reasons besides weather or other "acts of God."

•Consider vacation rentals listed on sites like Airbnb.com, VRBO.com and HomeAway.com. You can often find cheaper accommodations with more space and amenities than hotels offer.

•Before booking a hotel room online, call the individual property to see if they can beat the company's posted rate. Also ask for member discounts for organizations you belong to like AAA or AARP.

Practical Money Skills for Life, a free personal financial management program run by Visa Inc., has a handy web-based travel calculator that can help you estimate travel costs and reconfigure them to meet your budget needs. It's also available as a free iPhone app, which you can download from iTunes.

Bottom line: A little preplanning now can ensure you don't blow your whole budget on unexpected vacation expenses.

Jason Alderman directs Visa's financial education programs. Follow him on Twitter.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: PRACTICAL MONEY SKILLS: Keep a lid on vacation costs

DESTIN — The 3rd Paddle at the Porch starts at 10 a.m. Aug. 16 behind The Back Porch Seafood & Oyster House, 1740 Scenic Hwy. 98 E., Destin.  The event features one- and three-mile recreational races and a six-mile elite race, to be followed by awards, including a 5,000 cash purse.

People of all ages and skill levels are invited to participate.

For the three- and six-mile races, the cost is $60 before Aug. 16, and $75 on race day.  For the one-mile race, the cost is $48 before Aug. 16, and $55 on race day.  Registration may be completed on Active.com or by downloading a race brochure from the Paddle at the Porch website.

The first 200 people to register are guaranteed t-shirts.

Organizers thank partners BOTE and The Back Porch Seafood & Oyster House, in conjunction with purse sponsor Destin Commons; gold sponsors 99Rock, Brannon & Brannon, The Beachcomber, Buffalo Rock Pepsi, Destin Magazine, MC Photo, and Wyndham Vacation Rentals; silver sponsor Coastal Bank and Trust; and accommodations sponsors Go Southern, Sterling Resorts, and SummerPlace Inn.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: $5,000 purse offered at 3rd annual Paddle at the Porch competition

CRESTVIEW — Dominick "Nick" Trolian must know several things in his role as Arthur, King of the Britons, for Northwest Florida State College's summer musical, "Spamalot."

Namely:

•How to tell if a woman is a witch

•How to deal with taunting Frenchmen

•The airspeed velocity of an unladen swallow

•Plus page after page of rollicking dialogue from one of the stage’s funniest musical comedies.

But, as Arthur tells Sir Bedevere, "you have to know these things when you're a king, you know."

Trolian, a Crestview resident who played Scrooge in View From the Stage's "A Christmas Carol," joins a cast of 21 regional thespians for the musical "lovingly ripped off from the motion picture 'Monty Python and the Holy Grail," as the subtitle states. 

To accede the throne, Arthur explains, "the Lady of the Lake, her arm clad in the purest shimmering samite, held aloft Excalibur from the bosom of the water, signifying by divine providence that I, Arthur, was to carry Excalibur."

But strange women lying in ponds distributing swords don't also distribute plum musical comedy parts. For that, Trolian had to audition.

The role he wanted

"I definitely wanted the part of King Arthur," he said. "I don't think there was any other role I was suited for. There's a lot of dancing in the show and I'm not a particularly good dancer.

"I'm probably the only role in the show that doesn't have to dance a lot."

While Trolian said he has seen the classic 1975 Monty Python film, it wasn't until he heard Northwest Florida State would produce Eric Idle’s stage adaptation that he viewed "Spamalot" performance videos on YouTube.

Having never seen Tim Curry or his replacements in the role, "I am definitely doing my own King Arthur," Trolian said. "I'm really excited because I love to do comedy and I don't get to do it very often."

The July 16-19 run of "Spamalot" marks Trolian's second appearance on the Mattie Kelly Performing Arts Center stage, following last summer's "Les Misérables."

An actor-by-night

A software engineer at Eglin Air Force Base by day, in true community theatre tradition, the accomplished actor-by-night is in rehearsals four evenings a week.

Luckily, Trolian says, his wife, Cathy, and three daughters support his love of theatre, which includes being on the View From the Stage board of directors.

Trolian's enthusiasm for "Spamalot" increases as he sees scenes being blocked for the first time. His favorite is "I'm All Alone," which Arthur sings with his servant, Patsy.

"I'm really excited to see how the scenery's going to look and how all that stagecraft takes place," Trolian said. Scenery designer "Clint Mahlie does a fantastic job."

"I really enjoy being part of the ensemble," he said. "It's a very professional operation … even though it's predominantly a college production. It's high quality all the way through."

Email News Bulletin Staff Arts and Entertainment Editor Brian Hughes, follow him on Twitter or call 850-682-6524.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Crestview actor cast as Arthur, King of the Britons, in 'Spamalot'

Each year when Father's Day rolls around, I'm reminded that I wouldn't trade the experience of raising my two kids for the world. But when I think back to how naïve my wife and I once were about the costs of raising children, I can't help wishing we'd been better prepared.

If you're a new dad, or about to become one, you'd better sit down. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, a typical middle-income family can expect to spend over $241,000 to raise a newborn child until age 18 – and that doesn't even include prenatal care or college costs.

Right now, you're probably more worried about getting enough sleep than funding your retirement. But at some point, you'll need to plot out a financial roadmap to ensure your family's future financial security. As one dad to another, here are a few strategies I've learned that can help:

Start saving ASAP. It's hard to save for the future when your present expenses are so daunting, but it's important to start making regular contributions to several savings vehicles, even if only a few dollars at a time:

Establish an emergency fund with enough cash to cover at least six months of living expenses. Start small by having $25 or $50 a month deducted from your paycheck and automatically deposited into a separate savings account.

Even if retirement is decades away, the sooner you start saving and compounding your interest, the faster your savings will grow. If your employer offers 401(k) matching contributions, contribute at least enough to take full advantage of the match.

Once those two accounts are well established, open a 529 Qualified State Tuition Plan to start saving for your children's education.

If funding these accounts seems impossible, look for a few luxuries you could cut from your budget for six months – lattes, eating out, premium cable, etc. After six months, evaluate whether they were actual "needs" or simply "wants" you can live without.

Get insured. If your family depends on your income, you must be prepared for life's unexpected events, whether an accident, illness, unemployment or death. Get adequate coverage for:

Health insurance. Everyone needs medical insurance, no matter how young or healthy.

Homeowner/renter's insurance. Don't let theft, fire or another catastrophe leave your family without a home or possessions. To reduce premiums, consider choosing a higher deductible.

Life insurance. You'll probably want coverage worth at least five to 10 times your annual pay – more, if you want to cover college costs. And don't forget to insure your spouse's life so you'll be protected as well.

Disability insurance. Millions of Americans suffer disabilities serious enough to miss work for months or years, yet many forego disability insurance, potentially leaving them without an income after a serious accident or illness. Ask about your employer's sick leave and short-term disability benefits and if long-term disability is offered, consider buying it.

Car insurance. Almost every state requires insurance if you own or drive a car, and for good reason: It protects you financially should you cause an accident or be hit by an uninsured driver. Make sure you have sufficient liability coverage to protect your net worth and income – it only takes one serious accident to wipe out your savings.

And finally, spend responsibly. If you buy things you don't really need or can't afford, you'll just end up having to work longer hours to pay for them – time you could have spent watching your kids growing up.

Jason Alderman directs Visa's financial education programs.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: PRACTICAL MONEY SKILLS: Financial advice for new fathers