DR. WALLACE: I'm on track to graduate high school with a decent grade point average after getting off to a slow start with my academic career as a freshman. I really struggled mightily that first year and even into my sophomore year, but now I'm a guy who has figured it out and has built good study routines, discipline and the ability to navigate my way toward decent grades, even if I'm nowhere near the top of my class.

After this long and arduous journey, all I can think about is enjoying myself this coming summer! I envisioned myself traveling, taking a vacation (perhaps in Europe), and just traveling around for a few months to relax, catch my breath, and then come home and prepare for my future career or academic journey.

My father is strongly against this, as he thinks spending a couple of months this summer traveling and not planning for my future is "irresponsible" and a waste of my valuable time. He literally told me that after I get my life in order, there'll be plenty of opportunities to take vacations throughout my lifetime.

But the way I see it, I'm only going to be this young once, and I have a good buddy in high school who wants to go with me. It would be much safer for the two of us to travel together, and we're both high school athletes, so we feel we can handle ourselves within reason as long as we're alert and don't take any stupid chances. My mother is less down on my ideas than my father is. She has mentioned that she can understand why I would like to take a break at this point, but she also thinks that, at some juncture soon, I need to get serious about my future.

What do you think about this? If I do end up traveling for around 60 days this summer, would you consider that irresponsible behavior since I have yet to completely formalize my future plans? — Hungering for a Refreshing Road Trip, via email

HUNGERING FOR A REFRESHING ROAD TRIP: I agree with your perspective here and disagree with your father's assessment that you are behaving irresponsibly. You worked hard to successfully complete your high school academic career, so taking some extended time off to enjoy travel with a friend while you're young and eager makes a lot of sense in my book.

And even though you may be enjoying your travels and the experiences that will go on this coming summer, it doesn't mean that all that time will be for naught. You are certain to see things, experience things, and learn to look at the world in new, different and perhaps even exciting or interesting ways. These experiences could potentially impact your future decisions regarding your academic or career opportunities.

Working hard and being responsible is a very good foundation to operate from. But taking a well-deserved break before resuming another segment of hard work and responsibility can refresh and invigorate almost anyone. In your case, I trust you will absolutely benefit from this time off. I'm rooting for you to be successful in being able to finance and enjoy your summer travels.

MY HUSBAND FEELS WE SHOULD SPEND NOW, SAVE LATER

DR. WALLACE: I'm 20 and a relative newlywed, as I've been married to my husband for 15 months. We get along great together, and I've always felt we were very much right for each other, but now that the euphoria of the wedding and our union is over, we're facing real-life situations day by day.

One area of frustration for me has been our two opposing views on managing family finances. I wouldn't say that this situation has caused us direct friction and strife, but that's mainly because I haven't escalated my feelings to that level yet.

The challenge, as I see it, is that we need to run a practical household, save some money for a rainy day, and enjoy a few indulgences here and there as we go along. My husband's point of view is, we are only struggling with finances now, but in a few years, our careers will develop further, and we'll have much more discretionary income to work with. Therefore, he feels we can spend every last penny in some cases to enjoy ourselves with nights out, vacation trips and other indulgences that I definitely appreciate but don't feel need to be activated as frequently as they presently are.

What's your opinion on this matter, and what can I do to help dial down the frustration I've been feeling about this subject? — We See Finances Quite Differently, via email

WE SEE FINANCES QUITE DIFFERENTLY: Before your frustration boils over, do your best to set a time where the two of you can sit down at the kitchen table and calmly go over your finances together so you can both jointly agree to a budget.

Your husband may be correct in his assessment that the two of you will be bringing in more income in the future, but you are correct in that setting up a budget now will help you immediately and set the foundation for a great financial future for your family as well.

Spending every last dollar at this point in time is not prudent, as every family should seek to put away a minimum of three months' worth of living expenses, and hopefully as much as six months' worth or more into a money market account or short-term U.S. treasury account so that your funds will draw interest but remain available on relatively short notice if needed.

Building these good habits will really benefit you with much more leverage as the two of you grow in your careers and experience increased earning power. Never forget that habits tend to flow forward in time in the manner in which they presently exist, if they remain unchecked. Therefore, it's always wise to seek to build good habits, especially in important areas of life, as early as possible. And for a young couple, finances are one of the most important things that can enhance not only the security of a family's future but the strength of the interpersonal relationship between the partners.

Dr. Robert Wallace welcomes questions from readers. Although he is unable to reply to all of them individually, he will answer as many as possible in this column. Email him at [email protected]. To find out more about Dr. Robert Wallace and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

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