A Suze Orman exclusive

If any of the following are true, you might want to reconsider your vacation plans because you are already at serious financial risk.

1. You have credit card balances and your interest rate is above 5 percent. If you can’t afford to pay off your everyday expenditures, don’t make matters worse by adding to your unpaid debt with a big expensive vacation.

2. You aren’t contributing to a 401(k), especially if your company offers an employer match. I can’t stand it when I hear people moan they can’t afford to contribute to their 401(k), then tell me they took two vacations last year that cost a few thousand dollars. Don’t you want to be able to afford that biggest vacation of all—your retirement? If so, it’s time to change your priorities and get going with a 401(k); and if your company has an employer match, that’s a bonus which there is simply no good excuse for ever passing up—let alone passing up for a pricey vacation!

3. You are eligible for a Roth IRA but don’t contribute. If you are single and your income is below $95,000, or a married couple that files a joint tax return with income below $150,000, you are crazy to blow money on a vacation before socking away the $4,000 (per person) max in a Roth each year. Scale back your vacation spending so you can afford to fund a Roth, even if it isn’t to the annual limit.

4. You are still renting because you can’t afford a home down payment. Don’t tell me you are “only” going to spend $2,000 this year on your two vacations. That’s $2,000 that could go into your savings account for a down payment on a house in a few years. A home is one of your best long-term investments; make it a priority.

5. You have no emergency cash fund. Ideally, you want to save up enough to cover eight months of living costs.