How to Use Your RMD for a Vacation With Your Grandkids

Required minimum distributions can mean higher taxes—but they can also fund unforgettable family experiences.

Treat yourself and your loved ones. Dreamstime/TCA

By Maurie Backman From Kiplinger’s Personal Finance

For people with money in a traditional retirement savings plan, required minimum distributions (RMDs) can be a blessing and a curse. While RMDs can inevitably produce a sizable tax bill, they can also serve as an opportunity to splurge on experiences about which you otherwise wouldn’t dream.

If you’re 78 with a mandatory RMD coming your way this year, you have a choice. You could grumble about having to take that withdrawal and pay the Internal Revenue Service its share, or you could use the money to treat your grown children, their spouses and your grandchildren to a week-long family vacation.

At 78, the return on investment of an experience such as a family vacation is likely higher than any “thing” you could treat yourself to with those RMD funds.

Planning a trip like that, however, might be easier said than done. Even if you don’t have mobility issues at 78, you might not have the same energy level as the younger generations with whom you plan to travel. Since you might shell out some serious cash for a vacation, look into travel insurance. If you’re traveling abroad, you should also consider travel health insurance.

Here are some tips for pulling off a memorable vacation that everyone enjoys.

Focus on Activities That Don’t Split the Family

If your goal is to bond and enjoy new experiences together, it’s important to make sure you plan activities that you can all do together. Paul Whitten, founder, CEO, and historian at Nashville Adventures, says you need to be honest with yourself about what activities you can handle, and focus on those that offer family time that feels unified.

“Grandparents want to be involved, not sitting on a bench watching the younger folks have all the fun,” Whitten explains. “That usually means leaning toward slower, guided experiences.”

Whitten suggests focusing on activities such as walking tours, museum visits, boat rides, scenic neighborhoods, and slower-paced outings.

“Amusement parks and high-energy attractions often split the group fast and alienate older people,” Whitten says. “Older folks love watching the grandchildren smile, but they do not want to be alienated from the group.”

Carve out Time for Everyone to Have Their Own Space

While you don’t want your main activities to force your family to split up, Whitten says it’s also a good idea to give yourself and your family members a little space here and there during your travels.

“The best trips intentionally build in a bit of separation,” he says. After a day of sightseeing, your grown kids may want a night out on the town, while you may prefer a jazz club or a quiet dinner. There’s no reason not to allow for that.

Give Yourselves Easy Access to Different Activities

Since it’s a good idea to build in some solo activities during a family trip, another strategy for making things go smoothly is to choose the right lodging setup, says Casey Halloran, CEO and co-founder at Costa Rican Vacations.

“Private villa rentals, small resorts and destination properties that bundle on-site activities work really well here,” Halloran explains. “They give families shared gathering space but still allow guests to branch off and do their own thing.”

A setup like this could, for example, allow the grandkids to splash in the pool for an hour before dinner while the adults relax or get a massage.

Build in Some Downtime

You might be eager to explore a new destination with your kids and grandkids. But Halloran says it’s also important to build some downtime into your itinerary.

“Older travelers often underestimate how exhausting constant packing, transfers and early excursions can be,” he says.

In Halloran’s experience, multigenerational trips often work best when they’re designed around big, shared moments coupled with sufficient unstructured downtime, whether it’s lounging by the pool or taking longer lunches.

Set Clear Financial Expectations

You might be looking to foot the bill for a multigenerational family trip. Your RMD might be enough to cover all of it, or you might only be in a position to pay for the big-ticket items, such as airfare and lodging, but you expect your grown kids to pay for meals and certain activities.

It’s important to communicate this to your family up front, says Halloran. Setting the tone early can prevent awkwardness later.

Whitten says that if you’re on a budget, it pays to take advantage of local resources.

“Almost every tourist city has a visitors bureau or tourism chamber with discounts posted online,” he says. “Use walking tours instead of expensive trolley tours. Book museums with senior discounts ahead of time. And, my favorite thing, don’t overlook parks.”

Start Your Planning Early

Multigenerational trips can, in many cases, require significant planning. The sooner you get the ball rolling, says Halloran, the smoother things might run.

“My number one tip is to start planning early,” he says. “It takes time to plan a wonderful, thoughtful multigenerational trip, but it’s worth it.”

Planning early also helps ensure that everyone involved can get away without too much hassle.

Your grown kids might have busy periods at work. Your grandkids might have limited school breaks. Providing plenty of notice could allow your kids and grandchildren to get away with clear heads, while giving you time to map out a memorable experience.

Better yet, delegate. Identify your most “type A” adult child and ask him or her to be the principal planner. You can lean on this person for logistics while you provide an overall vision for the vacation.

©2026 The Kiplinger Washington Editors, Inc. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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