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6 Strategies To Save Money For Your Next Vacation

Money-Saving Tips For Your Next Vacation

Do the sweet memories of your vacation tarnish a bit when you start getting the credit card bills for it the month after you return home or as you spend a year paying off your trip from last year? Imagine how differently you would feel if there were no bills to come home to! The best way to steer clear of anxiety and guilt is to save for your trip before ever heading out the door.

Doing this will result in a more enjoyable vacation because you'll already have the money set aside and won't have to worry. It's easy to save for a vacation if you set a goal, cut back on your spending, and save money regularly. Start saving on your next vacation!

1Plan Your Vacation

There's nothing more motivating than setting a goal! Get together with the family. Then, agree on a vacation destination.

Saving is rarely exciting. But try attaching it to an objective. Once you do, it becomes tolerable.

2Create A Reasonable Vacation Budget

If you want to save painlessly, a budget helps. Create a reasonable budget. And base it on your destination.

Be sure to include everything. If someone needs to care for your dog and cut your grass, add it. Take the time to be accurate.

3Set A Weekly Savings Goal

Divide your budget by the number of weeks until your vacation. That's how much you need to save each week. Save weekly.

Doing this will make it easier to get back on track if you miss a target. Try not to be an entire month behind. If you do, it will be more challenging to catch up.

4Cut Back On Expenses And Save Money

Make a detailed list of your monthly expenses and see where you can cut back. Everyone buys things that they want rather than need. Food is one area where most families spend too much. Avoid eating out more than necessary, and make an effort to shop more economically. Packaged foods tend to be more expensive than healthier alternatives.

Consider ditching your landline or any other service you don't really use. You, your spouse, and maybe even your children have cell phones. Do you need a landline, too?

What about that gym membership? Are you using it regularly? Look at the loans you're carrying. If you haven't checked the interest rates lately, you might be able to save a significant amount by refinancing.

5Set Aside The Money You Saved

It's one thing to cut your cell phone bill or loan payment down. It's another to actually take that $50 and set it aside so it won't be spent. Create a savings account and simply transfer the money you've saved into it each week.

Consider having some money to be automatically transferred into a "vacation savings account" each month. Try throwing all your change into a jar at the end of each day. Deposit it into your vacation account whenever it gets full.

6Check On Your Progress

Regularly check on the status of your "vacation savings." Look at the calendar and see how you're doing with regard to your savings target. Then make any necessary changes if you need to.

Saving for a vacation can be easy and painless. It all starts with a goal and a budget. Have those two items in place.

This way, you can determine how much you need to save. Implement your plan. Have the best vacation ever without having to worry about spending outside your means!



About Author

Jackie Wing

Jackie Wing is an Alaska native, who enjoys snowboarding more than is probably socially acceptable. She lives in Anchorage with her two dogs Reese and Peanut, or as she likes to call them "Thing 1" and "Thing 2."