CulturallyOurs How to budget for your next travel trip or next vacation

Creative Ways To Save Money For Travel

01.27.21
CulturallyOurs How to budget for your next travel trip or next vacation

For so many of us, travel is one of the greatest adventures of life. It is a fantastic way to leave our mundane, our everyday normal and go experience something new and unique.  And who wouldn’t want to have an epic adventure that will feed your soul with incredible memories for years to come, right? But travel is also a very expensive adventure. From transportation to accommodations, to nourishment, to activities, the expenses quickly add up. Even the most basic or budget oriented traveler still needs to save money for travel.

The good news is that with a little bit of planning, some prudent financial strategies and some sacrifices, you can save money for a lovely and memorable holiday. After all there is nothing more rewarding than getting to a destination at the start of your journey knowing it was your own hard work that put you there, is it?CulturallyOurs How to budget for your next travel trip or next vacationHere are some creative ways to save money for your next big (or small) adventure.

#1 Fix your finances

When it comes to saving, having a clear financial goal is a great first step. To make the goal more manageable, divide it by the number of months or even weeks before your intended big trip. Breaking down your savings goals like this will make it appear more attainable as opposed to a large amount at one go. You will also have a clearer idea of how much you need to put away and save each time you get your paycheck.

#2 Start a separate savings account

Get an online savings account that accrues interest and give it a motivating name like ‘My Perfect Vacation’ or ‘Trip of a lifetime’. Put a little bit away every week or every month. This account is what fuels your motivation to save for your honeymoon so keep checking it regularly.

#3 Piggy bank to the rescue

You will be amazed at the amount of loose change you can find in and around the house. Get used to putting away loose change and even some higher denomination bills into a piggy bank. Piggy banks that you have to break to get access to the money are best as they remove the temptation to touch your savings too early.CulturallyOurs How to budget for your next travel trip or next vacation

#4 Change your eating habits

If you are wondering what your eating habits have to do with your next travel adventure, just take a look at the last bill for a meal you ate outside. When you consider the cost of a single restaurant meal and how much that can get you closer to your money goals, it makes sense to try to cut down on eating out. If you just buy a lunch sandwich every day for around $10, that’s $50 in any given work week. This money could be easily going towards your travel fund. While completely cutting out eating out might not be possible, try and limit it to save a bit more each week. Also look for coupons at the supermarket and grocery stories the next time you go shopping. With a little prep work and meal planning, you might be able to save even more each week as you try and hit that financial goal.

#5 Sell unwanted stuff

Getting rid of unwanted possessions is a great way to make some cash. Join your local ‘for sale’ Facebook group or use websites like ebay.com and craigslist.com to sell unwanted clothes, books, exercise gear, furniture and more. The more stuff you get rid of, the more money you can save that you can use towards your honeymoon.

#6 Control your spending

Gone are the days where we would walk around with money in our pockets to pay for things day in and day out. These days, just a tap of a phone app or a swipe of plastic gets us anything and everything we need. So how can we control our spending effectively? How about going old school? Put a post-it note to your credit card with the dates of your trip. Every time you swipe the card, you will remember you are trying to save up for the most memorable trip and guilt yourself a little into spending frivolously. It is amazing how suddenly that third cup of Starbucks doesn’t seem quite that appealing when you see that post-it note. If you want to take this a step further, budget a certain amount each week and keep that in loose change in your wallet. Pay with cash and once it is done, wait till the next week for any additional expenses.CulturallyOurs How to budget for your next travel trip or next vacation

#7 Free.99 is a great price

There is no shame in playing the free game. Once you are really committed to saving you will realize how easy it is to seek out and enjoy things that are free. Free museum days, free concerts in the park, free movie night at the local community center, free outdoor experiences like hikes and nature walks, free beach days are just some of the events. Your local city tourism board or even your community newspaper is a great resource to find free things to do to curtain some of your entertainment expenses as you save up for your trip.

#8 Reassess monthly expenses

Take a look at all your monthly bills and figure out all the recurring expenses. Do you really need cable and Netflix in any given month? Do you have multiple gym memberships and don’t even make it out to one every week? What about that wine subscription club that has been going on for years? Some monthly expenses like rent, electricity, medical are absolutely essential. But there are at least a few monthly expenses that are probably not 100% essential for the immediate future. Try and cut at least a couple of them off your monthly expense list as a way to save up for that perfect trip.CulturallyOurs How to budget for your next travel trip or next vacationWhile not all these tips will work for everyone, it is worth the time and the effort to try and implement at least a few to save up for your next big trip. Think of it as a way to save up now for a little indulgence when you are on your vacation, right? The last thing you want is to get  to the perfect location only to have to really watch what you spend there because you did not plan ahead.

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Tips For Saving For Travel By CulturallyOurs

 

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