So you’re setting up for an incredible vacation, but at the way you’ve been saving, you might have to wait until the year 2030 to have enough money. Not to fear: with a little extra planning and effort, you should be able to easily save enough to take a small trip in a year, or a big one within a few years…depending on your travel goals, of course. But here are some ideas that might inspire you towards saving.
1. Use travel discount sites.
When you sign up for hotel-finder sites like Travel Set Go, you can save up to half price on hotel rooms. If you pre-purchase from sites like Groupon, you can save on a variety of food, beverages, and attractions. Planning your budget ahead of time using discount can work in your favor and get you to your goal amount quicker than you think.
2. Sleep on your purchase decisions.
There’s no doubt that we all buy things we don’t need…and some of us do this more often than others. To combat impulse buying, some suggest waiting 30 days, but that might be a little extreme. Even waiting 1-2 days after you see something you love is enough time to decide whether it’s worth putting you a step behind in your travel savings.
3. Minimize and liquidate.
Sell, sell, sell! You may be surprised at how much some things go for on sites like eBay. Start getting into the habit of just ditching furniture and other bigger items that have no sentimental value and you don’t use, then stick those increments in a special vacation savings account. You’d be surprised how fast it can add up.
4. Pay closer attention to your day-to-day habits.
It’s not really about what you are buying as much as it is why and when. It may be that you have developed a habit of grabbing an afternoon latte at work because you need a break from your desk—but is there something else you can do instead that veers you away from temptation?
5. Set up a second income stream.
There are plenty of things you can do to earn extra income: sell crafts on Etsy or at local markets, walk your neighbor’s dogs, see if your friends need housekeeping or handiwork done. Having an extra job will keep you busier so that’s less free time to be spending money.