|
Very few of us are lucky enough to have a never-ending travel fund. If you want to take off to parts unknown every year like I do, it’s important to figure out money saving tricks that will fill that fund up often enough to pay the vacation bills!
Gifts Galore
The easiest way to start putting cash away for your next big travel adventure, say a month long sojourn in India or a quick jet-set trip to your favourite Hawaiian island, is to let your friends and family know that you’d rather get a donation to your travel fund than flowers, chocolates, gift certificates to clothing stores or other gifts for your birthday.
Let your loved ones know that what you really want is to see the world and that cash gifts will help you get there. If you know Grandma Mae just cannot cut a check and simply must present you with a wrapped present, fill her in on things that will help you get on your way. Maybe you need a new set of luggage, a rugged trail backpack or replacements for your favourite pair of hikers that have seen better days. As long as you’re ticking things off your list (that you’ll have to spend your cash on anyways) getting a travel-related gift will get your closer to the flight gate.
Once your friends and family get that you’d rather travel than do anything else, they’ll comply. After all, a gift is supposed to make you happy and the best gifts are the ones that you really, really want.
Pay Yourself First
This is a great theory when it comes to saving money for retirement, your new house or your next adventure tour kayaking the Grand Canyon! You should allot a percentage of every paycheck to your vacation fund and pay yourself before settling your other expenses for the month, such as your gym membership, your cell phone bill, dinners out, etc.
The key with paying yourself first is that you’ve prioritized your wants and needs and decided that every payday you’d rather put 5 per cent into a high interest savings account (I use ING Direct because the no fee policy ensures all my money goes to financing whatever trip I’m daydreaming about), than try to scrape pennies at the end of the month. Sacrificing one dinner out or that new outfit you don’t really need anyway for a good travel experience is totally worth it. By paying yourself first, the money is there when you need it, every time.
When you get a bonus or your tax refund, consider it vacation money. You’ll feel great for rewarding yourself and you’ll start adding larger lump sums to the pot.
Cut Out One Indulgence
Pick one indulgence, whether it’s your second latte of the day, that weekly mani/pedi that seems to eat up your extra cash or downloading scores of albums on iTunes, and cut it or curb it.
I’m not saying that you should quit coffee or stop listening to your favourite bands; just keep in mind that by consuming less now, you’ll get to go farther in the future. Ideally, you should calculate how much you spend on that particular indulgence and place that amount of money in your high interest savings account. You’ll be heading on vacation sooner than you think. Besides, who cares what your toes look like when you’re sleeping in a hammock by the beach?
Pack Your Lunch
Okay, so I love eating out and I rarely enjoy spending 20 minutes scouring my fridge looking for something edible (and appetizing) to eat during my lunch break, but if I were to start packing my lunch, I’d save an average of $5 to $10 a day. When you do the math, that’s $25 to $50 a week to stash away.
Now start thinking of all the things you can do in Ecuador with $25 or daydream about the wine you’ll be ordering in Southern France! There’s an added bonus here: packing your lunch should help you save money and eat healthier, because we all know that having take-out every day is not good for the waistline. So you’ll be keeping fit and leading a healthier lifestyle, while working your way to a bikini on the beach in France!
Host a Garage Sale
I’m sure you have a few things lying around that need new homes. Clean out the garage, the basement and your room for things that you don’t use anymore. A good policy is that if you haven’t worn it or touched it in the past year, it’s time to send it on its way.
Hold your sale on a Saturday, so that you can take advantage of people out and about in the neighbourhood and professional yard-salers. Clearly ticket all your items (mailing labels work great for this) or put like items (that stack of romance novels) into a bin with the price clearly marked. Don’t expect to get retail value for that old leather jacket; instead, make the price appealing to buyers. You don’t need this stuff anymore, but you do need a hundred dollars, so you can finally buy your plane ticket.
Saving Made Easy
These are just a few tips to get your vacation fund growing, so you can jet off to where ever you please on a regular basis. Incorporate them into your life for results that you’ll count in sunsets on the beach.
|
|
|
|
