How to Save for the Perfect Vacation
Saving for a holiday can be very difficult for many people. You have expenses, maybe a family to take care of, and with the current state of everything becoming more expensive, it can be hard to find ways to save a fraction of what you need for a holiday, let alone all of it.
However, with enough time and planning, it is possible to save for a dream holiday and attain all the necessary documents to travel in time, like your prescriptions for nicotine vaping and essential travel documents.
Understand Your Money Flow
The first step is to understand and be aware of where all of your money goes. With all the current subscriptions and bills, it can be hard to track how much money you are spending each month and where it is all going. What are you spending on your monthly entertainment, or how many times do you go out to eat?
This step will also help you see where you can cut back, as you will be aware of all the things you pay for that you may not need.
Start Early
The next thing you should do is to start as early as you can. Saving for a holiday is much easier if you do it over a year or two, as opposed to a few months. This also means you only have to put away a little bit of money at a time, as opposed to a big chunk of your paycheck.
Set a weekly or monthly savings goal, and try to stick to it as close as possible. Doing it over a more extended period also means skipping a month due to an unexpected expense won’t damage your overall saving goal too much.
Plan in Advance
Plan what you are going to do on your trip far in advance as this will give you an idea of how much spending money you will need. While prices will vary depending on the time of year, how many people will be joining, etc., you will, at the very least, have a ballpark figure to work with.
Cash-Back Rewards
Cash-back rewards can be used in two ways when saving for a holiday; the first is to start using store loyalty cards as a way to save on groceries, and the second is to investigate different credit cards that offer frequent flyer miles or hotel discounts.
The first is self-explanatory, but there are many financial institutions that have teamed up with airlines and hotel chains to offer clients rewards for using their services. Considering you will be using your card to pay for stuff in your daily life anyway, over a long enough period, you can gather up a decent amount of rewards to use on your vacation.
Cut Back on Expenses
Another step you can take is to look into your expenses and see where you can cut back. While you shouldn’t cut out treating yourself completely (not buying a coffee from Starbucks will only save you a couple of dollars), see where you are overspending.
Maybe you aren’t a fan of cooking, so you eat out a lot, or maybe you’re “that friend” who likes to buy everyone drinks while you’re out; try and cut back where you can.
Use Travel Agents
Travel agents are the best people to use if you are trying to look for a good deal on a holiday. Not only do they know where to look for the best prices, but they also have contacts that can help you out as well.
You can also use them as a guide to find out other things like affordable places to eat, what to see and do that won’t cost an arm and a leg, etc.
Book Cheap Hotels
While staying in a 5-star hotel may be part of your “dream vacation” idea, it isn’t really necessary. If you are in a new country, the most you will do in your hotel is sleep and maybe eat breakfast. In tourist hotspots, hotels can also end up being incredibly expensive.
Instead, look for a hotel that satisfies all of your needs but isn’t the Four Seasons or the Savoy. Most countries and cities across Europe, Asia and South America that are popular with tourists will have hundreds of beautiful yet inexpensive hotels just waiting for you to stay in.
Take Advantage of Discounts
If you keep your eye on airlines and hotel chains, they will often have great discounts for you to take advantage of. While these often coincide with travelling during off-seasons, it does mean you can get everything you want but for much less money, as long as you are flexible.
Consider a Cruise
Finally, one form of travel that many look over is going on a cruise. There are dozens of cruises nowadays that last two or three weeks and make numerous stops in the Caribbean or along the Mediterranean, for example.
What is great about these cruises is that they are all-inclusive, you don’t have to worry about hotels or eating out, and you also get to see multiple countries all with one ticket. While you have no control over how long you stay somewhere, they are perfect for people looking for a glamorous yet unique adventure.
