Save for your next vacation
I know what you’re thinking. “Save for vacation? That’s what credit cards are for!” Hey, if you want to end up paying more for your vacation by adding interest to it go ahead. Saving for things ahead of time seems like an old-fashioned idea, but it’s not! It’s a smart idea! But how can you save in today’s economy? I’ve got a few tips for you so you can save for your next vacation. And be sure to check out this vacation planning toolkit for more tips on planning a vacation!
Eat at home
This might sound like a no-brainer, but do you know how much money you can save if you quit going out to eat even every once in a while? A lot! If you’re saving for a big vacation, eating at home makes sense. You sacrifice the immediate pleasure for future pleasure. Think about it. You are a family of four, and you eat out once a week and order pizza once a week. Going out to eat, you’re going to spend at least $50 (very likely more) and pizza probably runs you around $15. To make the same meals, you’ll probably spend around $20 since restaurants mark up their food 300%. If you do this for a year, you will save over $2000! Eating at home is definitely worth it when you want to save for your next vacation.
Make your coffee at home
Ouch, right? I know how easy it is to run through your favorite drive-thru for your favorite coffee, but if you really want to save for your next vacation, this is a good way to do it. Even if you only spend a dollar a day at a certain fast food place, you can still save money by making coffee at home…especially if you use a drip coffee maker. You can even buy your favorite brand of restaurant coffee and make it at home for a lot less. Those extra dollars give you extra spending money for your vacation.
Cut out cable
Seriously. Cable is expensive especially when you consider the alternatives. I’ll admit, I do spend the extra for streaming services, but if you are trying to save for your next vacation, go for the cheapest plan possible. You will save money by cutting cable.
Switch to a cheaper cell phone provider
Is your contract up soon? Go for a no contract plan. If you don’t have a contract, have you shopped around for the best prices? The cell phone provider business is super competitive because there are so many of them! In the “old days,” there were very few providers, so they could make the prices higher. When you are trying to save for your next vacation, you have to shop around. You could potentially save hundreds a year.
Wear the clothes you own!
Gasp! Could you really go for a year without buying new clothes? Totally! Have you watched “Tidying Up”? Have you SEEN the amount of clothes people have? I’ll bet if you tried Marie Kondo’s method just with your clothes, you’d be amazed. We are a nation of excess! I’ll bet you have clothes you totally forgot about in your closet or dresser. If you want to know more about Marie Kondo or you have no clue what I’m talking about, just leave me a comment and we’ll chat.
Of course, you can always sell some things as well, but I’m just talking about cutting things out, not adding more work (because we know yard sales and using eBay takes work)!
Where are you going on your next vacation? If you’re still thinking about it, visit Alamo’s Scenic Route where you can find travel destination guides and helpful tips.
What ways do you save for vacation?
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