Ten Ways to Save for your Big Vacation
We’ve spotted a booking trend that we LOVE at Singles Travel International…. singles giving themselves the gift of travel. Our clients are depositing trips on or around their birthday or they are planning to travel during their birthday. Sometimes it is a big milestone birthday. Sometimes it is just an annual gift they give to themselves.
Are you planning for that big milestone trip this year or next? Are you about to celebrate a monumental moment in your life? Are you turning 40? 50? 60? Retiring after many years of faithful, committed service? You know you deserve something special. Will you be able to make that special journey or will you be home regretting the financial choices in your life?
Here are a few ideas to help make your travel wishes turn into dreams come true.
- Commit to your dream. This has the be the first step, middle step and last step in making sure you get to go to the places you want to go in your lifetime. When you make travel a priority, travel will be a part of your life. Post pictures of your dream destinations everywhere. Screen savers, Vision boards, on your nightstand. Talk to friends and family about your trip every chance you get. This makes it REAL.
- Set some goals. Is your Bucket List planned out for the next 3-5 years? What do you need to set aside every month to make it happen? Break it down to weekly and daily deposits to see what it will really take.
- Open a Dedicated Vacation Bank Account and automatically deposit there regularly. OR once you deposit your trip with STI, call us to set up a payment plan. We will make the payment on the date you choose and send you an updated invoice. Automatically!
- Eat out less often. The average American spends $15 a day going out to eat. That’s $450 a month. Add a few adult beverages and you are easily spending $600. In three months time that will buy you a ticket anyplace in the world.
- Use Your Car to Make a Little Cash on the Side. The last Uber ride I took was a real eye opener for me! My driver makes $65K a year driving 50 plus hours a week. How much could you deposit into your travel fund if you drove 10 hours a week? Often just picking someone up on your way home from work will build your bank account without making a huge change in your lifestyle.
- Pick Up a Side Job– Do something you love a few hours a week and save the paycheck. Or revisit #5.
- Cut back on fancy coffee drinks. Just go to this site and do the math. This could be a life-changer for the java lovers out there! https://financialmentor.com/calculator/latte-factor-calculator
- Sell Your Stuff. Vintage and Nostalgia are IN. We bet you have some things tucked away that a collector would enjoy and pay you a pretty penny to take off your hands. Let it go so you can go.
- Make Your Credit Card Work for You. There are so many credit cards out there that offer you airline miles for your purchases. Moving your utility bills or even your rent or mortgage to a card like this (and paying it off monthly) will build your travel buying power faster than you tell your friends, “I’m heading to Europe next Summer!”
- Share Accommodations. Whether this means taking on a roommate where you live or simply sharing a cabin on a cruise or a room on a tour will nearly DOUBLE your opportunity for a vacation experiences. Book a share with Singles Travel International any time before final payment is due and we guarantee a match for you. We match based on age first, then geographic location. Males with males. Females with females. If you travel once or twice a year, this simple change might add thousands to your travel fund, and you may even make a new friend. WIN-WIN.
If you implemented just one or two of these ideas, what would it do to your travel fund? Vacations shouldn’t be work, but we all know that preparing for one and making it a priority in our lives requires some dedication.
A few more thoughts….
Monitoring and reassessment is a MUST! As time passes, your plan will evolve as your spending habits change. Don’t beat yourself up if you find yourself approaching a big milestone and you aren’t prepared. Every day is a new day and a new chance to make your wanderlust dreams come true.
Celebrate with Travel!
Submitted by Robin Zell, Director of Marketing for Singles Travel International
Thanks for the 10 ways to save tips. Great suggestions and very practical. It really hits the pocket book when you show the math!
So glad you liked it! We hope to meet you soon. A small deposit holds your space and is great inspiration to stay on track.
Where there is a will, there is a way !!!!!