As a new year begins amidst the bitter chill of winter, thoughts often turn to warm summer nights and long, lazy days by the pool or on the beach. With only about five months until the kids are out of school, now is a great time to start putting aside funds for a memorable family vacation!
You can begin saving any time, but try to decide as soon as possible where and when you’re going, and what kind of budget you’ll need to pull it off. Stay motivated by tacking up postcards or photographs of your destination on the refrigerator and bulletin boards, or stick one in your wallet where you’re sure to see it whenever the urge to splurge arises.
Saving up can be a daunting task, but you can get the whole family involved by choosing a few of these fun, creative ideas!
The change jar. It’s amazing how much loose change you can acquire, especially if you’ve begun paying for more things in cash to help rein in impulse buys. Toss all those coins into a jar or box labeled “Vacation Fund” to keep your family on track. The rule is that any time anyone gets coins back on a purchase (or finds them in the couch!), the change goes into the jar. Stick to it and before you know it, you’ll be rolling quarters all the way to the bank!
Saving fives. This is a variation on the change jar. Every time you have a five dollar bill in your possession, it goes in the vacation fund. This idea works better for the grown-ups, as a child isn’t going to part with any cash he or she has very easily, but you can have the kids keep a change jar while the adults save their fives.
Have a yard sale. Now is the perfect time of year to go through the house, room by room, and declutter. New toys and clothing items may have made their way in last month, so use this opportunity to get rid of unwanted items and make a little money. Of course, in many areas of the country, it’s far too cold to consider throwing a yard sale, so be prepared to box up and store the items until warmer winds roll in. Depending on where you live, this could be as early as March or as late as June, but try to have it at least a few weeks before your vacation dates so that you’re not overwhelmed with packing and decluttering at the same time.
Drink water. The best thing about water is that it’s the perfect beverage for the human body. But the second best thing is that it’s just about free. Whenever the family goes out to eat, make it a rule that everyone has a water instead of a soda or coffee with their meal, and calculate how much was saved (include tax!) by sticking with H2O. When you get home, put that amount into an envelope or your savings jar. You can take this a step further by crossing any unnecessary packaged beverages off your grocery list (sodas, juices, etc.) and putting that saved cash toward your vacation, too. Bonus—you’ll probably drop a few pounds in the process!
Pay $5 a gallon for gas. You read that right! Start rounding up gas to five dollars a gallon and putting the difference between that actual price and your number into your savings fund. If you put ten gallons of gas into your vehicle at $3.50 per gallon, this will work out to $15 going directly into your vacation fund. Check with your local grocer to see if they offer fuel rewards programs and make your dollars go even further.
If you combine two or three of these tips, you should have a healthy vacation fund by the time you’re ready to set sail (or fly…or drive…). What creative ideas do you use to supplement your vacation budget?
Dress Up a Plain Suit
