13 SIMPLE WAYS OF SAVING UP FOR YOUR HOLIDAY
‘With these simple steps,
you will be able to save up for your next dream travel.’
Do you know that feeling when literally everyone around you is going on holiday and you have no idea how do they do it, because you are broke again? There’s no chance you could borrow any money and your credit cards have been blocked for ages…so you stay at home, depressed. Don’t worry, with these few simple steps, you will be able to save up enough for your next dream travel – but before you start you need to ask yourself: do you really want it? If travelling is your passion or you simply enjoy traveling enough to change some basic habits, it will be a piece of cake for you:
1. take a bike instead of a car – every time you don’t have to travel far! Take a big backpack with you, if you don’t have a basket attached to your bike, when you’re going for groceries. Not only it is good for your health, but also helps to save up on petrol – may not seem a lot, but within a month you can save up to 50 EUR – that’s enough to pay for accommodation on a weekend’s trip – not bad, huh?
2. buy a guide or a map instead of new clothes – we all feel the urge to buy something new from time to time; being constantly attacked by lavish ads, it’s hard to escape excessive consumption. However, instead of buying another useless T-shirt, go to the nearest bookstore and get a guidebook, a map or a photo album, that will inspire you. Moreover, it will cost you less than a pair of jeans or a dress. Also, remember to choose pocket size ones, so you can take them with you on a journey!
3. cook at home – not everyone is fan of cooking but to be honest, I’m not a fan of cleaning and I have to do it anyway Cooking at home will help you to save up a great deal. If you don’t believe me, do a quick test: one week prepare every meal at home, the other week eat out – take notes of all your spending and you will easily notice the difference – I’ve tried it myself and I saved 100 EUR a month. Additionally, treat eating out as a special occasion, or do it only when on holiday – this is when you want to try all new tastes!
4. give up smoking or other drugs – or at least try to cut down. It will improve your health and depending on how much you spend on them, can increase your travel budget significantly.
5. split your future travel expenses – if you are not good at saving up money, spend a part of it every month: buy plane tickets first, then book accommodation and pay half or all of it straight away, next rent a car, buy some gear – you have to think ahead and at the end = just before your travel, you will not be overwhelmed by all the costs you have to bear.
6. use reusable bags only – I don’t know what it is like in your country, but in Poland in most shops and supermarkets plastic bags are paid. This is not much at all, but even if you buy one plastic bag a day, you will spend 15 EUR a month extra on a product, that you will throw away as soon as it gets to your house. What a waste of money! Think about yourself and the planet as well – carry one reusable bag with you at all times, have one in your car or attached to your bike, it’s very simple.
7. exercise at home or outdoors – gym memberships are everywhere and tempt you to get fit quickly by just signing up to one, promising you will be motivated more. The truth is that motivation come within yourself and maybe for the first few weeks you didn’t miss a class but after a while, you just can’t be bothered. I’d rather exercise at home – there are plenty of YouTube videos to work with; or simply go for a bike ride; jogging is also for free :)
8. reduce your make-up products – be honest: how many lipsticks did you buy this month? I came to a stage when I had in my cosmetic bag 10 different colors, each one costed me 25 EUR, so the price of a nice weekend trip. When I realized that, I stopped buying make-up products. I have a few that I use daily and a couple for special nights out and this is more than enough! Beside, no need to wear make-up when your skin is blushed with a suntan or if you’re going to sweat it off during the hike.
9. meet people at home – going out with friends is tempting and I’m not saying that you shouldn’t do it, but instead of going to five pubs in one night or to fashionable café, invite people home from time to time and encourage them to invite you as well ;)
10. unsubscribe to useless memberships – gym memberships are not the only ones you should give up. Check all the music, TV, data storage and rental subscriptions that are decreasing your budget – think twice if you really need them and if you do, find a friend that you could possibly share them with.
11. open travel saving account – do it within your usual bank, set up a monthly transfer and don’t issue a debit card to it. That way you will not be tempted to spend money from it when going shopping, but you will be able to pay for plane tickets or accommodation online.
12. open multi-currency account – make sure to find out if it will cost you anything, but if you travel a lot abroad, it can come very helpful with saving money.
13. exchange money online – commissions and provisions are always lower online, but remember that you have to have an account in the currency you want to buy, so the bank won’t charge you any provisions.
Some of the above tips may seem not for you and that’s ok. If you choose to follow only a few of them, it can help you with saving up for your future travel budget. There are also ways to save up on the actual travel and one of them is to book your trip off the season – to find out more go HERE.
Please let me know what do you think about these steps? Do you have any others that you follow in practice? I’m curious to know! :)