Believe it or not, summer will be here before you know it. 

If you’re like most people, you live for vacation. But escaping to your favorite getaway destination is never cheap, so you’d better start thinking about saving for vacation right now. Even if money is tight, there are ways to save cash so that you’ll have the funds ready when it’s time to book your flight to the islands.

This article takes a look at some great tips for storing away serious dough so that you won’t have to settle for a staycation while everyone else is slathering on sunblock in Bermuda.

1. Eat at Home 

Let’s start with the basics. The simple truth is that most people eat out way too much. After all, who wants to cook after a long day at work? Well, eating at home is a great way to save cash.

Even if every meal at home saves only five or ten dollars, that’s money for the vacation cookie jar. Day after day, week after week, every dollar adds up. Soon you’ll be looking at several hundreds of dollars saved from meals you’ve already forgotten about.

Saving for vacation takes discipline and willpower. So if you plan to chill by the pool come summertime, you’d better put on your big boy pants and bake some lasagne for the kids tonight.

2. Bank Your Tax Refund

Are you expecting to receive a refund from the IRS this year? If so, go ahead and plan ahead of time to keep your hands off that money and put it directly into your vacation savings account.

This is something many people don’t think about, but making a slight adjustment to your W-4 to have a few extra dollars withheld from your weekly paycheck can make a big difference at the end of the year.

We encourage you to plan ahead, take home a little less on payday, and designate your refund for fun money when vacation time rolls around. 

3. Save Credit Card Rewards Points

This is another great tip that many people tend to overlook. Most of us use credit cards for daily purchases and general expenses, right? Well, many credit cards offer various types of rewards based on card activity each month. This often includes rewards that can be used for hotels and other great travel benefits.

4. Have a Garage Sale

Take a look around the house. Now look in the garage. See all that clutter you’ve been wanting to deal with? 

Here’s a great idea: Sell that stuff.

Having a garage sale is an ideal way of killing two birds with one stone. You’ll be simplifying your life while making cold hard cash getting rid of junk you no longer want. 

Perhaps you don’t think you have enough stuff to make any serious bank. Well, you might be surprised. Go through your closets, clean out the garage, and get honest about all those clothes you haven’t worn in years. Most likely you have more to get rid of than you would have imagined.

Garage sales are fun. It’s a great way to socialize with your neighbors, hang out with the family, and purge your home of clutter that simply takes up space. Plus, you’ll be converting your junk into Benjamins.

5. Eliminate Frivolous Expenses

Let’s take a moment to talk about cutting back. We don’t mean living like a penny-pinching mizer. No, this is about simply reducing unnecessary expenses that take toll on your bottom line each month.

Perhaps you eat out at least one meal per day, or make a ridiculous number of stops at Starbucks, or subscribe to multiple streaming services.

When you stop to think about it, we all waste money. So if you want to save more cash for a vacation, it’s time to cut costs and learn to live without a few of your favorite creature comforts. 

6. Take an All-Inclusive Trip

Have you ever considered taking an all-inclusive vacation? This is actually a smart way to save money on your trip because everything is included for one price. 

When you sign up for a package deal, it will typically include airfare, the hotel, food, and often times even the drinks.

Not only is this a way to keep the costs of your vacation to a minimum, but it’s also less to think about because you won’t have to bring along a ton of cash. All you have to do is focus on having a great time!

If you’re looking for another option for quick cash for your vacation, you might want to take a look at payday loans.

7. Use a Savings Wall Chart

When saving for a vacation, the key is to stay focused. That’s why we suggest making a savings chart that you can put on the wall or the refrigerator for everyone to see. 

The purpose of the chart is to place it where you’ll see it multiple times a day and be a constant reminder of the goal. Keep it updated, this way you can see how far you’ve come, and it can help keep you motivated to save, save save!

8. Making Saving Money a Game

Saving money for vacation doesn’t have to feel like a chore. In fact, it can actually be fun. Make it a challenge, and constantly be looking for ways to shave savings from everything you do. Put a change jar on the bathroom counter, on the kitchen counter, and on your desk at work.

Just remember that when saving for a vacation, every penny matters.

Saving for Vacation

Vacation is the best part of the year. This is your chance to get away and forget about work and bills and the normal stress of life.

These tips for saving for vacation will help get you ready when it’s time to book reservations. That way all you have to worry about is fitting into your new swimsuit and deciding which fruity drink you want to try first!

Click here to see 4 brilliant cruise tips and tricks that will change the way you vacation.