5 Simple Ways To Save Money To Travel

Are you hoping to get away this year with your family? Are you struggling to save and budget? This blog post will give you some tips and pointers of where to tighten your purse strings in order to gain a little more cash to make those vacation or travel dreams a reality.

Budget
Now in the spirit of full disclosure I will admit that this is a point that has never been a strong suit of ours. We have a basic idea of where our money is going but sitting down and planning out a budget was not something we did. It can be a painful task and not an easy by any stretch of the imagination but a worthwhile one.

At  the start of every month make a budget for your entire family making sure to include in this what you spend on bills, groceries, social expenses etc and what you want to save. Make this budget your bible and stick to it as much as possible. However, life can be unpredictable and there will be unexpected expenses that you don’t foresee. Therefore, it is vital to have some savings stashed away. Most importantly be honest with yourself.  I have found that the best way to attempt this is to actually write down everything you spend for a week and then figure it out from there.  What you can cut, what you need to keep etc.

Declutter
A new year equals a new start. Have a good old fashioned clear out and turn those items you bought years ago, and never used into cash. Also, Christmas usually brings with it a load of new toys and
accessories for the children. Take that as an opportunity to clear out their old toys that and either donate them or try selling them on eBay or similar sites. There are loads of fantastic free sites you can use to sell these unwanted items. You can then put that money into your savings account for the next family holiday. And an added bonus is that you will no longer be weighed down by stuff!  It can be a hard process but after decluttering you will feel lighter overall!

Buy Second hand
When it comes to our retail habits we always tend to buy new items. But the second-hand market is constantly growing and you are spoilt for choice nowadays. If you search sites like eBay, Gumtree, Craigslist, Freecycle and Amazon you can find amazing bargains on preloved items that are still in perfect working condition. You can even make connections with people easily now through facebook marketplace. If you use a website though make sure you don’t spend a fortune on shipping.  One way to do that that is by using Shiply.com. It is a  delivery comparison website that easily helps you map out ways to save on shipping!.

Shop Around
When it comes to the weekly grocery shop we tend to stick to the same old routine because one supermarket is close by and convenient. But if you shop around and see what other stores are offering
you may save yourself a small fortune in the process. Or alternatively, if you buy online make sure you take advantage of websites like Ebates or cartwheel for Target.  I went through a couponing phase as well when living in Hawaii.  We were able to save loads on that simple act.  It took about an hour a week to map out the best deals and compile and organize the coupons but it was completely worth it.

Do It Yourself
Are you making lunch every day for the children and not for yourself? Well, this is one area in your life were a bit of DIY can save you a small fortune. Start taking a packed lunch to work with you not
only will this save you money but it’s also better for your health. Are you spending money on a gym membership you never use? Why not just workout at home or go for runs etc. or make use of offers like class pass and save yourself the wasted monthly fee.  For me, Starbucks can get quite out of hand! I found by cutting it out and simply using coffee from home I saved about $150 a month!

Another great way to save with DIY is to do your own home maintenance and improvements. You would be surprised what you can do with a simple tool set that you can pick up at HealthyHandyman.com.

Every small change you make to yourself and families life will add small change to your pocket. This small change will allow you more room to go on family adventures. If travel is a priority there are loads of ways to make it happen!  Start with these small changes and see how far across the globe it can get you!

Have any other savings tips?  Please share in the comments below!

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3 comments:

  1. Alyson Mitchell LindahlSeptember 3, 2017 at 8:25 AM

    Went to this place... took forever to find... saw 1 little turtle in the water... not as magical a day as you had.. still a pretty beach

    ReplyDelete
  2. No problem at all! So glad you enjoyed it.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Aloha Mary,
    Again I am begging you to taker down the directions to our little Beach as the damage continues to get worse each day. Just last week we had 65 people on our little beach
    and in asking most got the directions from your blog. They are really overcrowding the beach and we see fewer turtles resting now than ever before from 8 or 9 a day down to if your lucky 1 and then usually afraid to come up to rest. Please do the right thing and remove the directions. Leave the blog just remove the one section. Help save our wildlife and stop the destruction of our little Beach. For the visitors who come be aware your cars will be towed and its a long walk to anywhere from here. Shame on you Mary for the damage your Blog has done in just 5 years. Again, Please remove the directions
    so our Beach can heal

    ReplyDelete