“Live your best life by deciding what you want, writing down those desires as goals, creating a plan for achieving them, and refusing to stop until you reach your intended destination.”
– Marelisa Fabrega, lawyer and entrepreneur / source
These days, saving money for the travel destination of your dreams might seem so daunting, that your grand excursion takes place only in your mind. For years, you’ve imagined standing before monumental Egyptian pyramids, going on an African safari, visiting the Eiffel Tower in France or holding your loved one’s hand while slowly gliding down Venice’s Grand Canal aboard an elegantly crafted gondola.
“Someday”, you think to yourself.
But, “somedays” never just come. You know that. Goals demand plans, and plans require actions. Luckily, for would-be travelers, little actions can quickly add up to meeting goals sooner than you might expect.
“It’s the little details that are vital. Little things make big things happen.”
– John Wooden, legendary basketball coach / source
As we mentioned in an earlier post, one easy action you can take to get closer to your travel goals is to get a good travel credit card and use it for most purchases, and then pay off the balance monthly. The perks from this one, single action can make the different between having just enough funds for the basics and traveling in style!
Another action we previously discussed was opening a vacation / travel savings account. This has the benefit of allow you to quickly see account balances, track your progress and pay yourself first via auto transfers. Of course, segregating these funds makes it easier to keep them untouched from other types of financial activity.
So far, the actions we’ve discussed have been powerful, but there are little actions you can do every day to help save money for travel. As you construct a financial strategy that works for you, consider some of these ideas used by savvy, travel-hungry souls who save money by cutting back in the following areas:
FOOD
- Stop buying morning coffee and brew it at home
- Use and stick to shopping lists to resist impulse buying.
- Cut back drastically on fast food. Avoid temptation by making tasty meals at home, and with the left-overs, you can…
- …Stop buying lunch every day.
- Eliminate buying mid-day snacks by making treats at home and taking them with you to work.
- Fill up bottled water at home, instead of buying. Consider purchasing a water filter or filtration system.
- Say no to alcoholic drinks to save your money and your liver.
- Eat at restaurants sparingly.
- Buy food and other items in bulk at Costco and other similar stores
Entertainment / Memberships / Subscriptions
- Get movies from the library
- Magazine and Newspaper Subscriptions
- Cable
- Gym memberships
- Sporting Events
Clothing / Goods / Services / Associations
- Buy Second-hand clothing and other items from stores, such as Goodwill.
- Make gifts instead of purchasing them.
- Cigarettes
- Use Groupon and other sites that offer good deals.
- Take advantage of any available discounts of the organizations you belong to, like the military or teacher organizations.
General Ideas
- Go generic as much as possible.
- Pay bills on time to stop paying late fees.
- Bring back the beloved Piggy Bank! Put in any loose change you have at the end of the day.
- Get everyone in the family involved by making it a project in which they can participate. Consider a family meeting to strategize meeting your goals, so that everyone is excited and supportive.
Final thoughts
Of course, the above list is only a starting point to generate ideas you can use in your unique situation. And, I’d love to share any money-saving travel ideas you might have with the SeaTacPark family. Please send your tips to feedback@4cesi.com.
“Each step you take reveals a new horizon. You have taken the first step today. Now, I challenge you to take another”
– Dan Poynter, author / source
Want to know what to expect when you park with us at SeaTacPark? Take our virtual tour here – https://www.seatacpark.com/virtual-tour/
