A dream vacation is something that everyone deserves. You can enjoy a place you’ve always wanted to see while escaping reality, if only for a little while. While scheduling and organizing an itinerary is usually straightforward, gathering the finances together isn’t so concrete. If you’ve struggled with saving in the past or can’t find a way to pinch a few pennies to get you to your goal, here are a few tips to help you along the way.
Get a Second Job
Image via Flickr by Sreejith K
If you don’t have much left over each month from your main source of income, a second job is the best way to save money for your dream vacation. Even if you can make just an extra $100 a week, this translates to $5,200 a year, which might be enough for you to travel where you want.
The best part is that you can often find a second job that’s far more interesting than you may think. Sure, you can get a more traditional second job such as a part-time data entry clerk or a receptionist, but you can also snag one of the newer jobs on the market. Uber driving has become an easy, popular second job because of its decent pay and flexible schedule. If you’re out of town for work or have an extra room, Airbnb is another way to make cash without the work by renting your place to travelers.
No matter what you decide to do for a second job, you can watch your savings add up far more quickly than you anticipated.
Alter Your Accommodation or Travel Expenses
Depending on where you want to stay, a budget, travel, or accommodation alteration could work to your advantage. This doesn’t mean you have to stay in a shack or deprive yourself of the finer things in life, but small adjustments can extend your trip or provide more money for other activities. For example, you could fly coach instead of first class to save money for a nicer hotel, or you could also drive somewhere instead of flying to save even more cash. With just some slight changes, you’ll be surprised how much further you can stretch a dollar.
Picking the Right Destination
You may have always wanted to visit an exotic location, but when costs are astronomical you can easily get discouraged. Instead of fretting about things you can’t change, consider alternative destinations by weighing what each place has to offer. For example, if you’ve dreamed of endless miles of beaches and luxury hotels, you don’t have to break the bank.
Instead of heading to Grand Cayman or Hawaii, a trip to Jekyll Island, Georgia, offers just as much at a fraction of the price. You won’t have to pay for expensive, lengthy flights, and it has all the amenities that you desire. With help from Hotel Planner, Jekyll Island is accessible, affordable, and destined to become one of the trips you’ll remember for a lifetime.
While a dream vacation might seem unattainable when you first start saving, following these tips will make your trip much closer than you thought. Bon voyage!
