Seeing the world should be something that everyone should do. It can open your eyes to all of the different cultures, the cuisines and people that inhabit this wonderful planet. So how do we save money for travelling if we find ourselves spending it very quickly?
Create A Savings Plan
Most of us thrive off to-do lists right? The same can go for when we’re planning a holiday or a party. A savings plan is excellent for helping you motivate yourself to save money. Firstly find yourself a savings jar or open up a separate account for holiday savings. And just like you would with your rent or bills, add a certain amount in each month. It can be anything from £10-£100, whatever you can reasonably afford without giving beyond your means. Set a destination and a target fund and you’ll soon find yourself becoming more motivated to save where possible so you can meet those monthly payments to yourself.
If you’re travelling with a partner, challenge one another to see if you can beat the other one with the amount you can save by cutting down on other luxuries.
Spend Less On Meals
Food can be a costly expenditure, but it needn’t be so if you are smart about it. Buy your food in bulk, where you’re able to prep it for lunch, throughout the course of the week. This means you’ll save a small amount each day if you’re used to buying your lunch out at various supermarkets or shops. Try to do the same with your evening meals by making more and freezing any leftovers to eat the following day or week. It’s incredible just how much you can save from streamlining your meals. It doesn’t mean you don’t indulge any less; you are instead making the food go a lot further.
Freeze Memberships
Memberships to the gym and other subscriptions can amount to a lot of money each month so if you want to save a lot of money in a short period, then freezing all the memberships while your saving seems like a great answer to all that money you could have going into your travel savings. A lot of gyms will allow you to temporarily freeze your account if you aren’t committed to a contract. If you are, then look at your other memberships and see if they could be frozen for the time being.
Cut Back On Shopping
Clothes shopping and buying things for the home or for yourself can certainly take a month or so off right? Sometimes we let ourselves get carried away, and we’re tempted by payday offers that come sliding into our emails. However, if you hold back on that temptation, you’ll likely save a small fortune here and there that will end up paying for those experiences and memories on your travels that are priceless. And that’s worth a lot more than any pair of shoes or the latest tech gadget could ever give you.
Sell Some Of Your Stuff
You’ll likely have a lot of stuff lying around your home that’s had little use in the past twelve months and is just taking up space. From clothes to old mobile phones, pretty much everything and anything can be sold now, thanks to the good old internet. So if you’re in need of some fast cash, why not have that long overdue declutter and get rid of all that junk in exchange for money towards your next holiday?
Be careful of selling fees that some websites charge and factor in postage costs as you may end up losing money instead of making it if you’re not careful.
Calm Down Your Social Life
Even if you only go out a few times a month, they usually end up making a big dent in that paycheck of yours. Next time you go out, try and reduce the amount you spend. Whether that’s eating a meal before dining out or just having a main, rather than all three courses. Going out will always be more expensive than staying in, so if you absolutely must go out, keep a limit on how much you spend.
Dinner parties at home can be a great way of saving money without feeling like your restricting yourself. Invite friends round and get them to bring their own drinks. Cook a simple meal like spaghetti bolognese and a side of garlic bread. It won’t cost the earth, and you’ll have full bellies all around.
Save Or Switch On Utilities & Loans
Your utility bills can be a big expense, especially when you start using it more over the colder months. We stay in a lot more when it’s cold outside, and therefore we crank up the heating and keep the lights on constantly. So, take a look at your current provider’s and see whether it might be worth changing for a cheaper one. Most utility companies will want to nab their competitor’s customers so take advantage of this and see what they can offer you. Go back to your provider with your quotes and they might even match it or lower your bills. If you don’t ask, you don’t get and it’s important you save on every aspect of your daily life if you want to travel.
It might also be wise to get a credit card to transfer any bills onto. Some have rewards and it’s also a payment you don’t need to worry about paying off in full immediately. You can read more on how to do this on plenty of sites that offer credit cards.
Try Making Money At Home
There are now plenty of opportunities online that you can find from the comfort of your own home, to make money. From starting a blog to online surveys, there’s something to suit everyone’s skills. Online survey sites are becoming very popular and can be a great way of earning income quickly. It’s easy to sign up and the surveys vary in the time it takes and the subject matter. Some can be generic and others are specific, providing those who fill them out with a bigger payout. It’s certainly worth trying, especially when it can be done while watching TV or commuting to work.
Travelling isn’t impossible and you don’t have to be rich to do it. Having a little self-control and accessing your spending habits could have you saving money in no time. It won’t be long until your next city break is booked!
