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| Photo courtesy of www.wondersofdisney.disneyfansites.com |
As you're saving for your next trip (Disney or not), there are lots of little things you can do that can add up to padding that vacation savings account. Remember, every little bit helps!
Here are my Top 10 Ways to Save for Your Vacation!
1. Collect all of your loose change.
Grab a jar or container you have around the house, and put it in a place where everyone in the family can see it (kitchen, office, etc). Every few days, place your loose change in the jar. You'd be surprised at how fast $.25 here and $.50 there adds up!
2. Set up automatic transfers through your bank.
Most online banking sites allow you to set up a transfer schedule where on a certain date each week / month, money is moved from one account to another. If you have a set amount each month that you're putting towards your vacation, this is one way to automate that process and make it very easy.
At my bank, I also set up a transfer where every transaction I make on my debit card puts $1 in my savings account.
3. Eat out one less meal a week, and put that money in your change jar / vacation savings account.
One budget area that I personally have been working on is eating fewer meals out, and more at home. If you're making that switch as well, start small - just commit to eating out one less meal per week, and put that money in your vacation savings instead. For a family of four, that could be as much as $30-50 per week (or more)!
4. Turn up / down the thermostat.
In the winter, turn down your thermostat a few degrees; in the summer, turn it up a few degrees. You probably won't notice the change and it can add up as decent savings on your electrical bill.
5. Have a garage sale, or sell on sites such as eBay and Craigslist.
Make the rounds of your house, garage and basement and sell those items you no longer need or use in a garage sale or online. Not only will it pad your vacation budget, but you'll clean out clutter in the process! Double win!
6. Put any "found money" info your vacation account.
Sometimes you get lucky, and "found money" makes its way to you. This is money that you weren't expecting, or even forgot about. It could be a product rebate, a refund, any money that you weren't planning on and isn't part of your normal monthly income.
7. Have fun at-home nights instead of going out.
You can have lots of fun at home for very little or no money. Rent a movie at RedBox or watch on Netflix, do a puzzle, play a boardgame, etc. The options are endless and not only will you be saving money vs going out to eat or to the movie theatre, you'll also be spending valuable time together.
(For ideas, take a look at this post from May about how to combat the Disney blues.)
8. Consider dropping your Cable TV package.
I can hear the groans and exasperated sighs already - "Not my cable TV!" But hear me out - most cable plans are in excess of $100/month. That could mean $1200 / year in your Disney account! There are SO many shows you can get on Netflix, Hulu and the websites for the TV Networks. Combine that with the network TV channels that are available for free, and 90% of the time you can watch your shows for much less than you would if you were paying for cable.
9. Utilize your credit cards rewards program.
If you don't have a credit card that pays rewards, look into getting one. Most have 1 point per $1 of charges; some offer extra points for gas and groceries. For example, you could charge your household expenses such as utilities, groceries, etc and then each month have monies that can be transferred into your savings account.
Of course, be sure to pay your balance each month so you don't incur interest charges!
10. Use your tax return for your vacation fund.
If you receive a tax return, put that towards your vacation fund. If it's a lot or a little, it all helps!
How do you save for vacation? What are your family's tips and tricks?
Have a magical day! (And remember to sign up with your e-mail as a follower of the blog!)
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