Planning a vacation can be daunting enough at the best of times, but you work hard to earn your time off and should make the absolute most out of it. One of the most important parts of planning a summer vacation is budgeting. Creating and following a vacation budget will help you relax while away or taking your time off and allow you to avoid any post trip troubles!
Money saving tips before you go
- Cut down (or better yet cut out!) on those tiny $5 purchases that add up to a significant amount. These are the common everyday expenses that we don’t tend to think about such as morning coffee(s) or frequent snacking.
- Skip the movie nights, with tickets for two, popcorn, and drinks you’re looking at over $40 per movie!
- Pack your lunches and make supper at home. Just like those coffees, eating out alone or as a family can cost you hundreds of dollars in excess spending – think of how that could be put to use on your vacation.
- Set-up auto debits into a vacation specific savings account – even a taped up cash jar!
Now that you’re on your way to boosting your vacation savings, it’s time to start nailing down those travel plans. The benefit of mobile technology crashing into our daily lives with the force of an unstoppable freight train is that a ton of free apps have been developed to make navigating your way through travel easier and faster.
These easy to use tools are free in your iOS/Android app store:
- Trip Advisor – Your hub to finding the best hotels, attractions, and restaurants from across the world. Check out user reviews and ratings to educate yourself, and narrow down that long list of where-to-go’s and where-to-stay’s. tripadvisor.com
- Trip Case – Helps you keep all of your travel itinerary information organized in one safe place – that means no more searching e-mails, written notes, or printed documents. You can also add trip notes to remember specific events or places. www.travel.tripcase.com
- Postagram – Create a custom postcard using a photo from your Instagram, Facebook, or camera roll. Ok, this one isn’t totally free as you have to pay for the postage and card itself ($1 – $3) – but you get to create a completely custom memento to send to someone special! sincerely.com/postagram
- Skyscanner – Compares an overwhelming amount of flight options to help you nail down the best prices and itinerary options. Their search information is pulled from airlines AND booking sites so you can travel with confidence. www.skyscanner.com
But the most important tip of all – have fun! You work hard, enjoy every minute of your time away.
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