5 Ways to Stop Spending and Start Saving for a Vacation  

If you are one of the thousands, or perhaps millions, of people who think they cannot afford to take a vacation to the locale of your dreams, maybe you just need to be a little more creative with your budget.

Here are 5 actions that are keeping you from  your dream vacation:

1. You’re too Busy to Cook
Yes you’re extremely busy and likely exhausted after working 12 hours, but you don’t need to eat out every other night to compensate for your exhaustion. A March 2015 report by the U.S. Commerce Department indicated that Americans now spend more money eating out at restaurants and bars than they do on food at the grocery to consume at home. Assuming the average price of a meal including tip is $13, a conservative estimate, and the cost of an at-home dinner averages under $4.00 per person to prepare, you could save an average of $9.00 per meal. This doesn’t even take into account the breakfast and coffee on the run consumed on busy mornings or the lunches delivered to your desk.

Suffice it to say that over the course of the month, even if you only eat dinners at home, you could save $63.00 per week or a whopping $250.00 each month. That’s enough money to cover the trip to Scotland you have dreamed about since you read Diana Gabaldon’s book Outlander a decade ago.

2. You Pay for Expensive Services You Never Use
You got a massage at that new salon around the corner from your house and loved it. You loved it so much that after signing up for the monthly membership that guarantees you your choice of a massage or facial every month, you have eight appointments accrued and haven’t had another massage since. And those premium channels you pay for with your cable television subscription, how many of them do you actually watch? Even your gym membership might be draining your budget if you rarely show up. Many women make the mistake of signing up for the most expensive memberships that offer 24-hour access (have you ever really worked out at 2 a.m.?), massage chairs, and access to clubs anywhere in the country. Cancel these unused extras and save yourself $50 – $100 per month. That’s enough extra money for a 4-day Western Caribbean cruise with an ocean view cabin!

3. You Pay Bills with your Tax Refund
If you are deep in debt, then probably paying your credit cards with your tax refund money is the more responsible thing to do. All work and no play makes Jane a dull girl though. Jane, and you, need a vacation to recharge and regroup. Instead of using your entire refund to pay bills, put at least half toward whatever vacation you can afford with that money. Maybe your return will fund a week in Vegas, or maybe it will only cover a few nights of camping in the mountains. Either way, you get a few days away with what is essentially “found” money.

4. You use a Credit or Debit Card for Your Purchases
Face it. We live in a cashless society and the ability to whip out a credit or debit card to pay makes purchasing easy everywhere. The trouble is, it is also easy to over-spend or generally pay very little attention to one’s finances. Pay with cash instead. It’s amazing how much harder it is to part with money when you watch it leave your wallet dollar by dollar.

If you are regimented enough, you will avoid enough spur of the moment purchases by paying with cash that you can start a separate savings account just for your vacation. Paying with cash also ensures that you’ll receive change back with each transaction, which you can then toss into your vacation fund change jar on the dresser. Use your vacation jar change to pay for your trip to the beach next summer.

5. You Own Too Much Stuff
You have two flat irons for your hair but you only ever use one. You have six pairs of jeans taking up space in your closet from that year you lost 25 pounds. Your hall closet is packed with the china you got during your first marriage that you couldn’t part with right after the divorce. Sell it.

Your extra junk can equal big bucks if you invest a little time to list the items on Craigslist or eBay. There’s nothing wrong with having a good old fashioned garage sale either. If you did a kitchen remodel recently, sell the older, but still working, appliances. A used stove or refrigerator can sell for as much as several hundred dollars.

If you’re kind of a pack rate, encourage yourself to part with things more easily by establishing a goal amount you want to earn from your stuff.  For example, set your sights on a ski vacation in Colorado, then fill your pile with salable items that you estimate will net you the $1500 it will cost for the trip.

If the cost of a vacation is still out of reach after you have exhausted your best efforts, invite a friend to join you. Traveling with a friend can be more fun than taking a trip alone, and you will be able to split expenses like your hotel room and rental car, thus reducing your out-of-pocket expense. If budgeting is difficult for you, look into an all-inclusive resort for your vacation. You will know up front exactly how much the trip will cost you, making it easier to save and reducing the fear of surprise expenses on the trip.