Inside: A painless 8-week vacation savings plan that will put $1000 in the bank for your trip…fast! Plus, a free printable to help get you started!
What’s the main thing that holds you back from traveling?
Money?
I completely understand!
Sometimes with life’s unexpected challenges, plus just the daily cost of living, travel can seem out of reach.
However, I’ve put together an 8-week vacation savings plan that can put $1000 in the bank towards your trip. It’s easier than you might think!
8-Week Vacation Savings Plan
There are two parts to this vacation savings plan:
- Saving
- Scaling back
Those words might look like no fun, but I promise I’ve broken them down into a relatively pain-free way to save!
With this 2-step vacation savings plan, you can round up $1000 in only 8-weeks! That’s definitely a nice chunk of change to start planning a weekend vacation!
Step One: Saving Money
There’s really no getting around the fact that you’ll need to set a little money aside if you want to travel.
These are the keys to success that help me get it done:
- Create a separate bank account — Opening a new account for your vacation savings plan keeps this money separate from your general account, so you’re less likely to mix it up. If you get a debit card for this account, leave it at home until it’s time for your trip. This prevents you from giving in to temptation and using your travel fund at home.
- Make a plan and set a goal — If you create a designated vacation savings plan, you’re more likely to stick with the program and accomplish your goal. In fact, studies show that people who set specific savings goals end up saving hundreds of dollars more on average than those who don’t!
That’s why I created this simple vacation savings plan — so I don’t have to think about it! Just follow the plan and let it work for you!
Step Two: Scaling Back
Another way to free up money for travel is to repurpose cash that you’d normally spend elsewhere. You’d be surprised how seemingly “little” things can eat up a big chunk of your monthly budget! (I learned this the hard way! Read more about how meal planning saved our family over $1000 a month).
Here are two expenses that I cut back on when I want to save money fast:
- Restaurant/Takeout meals — Going out to eat is much more expensive than meal planning and cooking at home. Cutting out only ONE $50 restaurant meal per week will save you $400 in two months. Wow!
- Premium coffee — A frothy barista-made cappuccino is my personal “guilty” pleasure, but it can be pricey! Brewing your own on the 2 days you’d normally hit the coffee shop can save up to $80 in 8 weeks.
If you combine 8-weeks of saving, plus a little bit of scaling back, you’ll have $1000 in the bank for your trip before you know it!
Free printable copy of this vacation savings plan:
To get access to my free printable library, enter your email address in the form below:
3 Ways to Get the Most out of Your Vacation Budget
Want to make the most of your vacation savings fund? Here are a few tips that work for us!
- Look for values “off the beaten path” and away from trendy destinations. There are definitely some hidden gems that can save you a lot of money over the markups at some popular resorts.
- Plan a trip that is in driving distance and cut pricey airfare out of the equation. For example, Ocala/Marion County, Florida is easily accessible in driving distance of most of the Southeast U.S. and offers a wide range of activities and attractions for the whole family. Many of these Ocala/Marion County Activities are very affordable, or even free!
- Enjoy the outdoors! You don’t have to break the bank to enjoy the wonders of the more than 600 lakes, rivers and springs in the area! And it doesn’t cost anything but time to hit the trails of the Ocala National Forest or the numerous other parks in Ocala/Marion County. Plus, outdoor activities might be a safer option then some indoor attractions right now.
Did you know? Ocala/Marion County is known as the Horse Capital of the World™. Find out more about equestrian-themed activities here.
Click here to learn more about Ocala/Marion County Lodging and where to stay on your visit!
One More Tip…
If you want to save money faster, another way to do that is to find extra ways to make money. Before I was an established blogger, I looked for ways to make money as a stay at home mom. This helped me to have more time with my family AND put extra money in the bank!
More Money Saving Tips
- How to Make Meal Planning Easier
- 5 Ways to Save Money Faster
- How to Live Well on One Income
- How to Save Money at Outlet Malls
- 7 Ways to Save $500
- 6 Steps to Save $10,000 in One Year
- 4 Simple Ways to Lower Your Energy Bill
- 5 Smart Money Habits to Stay Debt Free
This post was originally created as part of a sponsored collaboration by me on behalf of Ocala/Marion County VCB. All opinions are 100% mine.
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Melissa says
You do know this doesn’t total 1,000!
Stacey aka the Soccer Mom says
Hi Melissa – I’m not sure if you read the entire infographic, but in addition to the $520 savings plan, there is also a “scaling back” section which brings the total to $1000.