How to Save for Your Next Vacation

If you’ve caught the travel bug and are looking for ways to save for a vacation, I’ve got some tips for you!

Traveling internationally has been a priority for me since my first visit to the Dominican Republic 5 years ago. Since then I have set out to leave the U.S at least once a year. A question I get often is, “how do you afford to travel so much?”.

Something that people may be surprised to hear, is that it hasn’t been that difficult to do, especially with a little planning.

Traveling domestic or internationally can be easily unattainable for those who consider it a priority and truly want to do so. Below are three ways I save for a vacation.

Save your extra paychecks.

Some of you guys are like, “what extra paycheck?” You may have completely missed that you even have an “extra paycheck” available to you. This tip only works for those who budget and get paid weekly or biweekly.

If you get paid biweekly or weekly there are going to be two months out of the year that you will get paid an additional paycheck. This usually falls around the summer and winter months. This paycheck is so easy to miss when you aren’t paying attention to your finances. But if you budget and already account for your current paychecks, this should be an added bonus for you.

There are a number of different things you can do with this paycheck such as save it, use it to tackle debt or invest it. But there are a lot of fun things you can do with it as well, like travel if it is a priority for you.

Two times out of the year I transfer both of these paychecks into my travel account as soon as it comes in so that I’m not even tempted to spend it.

But as a reminder, to truly get the most out of your savings, you HAVE to BUDGET! There is no other way around it.

Get a side hustle.

I used to love attending Zumba classes and one day I just decided that with how often I go to the gym for these classes, I should consider getting certified so that I could go to the gym for free and get paid to workout!

It works out well for me. Not only does it help me stay in shape, and save on gym memberships it helps me save for my travel goals. My side hustle helps me pay for my domestic and international travel. I have used this money to attend weddings that are out of the state, girl’s trips and sometimes a quick trip back home.

Find what it is that you like to do and see if you can create a side hustle out of it. If not a side hustle, pick up some extra hours or pick up a side job. I once had an extra job as a graduate assistant on top of my full time job to make additional money on the side. If you can’t think of any ideas, check out this list to keep your wheels turning.

Allocate a monthly amount towards a travel fund

If you know you want to travel, you can start putting away a designated amount in a fund specifically for your travels each pay period or month. Even if you don’t know where you will go next, setting this money aside each month will help you have some money set aside so that when the right opportunity comes, you can take advantage of it.

If a deal comes up and you’ve already got some money saved up, you can book that flight, that hotel or that package immediately and won’t have to rely on credit cards to make it happen.

Once you return back from your trip, automatically start saving again. I do this after every trip, regardless of if I know where my next destination will be, because I know travel is one of my priorities.

I hope this helps you create a strategy for your next vacation. Please share any tips to save for a vacation!