22 Ways to Save Money for Travel

Beautiful view of a Lake in Jasper National Park in Alberta (Canada) during a budget vacation.

Cheap and delicious food in Thailand. No cheap nights required here!!

Would you like to go on vacation? Most people love to travel, however the money required to do so is often perceived as the biggest barrier to taking part in these dreams! If you're seriously considering going on vacation but are struggling to come up with the money to do so, fear not, there are multiple steps you can take to make this worry disappear!   
Here is a list of money saving ideas to get you started in saving towards your dream vacation!  
  
Goal: First, you must set a budget for your trip, as this will be your goal! Having a goal is important as it allows you to monitor your progress and feel encouraged every time you get a little closer!

Groceries: This cost cannot be avoided as everyone must eat, and being hungry for months or years just to save for a trip is not advised. However, here are a few tricks that can help lower your grocery expenses.  

•  You must start by making a budget and sticking to it! Try to aim for a reasonable amount of money, and revise it within a month to update the amount, either if it could be lower or if it needs to be higher.   
• Make a list, and don't buy anything that isn't on it (easier said than done, we know, but it really works!)
• You can collect and use coupons, use Apps that allow you to use coupons or receive money if you purchase certain products or you can purchase only the items that are on sale. Regardless if you choose to do all or some of these ideas, make sure that your purchases are in fact necessities, otherwise saving 2$ on a pack of crackers you don't need doesn't make any sense! 

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Entertainment: This is an important part of saving money, because you don't want to stay at home doing nothing just because you're saving money to go traveling! Here are a few ways to maintain your social life and the activities you enjoy without breaking the bank.  

• ​Try inviting friends and family to your home, or taking turns within your social group at hosting. After all, hosting a few people for super while taking turns to do so is a lot cheaper than going to the restaurant! You could also suggest having potlucks so that everyone has a chance to contribute or try hosting games nights (if you don't own any perhaps other guests can bring theirs, otherwise board games can also be purchased second hand for little money).  
• Instead of going to specific events, try hosting one! For example, instead of going to a Wine Festival, perhaps you could host a Wine and Cheese night during which every person is asked to bring a bottle of wine from different countries and a piece of cheese. You could also have arts and crafts nights where everyone brings part of the supplies to make beautiful decors (you can find great crafts ideas online, such as the multiple options available on Pinterest).
• If you must go to the restaurant, consider going on Cheap Night or during Happy Hour in order to avoid paying full price.   
• Coupons and vouchers can also facilitate cheaper entertainment of all types, including restaurants, movie nights and zip lining. These can be obtained from websites such as Groupon where amazing deals on local restaurants can often be found, or at different stores where you can sometimes purchase vouchers for movie nights at reduced cost.
• Finally, most cities offer free activities at times, so do some research and find out what you can do for free! This might include outdoor ice skating during the winter time, guided hikes in many parks around your city or kayaking on a nearby lake summer time! ​​ 

Monthly Bills: There are many easy steps you can take to explore if lowering your monthly bills is a possibility.   

• You can verify if there are cheaper cell phone, internet, cable and/or home phone plans available, and consider bundling these services in one package to save money (either with your present provider or new ones if you're not in a contract).   
• Reduce your electricity consumption as much as possible. Always turn off your lights or appliances when not needed, use energy efficient electronics and unplug them when they're not in use.  
• Make sure to cancel any unnecessary expenses! If you don't watch much television, perhaps consider cancelling your cable and getting an online streaming service instead (hello Netflix and chill!!). You could also cancel any magazine subscriptions or gym memberships, especially if you never find yourself using them! If you do utilize these services, look around to see if there may be cheaper alternatives available, such as a less expensive gym.  

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Collectors Points: Ensure to collect points, when available, from the stores that you often frequent. These can help you obtain anything from free coffees to gift cards that can be used towards groceries, monthly bills, travel related expenses or entertainment activities (such as restaurant vouchers or tickets for the movies).   

Banking:   

• Bank fees are inevitable, however you should make sure that you have the best price possible and that it does meet your needs (paying 3$ for e-transfers when you make many of them in a month might suggest you could get a better plan to meet your needs).   
• Another way your bank can help you save money is by requesting that a set amount of money (usually not too big, but every dollar makes a difference!) be transferred straight to a savings account every pay day. That way you can't spend the money as you never really had it in your account!   
• Also, look into the possibility of having a credit card that rounds up your total and saves the extra money for you or provide incentives such as points and rebates. (Of course, be careful of credit card fees, and make sure that you pay your entire bill monthly otherwise you risk losing money on interest!)  
• If you are working on paying off debt, explore if you can lower the interest rate in order to pay it off sooner, or perhaps meet with your financial institution to explore other possibilities for your situation! ​​ 

Transport: This expense widely varies depending on your specific life circumstances (where you live and work).   

• However, generally speaking, if you live near your destination you could consider walking or biking to it instead of driving or taking a taxi.   
• If you own a vehicle, always compare insurance rates to make sure you're getting the best price (while keeping in mind different coverage).   
• Make sure you get the best gas mileage by properly maintaining your car, keeping good air pressure in the tires and not driving around with extra unnecessary weight in your vehicle.  
• If you own a vehicle but hardly use it, consider selling it and participating in programs such as car shares to save on transportation costs. You could also sell your newer more expensive vehicle and purchase an older less costly one (do your research beforehand though as you wouldn't want to get caught in multiple repair and maintenance expenses!) 

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Second Source of Income: From a part time job in your field or elsewhere, to online paying surveys or becoming a sales rep (think Avon, Norwex, door to door marketing, etc.), anything that interests you and for which you have the time and passion to engage in while being sure it'll improve your monthly earnings, is worth a consideration! Just make sure you still have time to take care of yourself and enjoy yourself, otherwise it won't be worth it if you're miserable and overworked!  

Bottom Line: Evidently, not all of these ideas apply to everyone, but there's certainly many that you can apply to your situation today in order to start saving! And this list is only the beginning of ideas! Do you have any other ideas that have been helpful to you? Share these in the comments section below to help your fellow travelers achieve their goal!  

​J&C

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Taxis in Varadero (Cuba) can make for a great transportation option (be careful of the price!).