You have been doing everything that you can to slash your spending. Forget just not going to movies. You’ve also canceled your Netflix and are getting DVDs at the library these days because you know that every little bit counts when it comes to saving money during a recession. You want to be able to pay your bills and maybe even create a small savings despite the financially unstable times that you may be facing. All of this means that you’ve probably nixed the idea of taking a summer vacation this year. After all, a vacation is an indulgence that you just can’t afford right now, right? Wrong!
Everyone needs a break from their lives now and then. Being frugal doesn’t necessarily mean that you don’t get to take that break. You just might have to get creative about how you’re going to be able to afford this year’s summer vacation without ruining the hard work that you’ve put in to reducing your spending. Here is a look at some of the ways that you might still be able to get away this summer:
- Pick up some extra work. If you’re in a position where you can increase your income with a second job, then take one on for the specific purpose of saving enough money to go on a short vacation at the end of the summer. It sounds like an obvious solution when you need more money, but many people are forgetting about it because they would plan to save any money earned from a second job. Instead, let this be your fun money that doesn’t need to be factored into the budget that you’re working with to afford the rest of your life.
- Work while you’re on vacation. If you’re just looking for a change of scenery then you may not mind doing some work from your vacation destination. Ask your boss if you can telecommute for the week that you’ll be away so that you aren’t losing any income while you’re gone. If you get paid vacation anyway, consider working a temporary job or volunteering in another place to cover the cost of the trip.
- Sell something that you don’t need. You would be surprised how many items you have around the house that could be turned into cash. Little-used sports equipment and gym equipment, old furniture, and even your second car are all things that you might be able to sell to get a nice chunk of change. Make that sale and use whatever money you earn to go on vacation.
- Host travelers in your home. You can rent out a room in your home for extra income and use that money to go on vacation. Alternatively, you can swap homes with someone in another place to essentially get free accommodations for your vacation stay.
- Visit people that you know. Smart ways to save money on travel including eliminating hotel costs, avoiding popular destinations, and doing activities that don’t cost a lot of money. You can kill those three birds with one stone by taking a trip to visit family or friends who will let you stay with them for free. Spend your time relaxing and catching up instead of hitting up theme parks.
- Take the money from somewhere else in your budget. Even if you’ve been cutting out all of your extras, there are probably still one or two indulgences worked into your budget. You pay for a monthly bus pass when you could walk, you still go to the gym, or you let your kids take piano lessons are a few examples. Could you stop those things for one or two months in order to go on vacation this summer?
One of the things that we’ve learned as times have gotten tough financially is that there are always ways to be able to do the things that you need to do. Rely on that mentality when it comes to doing some special things as well – such as taking a summer vacation – and you’ll be able to live a rich life even though you may not have a lot of riches.
Guest post by Kathryn Vercillo. Kathryn is a writer for Promotionalcodes.org.uk which gives away free discount codes and also publishes money saving tips.
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