Question
When you make travel plans, how do you save money for the trip?
Answers
Travel off-season for better rates. Frequent travelers can save by using reward points, like airline miles or hotel loyalty programs to offset costs.
I use a mileage credit card for flights. Travel during mid season, on the cusp between winter or summer. I have a portion of my check direct deposit into a travel savings account. When I can, I try to book hotels with breakfast. And last of all, look for deals
I only do two things. I use airline points I've accumulated throughout the year towards an airline ticket and I budget my total trip expenditure (including an airline ticket if not enough points). Each month I put my trip expenditure funds in a vacation account. This is easily done automatically from my online savings accounts. When I go on vacation, then I buy my tickets and pay for my vacation when returning from this vacation fund. Ready to start contributing to the next months. So far I haven't overspent my account, but I haven't gone to Vegas yet either. :-)
Taking advantage of my experience using military allotments to automatically pay bills or provide money to my spouse while deployed, I have established a seperate money market account for savings and initiated an automatic monthly transfer from my checking to that money market account. The money that accumulates is used for vacations, large expenses (homeowners and auto insurance, etc.) and unexpected expenses. Since the money is automatically transfered, it is out of sight, out of mind, and not part of my budget. It is also almost an automatic response to enter the transaction in my check book, since my bank sends me a transaction notice of the transfer. The tactic has worked for me for many years and usually results in enough of a surplus to accumulate a nice savings account.
Every day I throw my pocket change into a bucket in the hall. By the end of the year, I have enough cash for an all-expense-paid trip to the destination of my choice.
