5 Ways to Boost your Vacation Budget

 There is a popular Meme going around that makes a joke about travelling. It is basically stating that the only travel you can afford is to "travel" right back to work. I can relate to that feeling, but I am here to tell you that there are ways to squirrel away cash to make room for travel.

1. Travel Savings Account - The idea behind this one is simple. All you do is open a separate savings account. Have a portion of each paycheck be direct deposited into this account. If you were to budget just $50/month in one year you would have $600.  If you bumped that up to $125/ month you would have $1400. With a little research and support from online travel companies such as Expedia, Priceline, or Travelocity, you can make that budget work for you.

2. Gifts and Tax Refunds - A great way to bolster your travel savings fund is by using gifts from friends and family (i.e. birthdays, holidays, anniversaries) or even gifts from the government! Yes, I am talking about tax refunds!  Tax refunds and gifts from friends and family aren't generally things we are relaying on to pay our regular monthly expenses, which means the money we get from these outlets can be used at our own discretion.

3. Drive for Doordash or Uber Eats - It is easy to sign up as a Doordash or Uber Eats Driver. All you need to do is download the respective app and follow the instructions to setup an account. Either app is extremely user friendly. You can choose your own hours and work as much or as little as you wish. It may not make you millions, but it will give you some extra cash you can fuel into vacation plans.

4. Book Ahead and Make Monthly Payments - A service that is sometimes offered by cruise companies and travel sites alike is a monthly payment plan. My husband and I have used this method many times to pay for travel. By booking far enough in advance we were able to control the size of payments so they fit comfortably within our monthly budget and were automatically deducted from our checking account. 

5. Get a Part-Time Job - This one is obvious. But if you need more money it is a surefire way to make that happen.  One option is seasonal and summer employment. If you are crafty you could always make products and market them on crafting websites or at craft fairs. Selling gently used items at yard sales or online, and mowing lawns or raking leaves are also popular options for making money.

Whatever way you choose to boost your vacation budget will pay off in much further dividends than simply cold hard cash. Investing in travel will provide memories that will last a lifetime.