Many people assume that a luxurious vacation is out of their budget, and so resign themselves to staying in dorm rooms or eating sandwiches in a run-down bed-and-breakfast.
However, by making a few changes throughout the year, you can afford to have a truly luxurious holiday experience and even stay in luxury accommodation like a VIP.
Here are some ways you can cut the costs so you can afford a life of luxury on vacation:
Make a budget
We all like to think that we’ll be able to save, but unless we have actionable goals, we’re really just putting money in a savings account and then taking it back out when we “need it”.
If you really want to meet your saving goals, you need to have an idea of exactly how much you will need to make your goal a reality. This is the fun part, because it means you can look up your ideal destinations, dream about the accommodation you’ll stay in, and then work out exactly how much you need to make it happen. Look into flights, hotels, transfers and spending money, and give yourself a date to have that amount saved by.
Now you can break this amount up into smaller chunks, and set yourself monthly and weekly saving goals to ensure you stay on track.
Quit eating out
If you get one Starbucks latte a day, you’re looking at more than $30 a week. Combine this with meals out, dinners delivered and the occasional ice cream and you’re throwing money down the drain. Sure, you may love your daily coffee treat but is it really worth missing out on that incredible hotel on the beach? If it seems too hard to cut them out altogether, consider bringing your lunch to work and getting delivery once a week, and allowing yourself two coffees per week.
Once you see that your savings are beginning to quickly add up, you’ll feel more motivated and will probably want to bring lunches to work and make dinner at home even more.
Only buy necessities
Nope, you probably don’t need that new dress- take a look in your closet and you’ll find 3 just like it. Before you make any purchases for new clothes, ask yourself if this will help you meet your saving goals. Plus, it’s much more fun to go shopping overseas where you’ll find cute, original clothes and have time to wander through stores and boutiques.
Be a team
If you’re going on a luxury trip with your significant other, it’s important that both of you are pulling your weight and saving together, or the other person is likely to feel resentful.
Keep each other motivated by looking at pictures of your dream hotel, talk about all the fun things you’ll do on vacation and have date nights in, make delicious dinners together and keep focused on your goals. Your dream vacation will happen sooner than you think!
