We have all experienced “trying” to save for our dream holiday and breaking the piggy bank a few times for a boost on cash. You then realise you definitely do not have enough for that dreamy St Lucia holiday you’ve had your eyes on. We feel your pain so we’ve come up with some of the best ways to save for a holiday so you can be on your way to that holiday you’ve been dreaming of.
Book Early
We can’t stress this enough, when flights are first released they are at their cheapest – they will not get cheaper but only get more expensive, sometimes an awful lot more. This is where you will find the cheapest packages because accommodation will also be a lot cheaper. It is an excellent way to save money, especially on long-haul so that Caribbean holiday might be in reach!
HOWEVER, you can also grab some good bargains last minute so be sure to sign up for price comparison websites emails and keep your eyes open if you fancy being spontaneous and booking a last-minute holiday.
When to go away
It’s no secret that the cheapest time to go away is while kids are in school, so if you don’t have kids then enjoy all the available dates! Parents fear not, there are plenty of different dates for when is best to visit some destinations, do a little research and you’ll be able to find some cheap dates to treat yourself and the kids. Flexibility is key!
Limit your spending BEFORE departing
We recommend only buying the necessities two months before you are due to depart – the £3 you might spend on your work lunch could be £3 spent on a souvenir on holiday. If you start putting little amounts away for two months, it will quickly add up and you will have a lovely amount before you go away. Saving money for your holiday has never seemed easier with a little motivation.
How to budget for a holiday
So it might be easier for us to say “budget a holiday” but where do you go from there? How do you even budget a holiday? There are many holiday budget calendars online or you can create one yourself. To start, make a list of all the things you will need to buy for your holiday:
- Travel insurance
- Travel money
- Care hire
- Holiday clothes and swimwear
- Sun cream and toiletries
These are a few things that you might need to buy so set yourself a limit on this – be realistic! Don’t set too small of a budget otherwise you’ll end up going over. You also have to think about what you’ll spend on holiday:
- Food and drink
- Travel arrangements (bus, taxi)
- Entertainment – if you’re going somewhere with theme parks, check out our blog post about how to save money on theme park tickets!
- Holiday treats (souvenirs etc.)
Again be realistic, look at areas nearby where you are staying at and the pricing to familiarise yourself with how much you will roughly be spending. Add all of these costs together and you have your budget for the holiday.
Sales, sales and more sales!
As we mentioned before, be sure to sign up to holiday sites (e.g. Cheap flights and Dealchecker) where different companies will submit exclusive sales, have a look around and you will find some great offers for the perfect holiday – it is one of the best ways to save money for a holiday!
These are only a few tips on how to save money for a holiday and there are many more online so be sure to have a look around. There are plenty of opportunities to save money for your dream holiday, so with a little motivation you could be off to your dream destination by the end of the year. So where’s the savings pot?