Is anyone budgeting for a vacation this summer? If so, where are you hoping to go? What cuts do you make to your budget when you’re trying to save for a vacation?
Traveling is definitely my weak spot for overspending. After taking too many trips over the last year, I need to focus on saving for a while so I can build back my travel funds. My rent also just increased by $160/month, so I need to account for that in my budget, as well. I’m trying to avoid dining out and takeout and not buying any new clothes unless I really need to replace something.
I usually don’t take vacations during the summer, though. I like to travel during off-season when it’s cheaper and crowds are lighter. Of course, that’s not possible for most people with school-age kids. Plus, I tend to book things relatively last-minute.
I’ve also started dabbling with travel rewards. This made me somewhat nervous in the past, as the interest from carrying a balance for even a month often wipes out the value of any rewards. But I usually pay my credit cards every Friday to avoid interest.
If a summer vacation is in your budget, let me know where you’re heading! Also, are you still saving up for your travel? Or have you already paid for it? Do you use travel rewards?
Oh yes, I budget for vacations! It’s important for me to get away and to have something to look forward to. I save a set amount with every paycheck in a separate account, and also put a percentage of any ‘extra’ money- bonus, tax return, gifts, etc.
And I’m always planning the next vacation. It may be a week in Maine, or a weekend away from home, or a trip to visit friends or family, but I have to have something booked for my own mental health!
We carve out funds for travel in our budget every month so it will be there for our upcoming trips. For the first time this year, we’ve taken the kids out of school for prearranged absences a few days here and there for trips. We are heavy travel hackers, planning months ahead for which card to get next depending on our destination. We did Disneyland back in November, just got back from Boston visiting friends last week for part of spring break, will be going to PA for a family reunion in June, and are planning to visit family and a water park in Colorado in the summer. We also have a road trip we want to do along the Oregon coast in the summer as well. For travel rewards, we never carry a balance and put all of our regular spending on whichever card we are focused on at the time. Even with free airfare, staying with friends or free hotels, and the ability to erase travel purchases, there’s added expense on those trips for petsitting, parking near the airport, rental cars, dining out, and activities but we decided early on this year to prioritize making room in our budget for it all.
I am saving for my special trip to Disney world.my great granddaughter is going to be in a dance competition.we are going as a family and I am now saving .we will be there in November .so excited to go to Disney for the first time ever.and excited to see the girls and boys do well in the dance competition
Vacation budgeting is tough, and one of the primary reasons I end up accruing a bit of debt each year. We are planning to see family in both the Midwest and New England this summer. The Midwest trips are much cheaper because we can drive and have free places to stay.
For New England, we need to fly and rent a car. While we do have family to stay with, the trip is spread across Mass. and Maine, with a couple days spent on our own in Portland and/or Boston. I have some Marriott Bonvoy points saved up for a hotel stay for this trip. I’m considering saving up Airbnb points from my work’s Fringe benefits for this trip as well.
Visiting family a few states over. We put money aside just for our vacations. That way you can spend with out guilt from your pool of money set aside. We use our own car to save money, stay with relatives to save on hotel / motel, and cook 50% of our meals at my mother’s home after from buying at the grocery store.
Some of our vacation money comes from cash rewards cards that we let accumulate.
Last year we offered to dog sit my daughter’s and SIL’s 2 fur babies while they were out of the country for 3 weeks. It worked out great. They were much more relaxed because we stayed in their home (so basically house sat too), we agreed no payment necessary because we had no room expense, we cooked in most of the time, and we enjoyed touring new places in their homestate. We drove, but there would have been no problem using their vehicles. We are retired, but so many people are still able to work remotely, so this could be an option. I briefly looked into signing up with a pet sitting business because this is such an inexpensive way to travel… but not ready to jump on that yet.
My husband and I tend to travel off season as well, mostly Spring and Fall. Our big trip is to St. Augustine, FL next month to celebrate our anniversary. Survey and focus group earnings help keep expenses low.
Thanks! Yes, we’ve been once before and enjoyed it so much we decided to visit again. St. Augustine has such a rich history! I hope you get to visit sometime.
I can even get the children to buy them lol 
