You waited for them all year and now it seems that inflation and uncontrolled prices are going to leave you without vacations. But not! There is always something that can be done to lower expenses and still have the well-deserved rest of this time of year.
The first thing is to understand that we are going through particular months in which we have no choice but to adapt (even more than we already did) and think that it is something temporary. That helps change the focus and really focus on spending the holidays as best as possible with the resources we have.
So that you don’t feel like the adjustment is taking over your vacation, I leave you 5 tips that you can apply to spend less and enjoy with family or friends.
1.Have a daily budget
It is very common to spend all the money available in the first two or three days, and then have to resort to credit cards or end up depriving yourself of all the good things about the vacation. So that it doesn’t happen to you this time, calculate carefully how much money you will be able to spend on the entire vacation, divide it by the number of days and stay within that number. This way the family makes sure to use a little bit every day, and not all at once at the beginning and then end up eating white rice and water crackers the last few days. To prevent this from happening, the budget is always the best help.
2.Choose nearby places
This greatly reduces transportation costs, both in fuel and tolls. Perhaps this is not the ideal summer to travel to the other side of the country, especially if you didn’t have anything paid before and you have to do everything at current prices. I repeat what I said at the beginning: it is temporary. It is preferable to go closer and still have vacations, rather than having to cancel them because the cost does not allow you to go far.
3.Control food expenses
It is always one of the largest categories in the budget. But we have to eat to eat, so it is best to have ideas on hand to save money such as: cooking as much as possible (even bringing ingredients from home if justified by the price difference), buying snacks and snacks in the supermarket and not directly in the beach. Also bring drinks in the “ice cream shop”, which has once again been a great ally to save, look for a good delicatessen nearby or use delivery apps to avoid always eating out. Of course you have to treat yourself, that’s what vacations are for, but if we complement it with other strategies to avoid overspending, everything becomes much more pocket-friendly.
4.Postpone vacations to be able to save sooner
If you have a job that gives you the possibility of choosing a date other than January/February, or if you work for yourself and can take the days whenever you want, the ideal would be to leave your vacation until after July, when it is estimated that the inflation is going to be lower. This also allows you to pay less, when traveling out of season, and the possibility of saving now so as not to depend only on the credit card to finance your trip. You can use any of the options offered by virtual wallets or banks’ Common Investment Funds to separate part of your income for the next few months, and with that pay for your vacation later, with a slightly more stable economy.
5.Activities for those who stay
The budget definitely didn’t allow for even two days? Don’t you have a vacation now and the only option is to stay home? There are several things to do without spending a lot! For example, a movie and games night at home, a photography challenge to entertain yourself for several afternoons, charity, outdoor activities and more.
In my new e-book “11 low-cost activities and outings for the whole family” I give you many ideas to share unique moments while spending as little as possible. Because it is not necessary to have a large budget, simply to have the desire to do something different and, again, understanding that it is a temporary situation that you have to get through as best as possible. You get it at the Money in Order School, along with classes, courses and printables to help you improve your everyday finances.
As you see, I give you options so that you can get out of the collective complaint and can enjoy the vacation with what you have at hand. These are complicated months, we cannot deny it. “Better times will come” the grandmothers said. Of course! In the meantime, let’s do what we can to have the best time possible in these hot months. Happy Holidays!
Celeste Sánchez is a Communicator specialized in family finances and creator of @dineroenorden
by Celeste Sánchez
