How do you save for a vacation?

[gshoemate]

O.K., I know that sounds like a silly question. Whenever we have taken a vacation it has been a spur of the minute "Lets Go". And we dealt with the debt when we got home. I want to start saving for a trip out West next year but have no idea how or where to start. I would like to save a little bit of money so when there are low airfares I can buy tickets and then work with everything else like car and accomidations. Does this sound like a good starting point? TIA

 

[isyne4u]

I think it is a great idea. Although i have to admit I'm one of the worst about saving but i really do try. I started a separate savings account. I have a set amount of money pulled out of my check each payday and deposited into that account, kind of like a christmas club but i can get it when I need it. I use mine to pay for grad school, trips, and unexpected emergencies. So when i get the good deal I have the money to pay for it. After the first couple of pay checks i got used to having less spending money and it hasn't been a problem.

I have a girl I work with that every night she and her husband take all the change from their pockets/purse and one single dollar bill each and put it in jar. They do this faithfully everyday and they are have money to pay for their trips.

Another one, this one from my mom who did this when she bought a new washer and dryer, is pay for something that you don't normally pay for. Like when you do laundry put the amount of money you would have spent to do the laundry into a little container that you are not allowed to touch until you put it away or use it for your trip.

Hope this gives you some ideas.
tara

 

[Dax]

I second the idea of having money taken out of your paycheck and put into a savings account. Also whenever you have extar spending money, dont spend it. Move it to savings. Whenver you get a rebate, put it in the savings. Birthday, holiday, anniversery money, that goes in there too...

Its up to you how to save...

 

[DocRafiki]

It's all about having a budget in writing and tallying how much you're actually spending. I do that with Microsoft Money and some Excel spreadsheets that I made.

I have a certain amount budgeted each month to pay off credit card debt. When I get it all paid off this month or next, I'll change that category to "savings." I'll transfer that amount monthly from my checking to savings account. I'm mostly saving for a house down-payment, but I'll use it for other things like vacations. That's the plan for right now, until I talk to someone about other options. I know my mom used to have a certain amt automatically deducted from each paycheck and put into a Christmas account that she couldn't touch until a certain date. I don't think I could do that at my job, but you might look into it.