The festivities are already here. Schools are closed for the holidays. Businesses that deal with consumer products and services are getting ready to serve the large numbers of people who will be shopping around this time. Christmas is only a few days away. While this may be seen as an opportunity to take a short break from work, some people may find it hectic. It is around this time that spending never ends. Kids want to look the part by getting new clothes; friends and family upcountry want you to visit or vice versa and there is that trip you have longed for since the beginning of the year but never got time to travel. Even though you will need to keep paying your bills and take your kids back to school in January, it does not always have to be hectic when it comes to having a good time travelling during the festivities. You can always come up with a plan to save to travel and below are some of the ways you can do that.
a) Have a List
There is no better way of getting organized than having all your plans written down systematically on a paper. This time is no different. Prior to traveling, prepare a list of all the places you havalways wanted to travel, whether locally ortravelling then narrow down to those you can afford at this time. Where you identify the place you want to travel, you will be aware of the hotels around there, what you need while there and will have a budget for your stay. This list will help you be better organized.
b) Cut on unnecessary spending
After you know exactly where you want to travel, let’s say Mombasa, you want to focus most of your financial energies on that area and avoid spending unnecessarily. Don’t just buy clothes, but buy those you need while you will be on vacation. This is where you also need to create a special fund specifically meant for the trip. Every day, try and put aside some money that will be spent during the trip, maybe to pay for a cab, to book a hotel or flight. This will ensure that after the vacation, you are able to continue having the lifestyle you had before you travelled. Again, the trip will not eat into your savings.
c) Take advantage of the discounts
This is a period to take maximum advantage of the discounts offered by travel agencies, hotels, malls etc. Around this time, many organisations subsidize the prices of the goods and services they offer to encourage more customers. This is when you need to shop for what you need during the trip and make your bookings. It is also imperative to do this early as we approach Christmas, prices may go up owing to the high demand from customers.
d) Be realistic
Set realistic travel goals. You may want to travel to the famous Maldives but it may not be possible especially due to budget constraints. That should not dampen your spirits as you can always travel to a place that is similar to Maldives as you save up for the actual thing. Do not burden yourself trying to get money for the trip you cannot afford. Again, it does not make sense to raise money for the trip to some exotic place but lack enough cash to sustain you while there. Be realistic and set to achieve what is within your reach.
e) Discipline. Discipline. Discipline.
This by all means sums up everything written up there. This will only be a trip and it is NOT a must that you travel. If you are unable to raise enough to travel and to sustain you during the trip, learn to control yourself so that you do not end up taking loans to finance such a move. You need to learn to say no to friends who may influence you to travelling when you are unable to do. If they can afford it and you can’t, discipline yourself to accept the scenario as it is.
It is always advisable to start saving for your trip early and pay early as well to get the best holiday deals. So as you plan for the bucket list trip in December you need to start saving for it in January.
Check out further tips on saving for your holiday in this post How to save up for that travel bucketlist trip.
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