Plan for more family time this year.
Create your own easy family travel fund!
We all need to get away from time to time, take a break from our day-to-day routine, and explore new places. Ever worry about how you'll be able to save enough money for those family vacations? I know I have! I'm here to help you create your own easy family travel fund. I'll share a few things that I did that work. Together we will be able to put more money aside and travel more.
This year, my budget is a little tighter than last year. Can you relate? I'm willing to cut back on a few things, but I'm not willing to forgo family vacations. We all look forward to having fun together and seeing new places. So I'll have find other ways to cut back and create a travel budget that I can stick to. Sounds fun, huh?
I've seen several ideas on the internet and Pinterest for creating a family travel budget. The one where you save money weekly according to the week number ($1 for week 1…. $20 for week 20, etc.) looks doable. Unfortunately, I'd probably forget what week I was in, thus the amount of money I was supposed to put in. Plus around the holidays, putting away more money won't be as easy for me. So I have a different plan.
I like to set up and create my travel fund a little differently. I like EASY plans. Don't you? Here is are a few tips to help create an easy family travel fund.
The Everybody Saves Travel Fund Plan
Kids Save For Their “Wants”!
That's right! Even the kids help save. The kids each take $1-2 (20%) a week from their allowances and it goes in their respective travel funds. This money is their “play money” while on vacation. My husband and I pay for all of the “needs” while on vacation; lodging, food, entertainment, etc. They are responsible for their “wants” while on vacation. That means souvenirs, candy, etc. It is amazing at how much less they want when the money comes from their own pockets. Since we take little vacations throughout the year, this means that they each have about $20 or so to spend during any one vacation.
Mom and Dad Saves Too!
My husband and I pay for all of the “needs” while on vacation; lodging, food, entertainment, etc. Set aside a set amount of money each week. Look at your budget and see what you can afford.
As a family, my plan is to set aside $25 a week. This amount is very doable with our household budget. $50 every two weeks is the cost of a meal out for my family. So instead of going out to eat dinner (which I want to cut back on anyway), I'll take that money and put it in the travel fund. If I don't contribute anything else, after 52 weeks, there will be $1300 for vacation fun. It's not a luxury vacation, but it's enough for a few short family trips. Take a look at the places on my travel bucket list for this year. You'll get an idea of what $1300 can pay for.
Make Saving Money a Priority!
Put money into your travel fund every week. Every week you are reminded about where you want to go on vacation. With your goal in mind, you will be less likely to spend money else where. You can use whatever you like to store your travel fund; glass jar, plastic bottle, bank account, piggy bank, etc. The key is to place it in a highly visible spot.
This year, the force is with us! Check out my Star Wars Storm Trooper Piggy bank. I like to call it Geek Chic! We're using it to hold the family travel fund. It will remind me of my family travel plans.Since I'm making travel a priority this year, my Storm Trooper is sitting on my shelf near my computer. This is my reminder to stay on budget and even help me to save a little extra. If I have extra money at the end of the month, it will go into my travel fund. That way, there will be a little extra play money!
Spend Less and Travel More
Make traveling as a family a priority this year. Commit to spend more quality time together and experiencing more as a family. Instead of giving tangible gifts, give experiences instead. Instead of a birthday party, head out to an amusement park, concert, or a weekend camping trip. Make the emphasis on doing more together instead of “stuff” and you'd be surprised on how much money you could save and the places you'll be able to go.
This is how I'm creating a travel fund for my family. I know these tips can help you too! Sit down and figure out how much you want to put aside each week, each month, etc. After that, just get started! You will create an easy family travel fund in no time. You're going to have a great time vacationing together this year on a budget!
How do you save for family vacations?
Looking for more travel tips? Take a look at our Travel Bucket List for this year.
I’ve been traveling a lot lately and how I do it is spend less so I can travel often. Also, I like using 3rd party sites like Priceline to score great deals.
That’s the way to do it. If you haven’t checked out Travelzoo.com yet, you need to. I can find some great deals in there for everything from hotels to attractions.
This is a great method for saving! I’m using a similar method to save every extra penny for my upcoming wedding!
Congratulations on your wedding! How exciting!
I love these tips! I’ve been trying to save small amounts too, and it definitely adds up over time!
Thanks Tiffany. Yes, a little every week isn’t painful and over a few months, you can getaway and get some much needed fun.
I love the idea of everyone pitching in, including the kids. What a fun way to let them help! Our budget is tight this year, too, but we definitely plan on getting away now and then.
A big expense is souvenirs and extras. When the kids save, they don’t want as much as that means less headaches for us. Later this week, I have a few tips on how to have an inexpensive road trip. It is filled with a few ideas you can use to make money spread a little longer.