Have you ever seen those people that always seem to be able to afford at least one holiday a year? And when they do go on vacation, they always seem to go to the best locations in the world. You might think that this is because they have the money to do that, but in fact, it can be something that anyone can do if they are determined enough to make it happen. Here are a few ways that you can afford to have a nice vacation every year.
Make a Plan
Those people that are able to go on vacation a lot are usually always thinking ahead. They sometimes even book their next vacation as soon as they get back from the last one. That means you need to make a plan of the places you want to go, and when you want to go there. If you spend too much time thinking and not being decisive, then you could find yourself going for over a year or more before you start to think seriously about it. A plan also cements your desire and your commitment to making it happen.
Creating the Funds
Holidays are great, but they can also get expensive, so you need to find a way to fund your yearly vacation before you start to book. There are many ways that you can get the money together, but you want to choose something that is sustainable in the long term. For example, if you choose to take on a second job to finance your holidays, then you need to ensure that this is something you can do year after year. Another choice might be to do a certain amount of overtime each year for your existing employer. Although there is no guarantee that the overtime will be available, it means you have a set goal to work towards, and it won’t mean working another job. You can also think about taking out a loan that you then repay throughout the following year. All you need to do is visit the website of the company you want to use, and loan the money over a 12-month period.
Arranging the Best Time
Holiday prices can fluctuate a lot over the course of the year; this usually happens because of school holidays when the cost goes up considerably. If you don’t have to worry about going at these times of the year, then it can cost you a lot less to travel outside of peak season. That is not to say that you cannot travel then, but it means you will need to save more money to do so, which could stretch your finances further. The other benefit to traveling off-peak is that you are more likely to get the time off work than during the holiday season. Take a look at the best times for you that you can book off time at work. You might need to plan for this depending on your employer’s holiday policy. However, you need to make sure that the conditions will be ok in the off-peak season. Some countries can get bad weather at certain times of the year, so you want to avoid this if possible. There could also be restrictions on certain events or facilities out of peak season, but if this doesn’t bother you, then it can save money.
Looking at Flights
One of the costliest aspects of a vacation can be the flights. They can sometimes be more expensive than the rest of the holiday if you don’t plan it well enough. The key is to look at all of the flight options before you commit to any one deal. For example, in some cases, leaving home and returning from different airports can work out a lot cheaper than traveling in and out of the same one. Of course, you will need to see if the cost saving is worth the effort, if it means you need to book a taxi home, then this could make the saving pointless. You should also look at the time you book your flight, not just the time of day, but also how far in advance you book. Sometimes you can get a big discount by booking early, especially on longer flights. It might go against your natural instinct to wait until the last moment, but it means you will definitely have a flight booked which isn’t always the case with waiting.
Booking the Hotel
Once you have a good idea where you want to go, you can then start doing your research into the hotels and packages that are available. It is this stage where you can sometimes land a bargain, but you need to look in as many places as possible. The range of prices for the same hotel room can be huge, so don’t go with your first search, even if it does look like a good deal. Sometimes going directly to the hotel, you want can be a good thing to do, they can often give you a deal, especially in the off-peak season when they want to fill their rooms. However, you also need to look at packages, because these will include food and other extras that you might have to pay separately for if you just book the room.
Cut Out the Extras
With some holiday packages, there are extra activities you can do as well as the beach or the hotel. Some offer excursions to local towns or places of interest, others could include scuba diving or trips on a boat. If these are things that you want to do, then, of course, you should add them to the package. However, if you want to lay in the sun or do your own exploring, then it will be cheaper to leave these extras out. Be sure to find out if these can be left out or if you have to pay for them anyway.
With these ideas, you can start to add more trips to your calendar so that you become one of those people that take a vacation every year.