How To Save Money For Your Dream Vacation.

1. Have a plan:

A good plan is the first step to accomplishing your goal. Some people say they would love to travel but they barely make enough money and cannot spend the little they have travelling the world. We must realize that travel experience is far more valuable than money will ever be and with proper planning, we can make just about anything happen.

In planning, you should consider your desired destination and when you plan to visit, bearing in mind that travelling costs skyrocket during peak seasons e.g summer season and Christmas season. You should also consider the entry requirements to your desired destination i.e whether or not you require a visa. This will give you enough time to make the necessary arrangements and apply early for your visa.

2. Have a budget

The next step is to estimate the entire cost of your proposed trip to enable you determine your budget. You should find out how much your airfare, accommodation and feeding would cost. There are websites that can guide you with some of these searches. Tripadvisor is a great website to compare prices and read reviews from other travelers. Booking.com is also a reliable platform where you can narrow your search to your budget.

3. Start saving early

Avoid impulse shopping and understand that sacrifices must be made. It’s often easier to cut back on expenses than it is to find the time to increase your income. Make savings easy by setting up a separate travelling savings account with automatic deposits. Don’t forget that travelling is the only thing you buy that makes you richer so go ahead and travel now before you run out of time.

4. Make your plans known

Tell someone about your goal or put it in writing. Research has shown that if you tell someone what your goal is, and if you write it down, you are likely to achieve it.

5. Give yourself time

Give yourself an estimated period to achieve your goal and hold yourself accountable. If you happen to get a bonus from work, then you are half way through accomplishing your goal. If not, find other ways to add income.

Better still, you could organize with trusted friends and make a thrift collection also known as ‘esusu’ or ‘ajo’ in South West Nigeria. This concept is an informal savings system where friends/colleagues who earn regular income constitute themselves into a group and contribute money monthly, over a period of time, with an arrangement to credit the bulk sum to each member of the group depending on the agreed collection due date.

Do not forget that the world is full of wonderful things you haven’t seen so stop buying things and go travel and when you eventually do, share your travel stories with us.

Bon voyage. May God keep you safe.