Super Savings: Budgeting For A Family Holiday
Holidays are the one time of the year the family gets to be together and enjoy themselves. Whether this is a summer event of a winter holiday, families are a time to bond, laugh and play in different environments. The only problem with holidays is the cost. That, and the organization between school holidays and work annual leave. Saving and paying for it in cash is usually the best way to get a holiday together.
Trying to budget for a family holiday can be difficult but by following a few easy tips, you could save for your dream family holiday in no time. The first step is to set yourself a budget for your holiday. You need to include everything from travel insurance to transport, including hotels, toiletries and possible car hire. Not only that, but you have to factor in the day to day expenses like entertainment and food. That’s your budget sorted out. Now, how to gather the cash for your entire trip?
Be realistic about your savings goals. Don’t overshoot or cut from important expenses like rent and council tax. You can look up how to sell gold bullion, old DVDs and games and even downsizing on your old electronics. There are plenty of places online to sell DVDs and CDs to make enough money for your holiday. The earlier you start to save, the faster you’ll be able to pay off your dream holiday and be able to budget correctly.
At the end of every week, check your bank balance and move the small change to a savings account online. If you have £37.50 in your account, move the £7.50. While it doesn’t sound like a lot, it soon adds up and quick enough you’ll have enough for holiday spends. Having an online savings account alongside any penny jars in the house will mean you have more than one source of money being saved up. You’ll be able to watch your savings grow on your online account and the heavier the money jar gets the better as you could be getting close to your goals there too!
Family holidays don’t always have to be abroad either, so you may be able to save yourself money on your passport costs and new luggage. Self-catering holidays can help you with your budgeting as most sites and seaside resorts have a ton of free things to do. If you situate yourselves nearby to a beach as well, you have a whole load of free things you can do from sandcastle making to crabbing. Bringing along a slow cooker and doing a shop at the local supermarket at the start of the holiday can also help you save on costs, which means your holiday can mean more than just the money you bring with you.
Ultimately, you have to decide what the best family holiday would be for you and by understanding your budget and your holiday aims, you can form the best plan for your holiday time.
