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Saving
Today we’re going to look at creating a plan for one year of money saving. Breaking down some top tips on how to save and where to start. We’ll focus on what your savings could get you and in this case, how they could see you get the vacation of a lifetime in just one year.
By changing the way you live for one year of your life, you could fund a huge adventure that will directly impact your life. Allowing you to visit those places that you’ve always dreamed of seeing. Whether you are saving for one luxurious place or a gap year travel adventure, this should set you on the right track.
You should think of this as a challenge, with one very specific end goal in mind. That is achieving your dream vacation.
Where to start?
Starting your one year of money saving will be the hardest part. You need to start thinking about why you are saving and what you are saving for. If you’re not fully motivated, then you won’t succeed. Here’s a few things you should do first: –
1 – Create a travel book and keep track of all of the places you want to see. All the things you want to do! Cut out or print off images from online. Make a collage of your dream trip and everything that involves. Write lists and make notes. Anything that will keep you motivated and inspired when you look at it is a great visual tool for money saving inspiration.
2 – Start thinking about small changes that you can make. If you start small, then your ideas will grow into bigger ones as you progress with your goals. Set yourself challenges to save a set amount each week and then keep upping that amount.
3 – Write a plan of action. Planning your ideas on paper or on the computer will help keep you focused. Checklists are a great and satisfying way to keep on top of things. Ticking things off your list as you do them can be very rewarding.
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Practical ways to save money
Ok, so there are many ways that we can dream about saving money, but not so many of them are actually practical enough to include in your daily life. Here are a few that should be easily achievable for most people.
1 – Start a fundraising campaign. Crowdfunding websites don’t just have to be for sad causes. They can be for an inspirational trip or a family adventure. Set yourself up an account somewhere like gofundme.com and you’ll have full control over what happens to your page and how to manage your donations. Be open and honest about your plans and goals and talk about why you want to visit the place you intend to travel. People might just find your trip inspiring enough to help out!
2 – Get an extra job. You can get jobs at Family Dollar and many other places to start with. Something simple and easy that you can do during the evenings and weekends is a good place to start. Either as a first job or as a second job to compliment your current earnings. This will help bring extra income into your household and improve your chances of making some significant savings.
3 – Think about how you spend your money each month. Take note of what you spend each month. Think about ways to lower your bills and put the savings into a high-interest account or an ISA. Try cutting back on your grocery bills by using coupons and cutting out any non-essentials. You’ll be surprised at how these small savings will add up each month. When you see the money building up in your account it will be rewarding.
4 – Set up selling accounts. There are so many websites and companies now that let you sell online. Set up on eBay, Etsy, Amazon or something similar and start selling your unwanted junk! You can make money from things that are just sitting around and work towards doing something productive with them. Surely your dream vacation is worth a little bit of effort? Clear out the attic and the garage. One man’s junk is another man’s treasure after all!
5 – Start a business. You could start a part-time business of your own to earn more money for your vacation next year. Think about something that is free or low cost to start and gives you the maximum return on your money. If you are stuck on ideas but have a creative service to offer then why not start up as a freelancer and sell your skills. Artists, writers or photographers can earn money easily.
Think about ways that you can make your money saving plan succeed. Getting your friends involved is a great way to do this. If you arrange a trip with a large group, it will be cheaper, and you can all motivate each other.
Try to come up with some group activities that will aid your travel saving adventure. Things like starting a car wash and valeting service in your yard are a great way to earn quick and easy cash. Most of your neighbours will actually thank you for washing their car at a cheap rate. Save up anything you earn together and deposit it into your savings fund.
You’ll soon see the money adding up and will realize that your dream vacation is actually much more of a reality now that you’d ever dared believe!