Easy Ways to Save Money for Your Family Vacation

Between paying bills, day-to-day expenses and all the unexpected costs that pile up, saving money can be a struggle for families of any size. Saving for a vacation often gets pushed to the side for “more important” expenses, but with a few budget-savvy steps, you can put money away for now and later.

Use some much-needed vacation time as motivation to beef up your money saving efforts with these easy moves.

Sell Smart

Be proactive in your savings and clean out your closet (and your kids’ old clothing) at the same time. Gather up your uses or unwanted clothes, shoes, accessories and more for a consignment shop like Greene Street or Plato’s Closet — these shops take seasonal-forward clothing with little to no damage, but also give greater payouts for men’s clothing.

If you don’t have a local store, try Poshmark, eBay and other online hubs. Make cash and declutter in one easy step.

Same goes for tech. If you have old phones, tablets, videogames, CDs and tapes, chances are there is a BestBuy or local CD swap store near you: If not, there is always Facebook Marketplace and eBay. You will have selling power and price control, but the less desirable task of packing and shipping.

Buy Smart

The family has to eat, but maybe not at such high costs. One easy way to save money is by cooking more and going out less, which most families already know, but there is always wiggle room on food costs.

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Shopping in the supermarket. Photo: Nikolay Antonov | Dreamstime.com

Just one meal out can run $15–35 a person — put that money toward groceries and you can get a week’s worth of food from a grocery store. Shop savvy at the grocery store by cutting coupons, shopping seasonal local produce, checking out local markets for a better deal and even using frozen vegetables whenever possible — contrary to popular belief, these products can be just as fresh and healthy as the produce aisle, as they were picked and frozen at peak. Peruse sale brands instead of your regular name brands, as generic brands often sell the exact same items at a lower price.

Set Limits

During all this money saving and earning, you may be tempted to put your newfound wealth to another use. Don’t do it! Keep your eye on the prize and set some goals to stay on track.

Start simple with striving to save $10–50 a week and slowly raise that number each week as you get closer to vacation booking. After a month of consistent saving, set a limit for how much you can feasibly spend on the essentials while cutting out frivolous spending for at least two months.

Keeping a tight log of incoming and outgoing money can be a great way to make saving a habit, even when you don’t have the motivation of a family trip on the horizon.