Travelling the globe can be an addictive experience, and there is always one last place you want to see before you store your luggage away for the winter. Even in a year packed with exciting adventures and unique journeys, there’s always a temptation to squeeze in one last trip.
Money is the major roadblock to living your travel dreams and dashing off on a last-minute getaway before the year ends. Families tend to have a relatively tightly controlled budget, and it is essential not to go overboard on additional spending, particularly in the run-up to Christmas.
But tedious financial concerns and tight budgets don’t mean you should abandon your hopes for one final trip this year! With some adjustments and crucial money-saving tips, you can tweak your family budget and make room for one last travel adventure in 2022. Here are five great tips to make your travel dreams a reality this year.
Trim your non-essential expenses
Look at your expenses for the rest of the year, and divide them into essential and non-essential. Once you have evaluated your non-essential expenses, you can determine what you would be happy to sacrifice for a final 2022 getaway. This can also work the other way by looking for different ways to save money on your trip. From package deals and seasonal discounts to researching how to save with a cruise offer, there are plenty of ways to make travel less expensive.
Use credit card points and rewards programs
If you are a savvy traveller, you are probably already on top of this, but there are often significant benefits to be found through credit cards and other rewards programs that you might not have thought about. Using your credit card points to pay for your airfare, for example, reduces travel costs enormously without eating into your family budget.
Put away a little bit extra each month
While it might be a little late for your 2022 vacation, saving extra is a great way to make last-minute travel affordable. By putting away even surprisingly small amounts of money each month for a special travel fund, you’ll find that when you come to the end of the year, you’ll be able to afford more than you might expect. You can even make this a teachable moment for your kids, encouraging them to save up throughout the year for a special end-of-year vacation treat and helping them learn the value of savings.
Get creative
There are ways to make room in your budget for a final vacation before the end of the year if you put your mind to it. If you are dead set on making travel happen, it is time to get creative and look for ways to make it work within your family budget. This might mean making it a family road trip with packed lunches or an inexpensive hiking and camping trip in the woods. It might mean exploring your budget in greater detail, looking for areas where you will underspend, and using the extra to fulfil your travel desires. It might mean considering a ‘workcation’, where you add a few additional days of paid time off to the end of a work trip, meaning that your boss will be helping out with travel and accommodation!
With the right attitude and a little creativity, there is always room for one last fantastic getaway, even in the tightest of budgets. Happy travels!
