If you’re like me, you were bombarded with pictures of everyone else’s summer vacations, wishing you could join in on the excitement. Well, don’t despair. There’s hope for the getaway-challenged, and it all starts with saving money.
Here are some creative ways to motivate you and your family to pinch their pennies and work toward a fun, family outing that will create memories that will last a lifetime.
1. Create a Vacation Savings Account
It can be difficult to put money aside when there’s always something to pay for. But, if you can put $20 a month into a vacation-specific savings account, then you will have a healthy amount in no time at all. You can even have money directly deposited into your vacation fund so you can avoid the temptation of spending your hard-earned cash.
2. Sell Your Stuff
Go through the house and find things that you could live without or that aren’t getting any use. Have your child help decide what to sell and what price should be attributed to it. Then, have a family garage sale or post pictures of your items on garage sale sites in your area.
3. Stop Eating Out
While it can be easier and less stressful to grab dinner on the way home from the fifth sports practice of the week, eating out can be a drain on your bank account. If you skip just one outside-of-the-home meal a month, you are already saving a lot.
4. Create a Vacation Piggy Bank
The moms at Eighteen25 created a DIY Disney-themed bank out of an upcycled hand wipes container. They put the new “bank” on the kitchen counters in their homes and encouraged each other and their families to deposit their loose change whenever they had it. Not only is it a visual reminder that your family is working towards a vacation, but it is also a great conversation-starter about being smart with your finances.
5. Use Chores to Motivate Savings
Becca at Love Our Crazy Life went a step further with her money-saving-motivation and created a chore bucket that would allow her children to not only save their money, but also literally work for their dream vacation. She decorated the bucket and loaded it up with popsicle sticks that each contained a chore and a dollar amount. After each chore was completed, the money that child earned would be placed into the Disney fund.
Jessa is the Editor-in-Chief of Hooray for Family and the mom of three energetic children. She has a BA in Mass Communication/Journalism from the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor, and is a long-time resident of Central Texas. When she isn't writing and editing, she enjoys playing board games with her kids, teaching Sunday school and channeling her creativity into craft projects.
