Looking for insights and advice on how to budget and save for your next big break? Find tips to help you plan your dream vacation
By Teri Didjurgis, travel writer and photographer for her online travel destination website, Blue Sky Traveler.
This post is sponsored by Regions Bank, Member FDIC. All thoughts are my own.
My first trip to Europe was on a corporate work trip back in 2002. As soon as the jet lag cleared and I finished my work meetings, I had the chance to explore. I was instantly hooked. I loved exploring historical sites, seeing the art of European masters, and experiencing these different cultures through their traditions, customs and food.
From that moment almost 20 years ago, I started budgeting and prioritizing my finances in order to travel internationally. Now, 60+ countries later, I still implement these budgeting and prioritizing tools to make my travel financially manageable.
Looking for insights and advice on how to budget and save over time for your next big break? In this sponsored article, thanks to Regions Bank, I’ve highlighted innovative financial solutions to help you plan your dream vacation.
Budgeting
The first step is figuring out how much you will need to visit your dream destination. Research will help you set a financial goal and find ways to minimize your costs.
My top two tips:
- Plan out your vacation and purchase tickets in advance to prevent last-minute costs, which are often inflated. Prices generally increase on flights closest to your departure date. You also don’t want to miss out on an activity because it is sold out.
- Shift your schedule. Traveling in the shoulder season will not only minimize costs, but also help you avoid large crowds. It is also often optimal to shift travel a day forward or backward to miss the busiest days of travel during the week.
Check out The Globetrotters’ Guide on the Regions website for additional tips for cost savings.
Prioritizing Your Vacation Costs
There are three major costs to vacations: flights, hotel and activities (including food). It is often not feasible to go luxury on all three. Picking one thing to splurge on and economizing on the other categories will stretch your dollar farther while still allowing for amazing experiences that you will remember for years.
If I am on a rest and relaxation beach vacation, I often prioritize an all-inclusive or luxury hotel, as I plan to spend more time at the hotel enjoying its amenities.
If I am on a city break and planning on spending the majority of my time sightseeing, I might choose a more economical hotel or book a vacation rental, allowing me to spend more of my budget on an activity splurge. A balloon ride over the Loire Valley castles or a helicopter tour will create once-in-a-lifetime memories.
Prioritizing Your Disposable Income
With the amount needed for an amazing vacation, considering at least one luxury splurge, I now turn to saving. I prioritize my vacation goal and make trade-offs in how I use my disposable income for my daily activities and entertainment choices.
Would you rather go to your local coffee shop every day or make coffee at home and wait to sip on a cappuccino in Italy?
Would you rather go to the newest movie at the theater every weekend or save that money and see a performance in a 2,000-year-old Roman arena?
Would you rather purchase new accessories for your home or sleep in a castle in Ireland?
A visual goal will help you make the trade-offs.
See more tips and ideas to optimize your budget with Regions Bank’s tips for Financial Planning: Six Months to Save for a Vacation.
Utilizing a Dedicated Savings Account
Saving your vacation dollars and not being tempted to spend them is easier when they’re separated into a dedicated vacation savings account.
Not only will you be able to monitor your progress in reaching your goal, but some accounts also accrue interest, further contributing to your goal.
Strolling cobblestone streets, walking through Greek temples and finding the best gelato in Italy will be within reach before you know it.
Regions Next Step resources can provide you the financial know-how to clarify your goals and take positive strides toward them. Because when you are confident about your financial decisions, your money goes further, and so do you … maybe even all the way to Europe or your dream vacation destination.
Teri Didjurgis; travel writer and photographer for her online travel destination website, Blue Sky Traveler.
After working in corporate America for more than 15 years, Teri Didjurgis took an extended sabbatical in Europe, which turned into a second career as a travel writer for her website, blueskytraveler.com. She shares vacation recommendations, tips and experiences from her travels. Through digital storytelling, Teri focuses on her passion for historic destinations, luxury & wellness escapes and experiencing communities through local traditions.
