Build Your Family Vacation Fund by Saving Money at Home

If your family is like most, then you probably have a dream vacation that you have been thinking about for years. For some families, a trip to Europe sounds like the best way to create lasting family memories. For others, the dream is to spend a week at a gigantic amusement park.  Other families look forward to boarding a cruise ship and leaving the rest of the world behind for a few days.

Financing the trip is typically the most challenging part, and can sometimes take years. Speed up the process by finding out just how much money you can save at home, then put those saved dollars in your vacation fund.

Save on Groceries

By changing your grocery shopping habits, it is possible to really trim your monthly grocery budget. According to the USDA, the average family of 4 spent somewhere between $500 – $1,300 each month on groceries in 2015. These numbers represent the budget of a thrifty shopper and a liberal shopper. Many of our family grocery budgets fall right in the middle, somewhere around $900 per month. Think of how quickly your vacation fund would grow if you managed to trim that budget by $200 – $300 every single month. It is really not as difficult as you might think.  Here are a few tips to get you started on that savings:

•         Avoid items on eye-level shelves as they are typically more expensive.
•         Be willing to buy generic brands instead of the brands you have always purchased.
•         Be willing to cook from scratch.
•         Make a comprehensive grocery list and stick to it.
•         Do not shop on an empty stomach.
•         Check out how easy it is to print online coupons and take them to the store with you.
•         Remember that convenient foods are almost always expensive foods.

As you learn to grocery shop in a new way, just remind yourself again and again of the end-goal you are working for. Your vacation will be completely worth it.

Save by Packing a Lunch

Bagged lunches may bring you repressed memories of soggy PB&J sandwiches, but if you can get past the negatives, you will be among those who have found many positives when packing a lunch every day. The average fast-food lunch combo meal today runs about $7.50, while it is completely possible to pack your own lunch for $2.00. If you sock away the $5.00 per day in savings from packed lunches, you will have saved around $1,300 in a year.

Along with the substantial boost to your vacation fund, you may also be surprised to find that you feel better by avoiding the high-calorie fast food lunches.

Save on Power

Another place that you can look to for extra savings is your power bill. For instance, making sure that you get your current AC unit running like it should can lower your energy costs. Because air conditioning units sit outside, the coils get dirty.  When they are dirty, they cannot absorb as much heat, or pull as much heat out of your house. It is recommended that these coils be cleaned each year before you start needing your A/C system.

Savings Add Up Quickly

Start your savings process today by writing down your family goal where everyone can see it and take part in helping your vacation fund grow. When the entire family works together to save on everything from groceries to power you may be surprised at just how quickly you will have enough to actually go on the vacation of your dreams.