Have you noticed how holidays always seem to work out to be twice as expensive than you originally thought?
This is not surprising really, as on top of your flights and accommodation, you have travel insurance, airport parking, entertainment, food & drink, sun cream, books, buckets & spades and much more.
But with a bit of careful thought, there are ways for to you afford and enjoy a great holiday without breaking the bank. The secret is planning and saving. By spending a bit of time planning your next break, working out all the costs and pro-actively saving, you can save yourself a fortune in costs and stress.
Here are some useful tips for financially stress-free holidays:
Plan Ahead
The sooner you start planning and saving for your next break the better. Ideally you should be thinking about next year’s holiday this year. Visit the travel agent and get online to begin researching where you want to go.
Once you have an idea of what sort of holiday you would like and where you would like to go, start working out how much it will cost and don’t forget the hidden costs either. Whilst you may be able to get a cheap package deal to the Costa Del Sol for a couple of hundred quid, you should remember all the other costs like food, drink, entertainment and any trips or excursions you would want to make whilst you are there.
Book Early
When you are happy that you have found a destination that you will enjoy & can afford, get it booked, especially if you are using low cost airlines like Easyjet or Ryanair where an early booking means cheaper flights.
Start Saving
Begin saving for your holiday each month, so by the time it comes to flying away, you will have already paid for it and will have plenty of spending money.
A number of banks now offer the ability to open multiple accounts, allowing you to compartmentalise your different savings. Set up an account specifically for holiday savings and create a standing order from your main current account to pay into this at the start of each month.
Make sure you add this monthly holiday account payment, to your budget. If you have used some of our money saving ideas to cut your costs, you may want to use that extra cash for your holiday savings.
Buy Holiday Essentials Before Travelling
Holiday essentials such as beach towels, suncream, mozzi spray, snorkels, flip-flops, etc tend to cost more in tourist-trap resorts compared to home, so you can save money by buying before you leave. You can also spread the cost by buying your essentials over a period of a couple of months before you leave.
Whilst You Are There
Set yourself a daily spending budget and try to stick to it. Look at cutting down on your food & drink costs by buying meals from local shops and supermarkets, rather than eating in restaurants everyday. Take some time to search for the best prices on excursions, watersport facilities and car hire.
