Easy Ways to Save Money for Your Vacation Fund

Between paying bills, day-to-day expenses and the unexpected, saving money can be a struggle. Use some much-needed vacation time as motivation to beef up your money-saving efforts with these easy moves.

Buy Smart

You have to eat, but maybe not at such high costs. One easy way to save money is by cooking more and going out less. Food costs add up quickly. One meal out can run $15–35 a person; put that money toward groceries and you can buy a week’s worth of food from a grocery store.

Shop savvy at the grocery store by cutting coupons, shopping sale items and choosing seasonal produce.

Sell Smart

Be proactive in your savings and clean out your closet at the same time. Gather your used or unwanted clothes for a consignment shop like Greene Street or Plato’s Closet. If you don’t have a local store, try Poshmark, eBay and other online hubs. Make cash and de-clutter in one easy step.

Same goes for tech. If you have old phones, tablets, videogames, CDs and tapes, chances are there is a Best Buy or local CD swap store near you. If not, there is always Facebook Marketplace and Ebay.

Set Limits

During all this money saving and earning, you may be tempted to do something with your newfound wealth. Set some goals to stay on track. Start simple with striving to save $10–50 a week before upping the ante. After a month of consistent saving, set a limit for how much you can feasibly spend on the essentials while cutting out frivolous spending for at least two months.