Not Made Of Money

As the ugly winter days give way to thoughts of warmer weather, it’s only normal for your mind to start to wander to more frivolous things like spring and vacation. Unfortunately, if you’re on a budget, a vacation may seem a little out of your reach. But you really need a break from all of your hard work, don’t you? Don’t be dismayed; with a little creative thinking and some hard work you will find that there are numerous ways to pay for the holiday that you deserve.

1. Get a part-time job. Working a few nights a week you could quickly earn enough money to pay for a vacation.

2. Hold a garage sale. If you work hard to build interest in your sale and create organized displays, you could sell enough stuff in a weekend to pay for a summer getaway.

3. Make EBay work for you. If you don’t like the idea of spending an entire weekend running a garage sale, try selling a few items at a time on Ebay. You’ll be able to make enough money to fund your vacation and clear away some of the clutter in your house.

4. Let your change be counted. Drop the change you accumulate throughout the day into a jar at each day’s end. You’ll be surprised how quickly your change will grow and allow you to get away for a weekend.

5. Pretend to be a teenager again. No, you shouldn’t go back to hanging out at the mall with your friends; instead, try mowing lawns. Many people don’t enjoy caring for their lawns every week. Post a few fliers around the neighborhood advertising your services, and before you know it, you’ll have enough work to pay for a fun-filled vacation.

6. Use your employer’s direct deposit system. If you open a savings account and deposit $10 or $15 each week, you’ll barely notice the difference in your paycheck. However, that $10 or $15 will quickly add up to a sizable vacation fund.

7. Let Uncle Sam pay for your vacation. Many people get a fairly hefty income tax refund each spring. You could opt to use some of your refund to pay for your family’s getaway.

8. Have a party. You’ve probably been to a Home Interior or Pampered Chef party before, right? Consider starting your own home sales business to save for your vacation. You could set a goal, let your friends know what you’re working towards, and sell your way to a holiday. As a bonus, if you find you don’t enjoy the work, you can quit after you’ve earned enough cash for your trip.

9. Join a rewards program. Many different customer loyalty programs allow you to earn “points” for purchases you already make. Some of these “points” can be used for hotel stays or airline fees to make your vacation less expensive.

10. Sell your talents. If you have an artistic or creative flair, consider selling the fruits of these talents to others. Knitters can sell custom-made scarves; woodworkers can install bookcases. Whatever your talent is, you can be certain that less talented people will be envious of the things you can create. Start out selling to your friends and watch your business grow from there.

Vacations are the perfect motivators for a savings goal. The short-term nature of saving for a family holiday will keep you from getting discouraged while the process of making sacrifices to pay for your trip will help you flex your personal finance muscles. Use any one of these ideas and you’ll be on your way to a family vacation before you know it.

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