5 New Year’s resolutions to put more money in your travel fund

Want to travel more in the new year? Here are 5 simple budget resolutions to help put more money in your travel fund every month. No, we’re not going to tell you to skip Starbucks to save for enough for a trip to Santorini because you’ve probably heard it before. Here are five fresh ideas on how to avoid the pitfalls of everyday money pits and keep more cash for your next vacation.

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Use cash instead of cards to keep more of it in your travel fund! | Photo by GettingStamped.com

1. Put yourself on a cash diet

We all live on credit cards. It’s so easy to just swipe, but all of those swipes add up. Before you know it you’ve blown your budget and you’re stealing from your travel fund to buy groceries. Using cash is one part psychology and another part budgeting. Handing over paper money makes each transaction feel much more real. Start using cash and it might just help you keep more in your wallet and less on things you don’t really “need.”

Sit down and calculate how much you want to spend monthly on groceries, entertainment, clothing, and other things in your life. Then on the first of the month put that designated amount of cash in an envelope dedicated to that category. When your entertainment envelope is empty, it’s time to cut out trips to the movies and no more happy hours until the next month. Using real paper money instead of plastic is a great way to make sure you’re accountable for sticking to your budget.

2. Get rid of the gadgets

Do you really need the latest iPhone every year? Keeping up with the Joneses is out, traveling is in. Your friends will be much more impressed by the trips you’ve taken than that shiny new phone. The memories you’ll make while traveling are going to be with you a lot longer than that phone and the screen will never crack either—win!

ALSO: The best tip of all? Save big bucks by signing up for Orbitz Rewards!

3. Skip the fancy workouts

$35 for one spin class? If you go ten times a month that’s $350. Instead go to a local gym and you’ll save roughly $300 a month. Better yet, get a free workout by running outside or using the gym inside your apartment or condo. Bonus: A future beach vacation will be more motivation to get fit than some crazed sweaty spin instructor screaming at you.

Do you really need 643 channels on your TV? | Photo by heidi bakk-hansen – Flickr

4. Cut the cable

According to Fortune, the average cable bill in the United States is $103.10 per month. Slice your bill in half and add another chunk of money to your travel fund with an internet only plan. You can watch almost all your shows with a $10 a month subscription to Hulu or Netflix. If you can’t live without cable, try calling to get a reduced rate or strip your plan of channels you never watch.

5. Cook more

Eating out adds up really fast. Try and limit the amount of meals you eat out and instead try cooking at home. For example, going to a sit-down burger place for a family of four could easily be $75. A similar meal at home would only be around $15. On top of the savings, cooking and travel are closely tied together. Fill the gaps between your travels by cooking some food you fell in love with during your last trip. Make it a point to take a cooking class while abroad and bring the recipes back as a fun way to relive your travels in your own kitchen.

The sooner you put these travel saving tips in place, the sooner you’ll be off on your next adventure.

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