Our Travel Editor's Guide to Saving for Travel in the New Year

If you’re anything like me, then chances are you get “surprise charges” each month in the form of reoccurring subscriptions. While some of these subscriptions can be vital (here’s looking at you, Netflix) others like that $10 Adobe charge I was paying went unused. I recommend downloading Truebill, which is a free mobile app that analyzes all current reoccurring subscriptions and allows you to cancel anything within their dashboard.

When it comes to saving money, packing lunch is always a popular piece of advice—and for good reason. With the average lunch ranging anywhere from $10-$15 USD in New York City, that amount can quickly add up to an estimated $200 per month. Opting to bring lunch to work is an easy lifestyle change to make to save dollars for travel.

When saving for a big trip, sometimes the best way to put aside money is to not think about it at all. Enter the automatic savings account option, in which you can set up reoccurring transfers from your checking account to be deposited into a savings account as frequently as you like.

If cutting back on spending proves a difficult task for you, then consider earning extra with some odd jobs and freelance work. Upwork is a great resource for finding short-term and long-term freelance work across a variety of industries, while Fiverr is a good option for selling your own services (i.e. consultation, editing, writing, etc.).

The “ATM Budget” is a money-saving and budgeting trick I have recently come across that I am keen to try in 2018. Essentially, you set yourself a weekly budget and then withdraw that exact amount of cash to help you visually budget your money more efficiently, while leaving your debit and credit cards at home. As it can be all too easy to swipe a credit card for impulse purchases, the ATM budget restricts those frivolous buys.

Another way to save money is to challenge yourself once a week to have a no-spending day. Whether it’s a lazy Sunday at home with a home-cooked meal or a weekday where you pack lunch; giving your wallet a break every once in a while helps save dollars for that dream trip.

Sometimes finding money for that dream trip is as easy as looking around your home. Perhaps it’s a designer dress you wore two New Year’s Eves ago and haven’t touched since, or maybe it’s a camera you’ve long since upgraded from; chances are you have some valuable items laying around that are gathering dust. As a rule of thumb, if you haven’t worn a garment or used an item in over a year then consider selling it for some extra cash.
Want more travel advice? Check out our Ultimate Guide to Saving on Airfare.