How I Successfully Saved a Ton of Money for My International Vacation

Saving up for an international trip can be hard to do, epically when you are trying to save for those unexpected events that seem to happen every month. I had traveled to many different states before my trip, but I had never been outside the United State before. The first thing I wanted to do was find ways to save for the trip while still being able to pay all my normal expenses.

Know your budget

I was planning on visiting Jamaica and a few smaller islands on the trip, but I knew that in order to do that, I needed to save money. The very first thing I did before I ever saved a dime was create a budget. It was important for me to know exactly how much I needed to save and at what point my time would be up. I set a goal for saving $2,000 before August, giving me an entire year to save. As long as I saved a little less than $200 a month after expenses, I would be fine. It's important to note though that I also decided to save an additional $500 for emergency funds in case something major happened while away.

Set a routine

Every week I would make around $400 after taxes. Not a lot of money by any means, but I knew that if I took out just $50 a week, I would reach my goal in no time. I cut out unnecessary expenses like junk food and movies and I tried to limit how many trips I made in my car to save on gas. If I worked any overtime, I would place it into my savings for my trip so that the goal would be meant even sooner. If it helps, set up a special savings account just for your trip and ask your work to direct deposit a set amount into it each month toward your trip. This way it's out of your check before you know it and you are not tempted to spend it.

Save on everything for your trip

The best way I found to save for my trip was to book things together as a single package. I knew I wanted to spend a week there and then take a flight home and so I used expedia to book round trip air fare that also included a week's stay at a hotel in Jamaica. This cut my overall expenses down by almost $400 and allowed me to have even more money to spend on entertainment and gifts while there.

  • Savings tips for all international/overseas travelers
  • Depending on where you are going, choose a time of year when tourism is down as hotels and other areas are likely to offer lower rates to entice visitors.
  • Book flights during low travel times in advance to save money.
  • Take only the bare essentials to save on luggage cost.
  • Sell unused items on sites like eBay for extra money for your trip.
  • Take permitted medications with you so you don't have to spend money on them overseas.
  • By travelers health insurance for long stays to cover any unexpected medical cost.
  • Use a travel site like expedia to book hotel's and flights together.