I want to reduce my vacation cost by 50% in 2024 and have the same or close to this year’s vacation experience. Yes, I know this is stretch which is why I started planning and booking 2024 vacation since mid-2023.
I work and earn less but want to keep the same lifestyle. Oh well, I think it’s possible with laser focused advance planning. Two years ago I started a vacation sinking fund which I’ve overspent on annually. When I’m enjoying myself, I’m bad at staying logical (shrug). So for 2024, I have reduced the fund by 50% and I’m determined to stick to it.
Here is how I plan to stick to it:
- Plan out all the vacations for the year including short weekend trips – I’m not 100% done with this but I have planned out all the vacations for the 1st half of the year
- Take advantage of offseason offers – my child is not yet in school so I am able to do a pull out from Kindergarten for some days. This means we can do vacation before and after school holidays when prices are lower and discounts abound. The con of this is we can’t vacation with our friends who have school age children
- Book all inclusive offers – One of the reasons we regularly burst our vacation budget is overspending on food. We eat and drink too much when on vacation which adds up fast and frankly this is not healthy. All inclusive offers forces us to stick to the food on offer, probably eat less and drink less. Restaurant hopping every day and ordering wine on top will be taking a back seat for now
- Take advantage of alternative vacation options like camping – I will be honest here, I don’t like camping and I’ve tried very hard to get into it but it’s just not happening. My Husband and child are into it so I am incorporating it into our vacation plans. I have a 1 week camping planned which I booked in a pre-season offer
- The last lever I’m pulling is cancellation wherever possible. If I realise I am not doing well with the cost reduction, I will cancel any outstanding vacation that I am able to and do a fancy staycation at home instead
I am looking forward to a year of budget controlled vacation where I get to have a lot of fun for less. I will share where I go and the final cost spent vs. actual budget after the experience. Since we will be trying out a mix of regular spots and new finds, I expect this will make it an even more interesting vacation year.