The World Cup will be in Brazil next year, and if you want to see it in person, now is a good time to start planning your trip. The most important part of a World Cup vacation will be making sure that you are able to fund it, so give yourself a head start on saving with these tips.
Think about what you’ll spend. It might seem counterintuitive to begin your savings plan by thinking about spending, but you should set a goal for how much money you’ll need for your trip. You should factor in major expenses, such as plane tickets and hotel stay, but don’t forget the small stuff like food and drink. It’s also a good idea to add a little to your savings goal, for minor emergencies or unforeseen expenses.
Squeeze every penny out of your kitchen cabinet. In between trips to the grocery store, make it a challenge to see how long you can survive on only the food that you have stored in the kitchen cabinets. This will require getting creative with your meal planning, but often times families find that they have enough food stashed away to keep them all fed for days. This will cut down on your grocery expenses so that you can put that extra money away for your 2014 vacation.
Find ways to entertain yourself for free. You budget cutting isn’t done quite yet. Think about all the incidental expenses listed in your monthly budget, and try to find a way to keep those things in your life without spending money on them. For example, substitute Youtube workout videos for your gym membership. Or search for new recipes to test out at home instead of eating out. This will have the long-term advantage of help you save for your trip, but it has immediate benefits, too. You’ll find yourself living a more active, fulfilling lifestyle as your decision-making skills are tested.
Start World Cup savings account. Once you gain saving momentum, you may need a place to keep track of how much you’ve been able to put away. Starting a savings account solely for your trip is an easy way to do this. In addition, it provides a way for you to make automatic deposits directly from your paycheck each month so that you don’t run the risk of spending that extra money.
Sell old clothing, music and books. To give your savings account an extra boost, rummage through your closets and find anything that you’re not using but still has value. You can sell CDs on musicMagpie.com, and you can sell books on Amazon. In addition, you’ll find an eager audience for your vintage clothing on sites like Ebay. This last method is convenient because you can sell online when you have the time, and you can receive money electronically. No checks to cash, and no Saturday garage sales to plan.
Dickie Rose is a football fanatic. He supports his beloved Aldershot Town and loyally follows England around the globe, causing him constant disappointment.
