Saving tips for trips
Submitted: Thursday, Feb 03, 2005 at 00:55
ThreadID:
20058
Views:
2948
Replies:
10
FollowUps:
6
This Thread has been Archived
Member - Melissa
A reply to a post earlier about spending all your money setting up the 4WD and not having enough left for actual holidays got me thinking that this was a worthwhile subject because most of us (presumably) don't have an endless supply of $$$. So how do we all save for trips, particularly big ones???
Because neither my husband or I get holiday pay we not only have to find the money for the trip itself, we've also got to ensure the bills at
home are covered for the time we are away. This is what we do:
1) Pay extra into the mortgage to cover payments when away using the redraw facility. This is better than putting the money in the bank because we save on interest and there's no risk of us dipping into these savings.
2) All year around we put every bit of coin (gold & silver) into a sealed can-type money box. It adds up very quickly. I open it just before each trip and there's usually enough to pay for special holiday treats such as a camel ride on
Cable Beach, scenic flight etc.
3) As soon as we have some idea when we'll be away, I start buying holiday consumables such as food & grocery items and hoarding them ready for our trip. Early on I buy the non-food items and canned food, then long life food and lastly things like biscuits that have a shorter useby date. Buying a few extra items each week with the normal grocery
shop is barely noticable. By the time we're ready to head off all I need to buy is fresh food such as fruit & vege and meat. For a family of four, already having 3-4 weeks grocery shopping bought and paid for before the trip is worth $650-$900 in the bank.
So, that's our technique. Anyone else out there got some good saving idea's?
:o) Melissa
Reply By: Tripp'n Around - Thursday, Feb 03, 2005 at 01:35
Thursday, Feb 03, 2005 at 01:35
Hi Melissa
I'm sure it must be very hard on your family when you don't get holiday pay.
We have my hubby's holiday pay paid as wages while we are away.
Because we do it that way my hubby's pay generally doesn't get touched while we are on holidays and we have enough to pay any other bills and a food
shop until his next pay.
We did much of what you do now when we had house payments, bills and children worries.
One thing anyone can do is have a special savings/debit card or a Chrissy Club account just for holidays.
We have that as
well as we save "x amount" of hubby's pay towards anything needed for the 4BY before we leave. We have a credit card for stuff we can or need to put on it while away. I raid the cupboards to use up some stuff in there and I usually start buying a few weeks before we leave mainly so as it is not too much of a "last moment" thing for me to do. We usually work out what we want to do while on holidays and we also put extra aside for those unexpected touristy things that we didn't account for. If we don't use it, it goes towards the credit card bill when we get
home unless we spent on a "special treat for a few nights" on the return trip, if we come
home a certain way.
Cya
Tripp'n
:)
AnswerID:
96383
Follow Up By: Member - Melissa - Friday, Feb 04, 2005 at 00:10
Friday, Feb 04, 2005 at 00:10
The chrissy club idea sounds like a goody. I didn't think they were around anymore. I remember my mum used to be in one for several years when I was a kid.
:o) Melissa
FollowupID:
355260
Follow Up By: Tripp'n Around - Friday, Feb 04, 2005 at 00:17
Friday, Feb 04, 2005 at 00:17
Hi Melissa
I used to have one with the Commonwealth (before marriage) but now we hubby's credit union one.
We always had enough to cover Chrissy pressies/food etc and the kids back to school stuff.
Now we use it for Chrissy, 4BY and holidays where needed.
Cya
T
FollowupID:
355261
Reply By: old-plodder - Thursday, Feb 03, 2005 at 09:10
Thursday, Feb 03, 2005 at 09:10
Must be something special about women in 4wd families. My better half is the same. As soon as she sees that glint in my eye and my 'feet getting itchy" for another trip, Colette (only the cat is called she as I am reminded) starts gathering tins and other food items for the pantry. Taken a few years but the car is reasonably
well set up, and Colette has the grace to accept that there is always one little item I can add at the last moment to improve the car. Luckily my holiday pay covers us for expenses on the trip. If it doesn't we can't afford it.
Then we drive all day, with Colette sharing the driving, and still manages to
cook a good meal when we stop. Amazing what can be pulled out of that larder in the back of the car. Ocassionally a bought meal is a treat. But the beer and wine always gets put in, plus a few special snacks so we always eat
well as we watch the sun go down each night.
Now I suppose I should buy a bunch of flowers and take them
home. Better not, Colette will get suspicious that I have been up to something (or want something for the car) because flowers don't happen too often.
The tripping is getting easier. This was the first year where our two sons are 'too old' to travel with us. So costs have gone down. Not tied to school holidays either. I think the next few years could be some good travelling years.
AnswerID:
96399
Follow Up By: Wombat - Thursday, Feb 03, 2005 at 11:36
Thursday, Feb 03, 2005 at 11:36
Go on get Collette the flowers - she deserves them! Tell her they're just for being special.
FollowupID:
355149