It was a brutal winter season here in Australia, for one very frustrating and heartbreaking reason: all your mates were posting 10/10 travel shots of their European summer holiday on Instagram while you sat at your desk with approximately nine layers on.
Honestly it’s rough, and even turning yourself into the toastiest of blanket burritos didn’t shake the feeling that you were missing out. Why were you missing out, you may ask? TBH it’s probably ‘coz you spent all your hard-earned cash on a bunch of useless things that you “absolutely needed” two weeks ago but haven’t glanced at since. Just me? No?
But you could be the lucky soul to be making your pals jealous next year if you save your dosh the right way. We’ve come up with a coupla handy hints on how to best save up for your trip so that you can swap your blanket burrito for a bikini or boardies.
1. Socialise the broke way
We know, we know. You’re a social butterfly and it would simply be rude not to hang out with all the amazing friends you have that are constantly inviting you to the coolest places for the coolest activities (or at the very least, a buncha drinks).
But these occasions are a massive cash-dump, so you’ll find it pretty difficult to do some serious saving if you keep them up. Suggest to your pals that you have a night in for once – you can still have fancy cocktails at home, watching Brooklyn 99 on Netflix or decimating friendships with a board game night.
If you really must go out, opt for water instead of buying drinks. Seriously – if cocktails are $15 a pop and you’re out there trying to keep up with your mates, it adds up quick smart. Water is fine, and your head will thank you the next day.
2. Prepare your meals in adv.
Food delivery apps, how could you betray us so deeply? Seriously though, while you may think you’re saving money by not buying a bunch of ingredients that you might not even use before they go off, trust us when we say you’re not.
Go to the grocery store late at night at the start of the week and stock up on easy, cheap meals that will fill you right up, then prepare them as soon as you get home. Not only do we guarantee that it can be done cheaply, it can still be delicious too.
Plus then you don’t have to pay the delivery fees or massively overboard prices that restaurants think we’ll cop to (seriously, $27 for a teensy little plate of pasta?). Five bucks here and there adds up, so you’ll be saving more in no time.
3. Plan an itinerary that works
One of the biggest money sinks when you’re planning a holiday is working out how to get from A to Z without somehow bestowing half your life savings on the European public transport system, so you’re going to want to make sure you plan accordingly.
In many ways, it’s a lot easier to book with a tour group so that pretty much everything is already included – this means no having to fork out extra for an express overnight train to Switzerland after you miss your flight. Plus then everything is paid for in advance.
It’ll save you having to decide your route haphazardly, and you know you’re gonna be able to see all the important sights without worrying about getting lost, flying solo or experiencing the frustration when you rock up at an attraction and it happens to be closed ‘coz you didn’t research it properly.
4. Wait for the right moment
Sales, my friend. Sales. A beautiful thing. Truly, the big splashy signs that broadcast discounted rates are one of life’s most wondrous sights. European holidays are mostly spenno because of the flights, but if you spot an airline sale, you’re set.
And really, this logic applies to all aspects of your life. Maybe you’re after a particular piece of designer clothing or you want to upgrade your phone to make your life feel a smidge more luxe. When do you purchase these items? IN. THE. SALES.
Even the grocery store works with this. By the end of the day a lot of items get marked down – especially if they’re close to their use-by date. Most importantly though, if you’re savvy you can cop cheaper fares right now with Topdeck‘s Earlybird sales.
5. Start a side hustle
Sometimes the easiest way to save your cash is to start up your own little side hustle and dedicate all the earnings from that to be your ‘splurging for extra guacamole on your nachos’ fund.
Are you particularly crafty, perhaps? Start up a card-making or jewellery-making business on Etsy. Maybe you’re wildly intelligent in every single subject covered by a high school curriculum – tutoring is for you. Know how to play an instrument? C’mon, you know what to do.
Put aside your earnings strategically so that you can’t touch them, and you’ll find that they accumulate faster than expected. Considering you usually buy tickets and flights in advance, you know you’ll have plenty of time to save for souvenirs, experiences and extra little tours.
So look, there are stacks of ways to get your travel-ready butt over to Europe next year, and we reckon they’re pretty handy tips to save up regardless. And it’s definitely worth checking out providers like Topdeck where you can get all your expenses and itineraries sorted waaaay in advance.
That way you know exactly how much you should be saving up and can plan ahead. Let’s be honest – if the idea of roaming around Bucharest or feeling cosmopolitan in Rome doesn’t convince you to save those pennies, what will?
Plus you can pay in instalments (with the full amount paid by six weeks prior to departure) so it doesn’t feel like you’ve ripped out a part of your soul – or at least, your wallet’s soul.
