Is Winter over yet? I feel like a kid in the back of the car on a family trip that keeps asking his parents “are we there yet?” But seriously, when is this going to end? It seems like every morning when I look out my window, the temperature has dropped even lower and the ground is covered with a new batch of white snow. I don’t know about you but I could really use a vacation in a warm climate right about now.

But there is this minor issue of my starving piggy bank.

 

I’ve got to be smarter about my money so that I don’t find myself dreaming about this sunny beach next year, but actually enjoying it.

 

If you can also use a get-away, lets plan for it together.

First things first. Obviously we need to pick our destination. That’s the easy part as I’m sure there is an endless list of beautiful places you’ve always wanted to visit.

Next, we have to figure out how much we’ll need and when we would like to go away. Are you with me so far?

Once we have this information, we can calculate how much we must save per month.  If you need help with these calculations, check out Financial Wisdom for estimated costs and savings information.

Then comes the hard part. We actually have to save our money. Sometimes we are not so careful where our money goes by spending on a whim (no judgement here), but with a plan, we can make sure that the money for our vacation will be there when we need it.

Find ways to earn some extra cash. You can sell things you no longer have use for on Ebay, Craigslist, or  hold a yard sale. You can also check out some survey sites or become a mystery shopper for some extra cash.

 

If that’s not enough, we also may have to forgo that expensive cup of coffee or restaurant meals. Think of other ways you can cut back. If you have a hard time with these sacrifices, keep a picture of your dream destination handy. When you need a motivational boost, just whip out your picture and imagine yourself there. It will all be worth it soon!