Want to Vacation? Here Are Five Painless Ways to Save $1,000 Before Summer

It’s finally winter here in Florida. It’s 60 degrees today, and we are cold. I’ll be back in the 70s before long, but it’s time for us to start planning our summer vacations and our getaways. This week of cold air gets to us – though we love it – and everyone is ready to escape somewhere that requires no responsibilities, no bad weather and nothing but a few umbrella drinks and someone else paid to make your bed every morning. The only downfall is that whole paying for a vacation thing.

It should be free, right?

Since it’s not that easy to score a free vacation, we have decided to share with you a few simple ways you can save $1,000 before it’s time to summer somewhere fabulous. Make it your spending money, use it to book your trip; whatever you want. We’re not here to tell you how to spend your money, just how to save your money. The best news is that it’s pretty easy.

Get Rid of Cable

My husband and I pay $180 per month for our Direct TV plan. If we cut that out right now and saved that money for 6 months, we’d save more than $1,100. With Netflix and every other way of watching movies and shows available, what’s the point in cable in the first place?

Cancel Your Gym Membership

I don’t know what you pay but you could save a bundle if you cancel a gym membership you don’t use. Go for a walk, ride your bike, jog or get active playing sports with friends. All are good for you and all are free of charge.

Go Mystery Shopping

This is a great way to save a little money. Many companies (easily found by googling mystery shopping in your city) make around $10 to $25 on average every time they shop. The catch is that you have to pay for things out of pocket you are later reimbursed for – so be sure you can afford that.

Have a Yard Sale

You probably won’t make more than a few hundred dollars depending on what you have to sell, but that’s good money to add to your savings account before the summer vacation you are planning rolls around. Go ahead and get started on that now.

Save Your Change

If you start using only cash and you do so for the next six months, you could save a bundle. If you use cash twice a day, 5 days a week, that’s 10 times a week you’re putting change away. That could be as much as $10 per week or as little at $.10 per week, but you can also round up all your debit card purchases to the nearest dollar and put that change away, too. You could have hundreds in 6 months.

Photo by Getty Images