Laying out on the beach all day, watching the waves roll in and out, splashing in the cool Topsail Island water, and not a care in the world. Sounds amazing, right? We all love to go on relaxing vacations. It helps us reset and enjoy quality time with those that mean the most to us. The memories we make while on vacation are priceless, however the vacation itself is not. If you are dreaming of your next Topsail Island getaway but your piggy bank’s feeling a little light, check out these great tips that will help you save money and have you relaxing on the beaches of Topsail in no time. 

Set up a Dedicated Bank Account

It’s so much easier to save money and keep it in savings when it’s out of sight, out of mind at the bank. We recommend setting up a special bank account dedicated to your vacation funds and putting a little money in it every chance you can. You’ll be surprised how quickly your vacation fund builds up after a little time. Alternatively, you could keep a savings jar or box at home and stash a little cash in it whenever possible. This would save you the time of going to the bank to make deposits and it may be encouraging to physically see your jar or box filling up. Although effective, this method takes dedication because it can be tempting to dip into your money for other things that may come along so just make sure you keep your eyes on the prize- an amazing, relaxing vacation.

52-Week Money Challenge

The 52-week money challenge goes hand in hand with tip number one. The way it works is for a whole year, you save a certain amount of money each week. Week 1 you save $1.00. Week 2 you save $2.00. You continue this pattern up until the last week of the year where you save $52.00. At the end of the 52 weeks, you will have saved $1,378.00. That’s a nice chunk of change to put towards your Topsail Island getaway! You could even double the weekly savings and have $2,756.00 in your vacation fund at the end of the challenge. If you would like to give this a try, check out this awesome printable to help keep track of your weekly savings. It is totally customizable, so you can save on your terms and do what works best for you. 

Cut Back on Dining and Entertainment

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average American family spends $250 a month on dining out alone. That’s a decent amount of money being deposited into your mouth. If a family were to quit going out to eat all together and eat every single meal at home, over a years’ time that would add up to $3,000 towards a great vacation. You don’t have to go hard core and give up dining out completely, but every little bit you cut back benefits your vacation fund.

Cutting back on entertainment such as going to the movies, bowling, concerts, etc. is another awesome way to save money! Entertainment is not an essential expense, and wouldn’t it be money well saved if you could spend it on splurging on vacation? We think so.

If you really want to get crazy trying to build up your vacation fund, take a look at your next grocery shopping list. Do you really need those pop-tarts? Or those cookies? How about that bag of potato chips? You get the point. Cutting out unnecessary junk food will save you money and help you be slim, trim, and vacay ready. It’s a win-win! 

Sell Stuff

Walk around your home right now, and we’re sure you’ll find a ton of things that you never use. Clothes you never wear, movies you never watch, that sewing machine you just had to have but never learned to use, toys and clothing your children have outgrown, and the list goes on. Even if you think, “Nobody would want this”, you’d be surprised at what people will buy. There are so many easy ways to sell your unwanted stuff and make money. You have nothing to lose here, so why not give this easy way to make a few bucks (or a few hundred!) a shot? eBay, Craigslist, and local Facebook market groups are just a few of the simple, easy to use outlets to de-clutter your home and fatten your vacation piggy bank fast.

Side Hustle

Do you have a talent that you’re not putting to good use? Maybe you love baking beautiful cakes for family birthdays, or spending time with kids, or yard work, or playing the piano. Turn your hobbies into cash by creating a side hustle. Start a cake baking business from home, offer neighborhood babysitting services, mow lawns, or give piano lessons. No matter your passion or talent, there’s probably at least one or two great ways to monetize it. Not only will you be spending time doing something you enjoy, but also making money to put into your vacation fund.

Quit Unnecessary Subscriptions

 One of the best ways to save money without even trying is to get rid of your unnecessary subscriptions like cable television, gym memberships, magazine subscriptions, monthly make-up box subscriptions, etc. Cable television can be expensive and is definitely not a necessity. There are so many ways now to get all of your favorite channels and shows without paying an arm and a leg. Roku, Amazon Fire Stick, and Sling TV are just a few ways to watch what you like and save a decent amount of money.

A gym membership is an excellent way to promote and support a healthy lifestyle, and we are totally in support of that. Everyone should be exercising and eating well in an effort to stay healthy. However, you do not need an expensive gym membership to do so. Turn that spare bedroom or corner of your garage into your own little home fitness center and enjoy the many benefits, without ever leaving your home. Having a home gym will also save you money on gas. Of course, there will be the initial cost of buying a few pieces of workout equipment, but shop around on used websites (like Craigslist) and build your home gym for next to nothing! This one-time investment will save you tons of money now that you are free of your annual gym membership.

Monthly mail subscriptions have jumped back up in popularity recently and it seems like there’s a monthly “box” for just about anything. From razors, to make-up, shoes, clothes, beard lotion, food, you name it, it’s out there. Although these boxes are fun and exciting to receive, they are certainly not a necessity and can easily be stopped to help save for your vacation. Say you spend $30 a month on a box subscription. Cancel that subscription and in a years’ time you’ve added $360 to your vacation fund. That may not sound like much, but along with other saving methods, it will add up fast!

Book Direct

Booking your vacation rental direct won’t necessarily add to your vacation fund, but it will help stretch what you’ve saved farther. When you book a vacation rental directly through a local property management company instead of an online travel agency (like Airbnb or TripAdvisor) you are automatically saving money, often in the hundreds of dollars. That’s hundreds of dollars that you can spend enjoying trying new things and having a blast on vacation. Online travel agencies charge you large amounts of hidden fees that you never even know about, just for using their website. They also don’t list the best, most in demand vacation rentals due to listing costs so you will miss out on tons of great homes as well. Often when you book a vacation rental direct through a local property management company, they can offer you special promotions or discounts that you wouldn’t have received with an online travel agency.

As you can see, there are tons of easy and fun ways to save money for your next incredible Topsail Island vacation. Once your piggy bank is ready for vacation, check out our amazing vacation rentals and start planning the Topsail getaway that you’ve worked so hard for.