How to Save Up For A Trip

It's more or less than 15 days from today, before I fly to one of the most expensive trip I have ever taken in my life.

I have always spend around RM500 to a maximum RM3K for any trips overseas that I make. But so far, this New Zealand trip has been the most expensive. Our budget was initially lower than expected but due to the unstable currency our budget has increased. But alhamdulillah, I have managed to have enough budget.

Anyhow, in this post I will share on tips on how to save up for your dream vacation or ways to cut down your expenses in order to make that dream vacation come true.

1) Save Up Small to Big

Depending on your dream trip and the time that you have, you may start to save up small amount of money from coins to RM1, to RM5 or RM20 per day, per week or per month.

For me if my trip was a less expensive one, RM5 would suffice but since New Zealand costs me more than any of my other trips, I began to save up all the RM5 and RM20 that I have or obtained later in any transactions.

Well, although it surely wasn't enough for my NZ trip, I did manage to use that savings for another air ticket to Australia in December, Insha Allah and also used it to sponsor my expenses in Beijing last April.

The important thing is you must be consistent and disciplined.

2) Cut Down on Buying Expensive Unnecessary Items

Sometimes after working your full time job, all you want to do is reward yourself by buying that expensive handbag or shoes. I used to feel the same. But ever since I started traveling and find it more rewarding, I'd realized that those expensive handbags can only grant you temporary happiness and not a lifelong memory to treasure.

Imagine one Coach bag could cover your all in all trip to Bali. What a difference!

3) Eat More At Home that Outside Restaurants

Ever since the implementation of GST in Malaysia, I have decided to eat less outside and cook more at home. Although in all honesty I'm not much of a cook, I do buy weekly groceries and prepare my food at home rather than having all lunches and dinners outside.

And boy did I save a lot. Because eating at a mamak can cost you RM15 per meal, what more restaurants like Delicious and all these new happening hipster coffee cafes, it definitely can easily cost you RM50 per meal.

Yes, we all want to meet up with friends, have a good chat. Why don't we meet up in a less expensive place maybe? A picnic at the park with some homemade sandwiches? Definitely a less costly setup with the same satisfaction.

4) Do Social Activities That Costs Less Money

It's the time of the month, when you are super stressed out with work and all you want to do is relax and catch the latest movie with your friends.

Watching a movie in cinema is no longer cheap nowdays. A movie ticket may cost you around RM9-RM15 per movie not including the popcorn set that you must have while watching the movie.

So instead why not opt for renting a movie or downloading it from the internet free of charge and watch it together with your friends at home?

Maybe you and friends can even volunteer at a shelter, orphanage if you just want to spend some quality time with your friends. Not only you get to bond with your friend, the experience of volunteering for community work is so much more rewarding and most importantly it is free. What a bonus!

5) Sell Old But Good Items On Websites

One of the easiest way of saving up or making easy money is by selling pre-loved items on online websites such as E-Bay, Carousell or even on instagram.

By selling those pre-loved items that you no longer need will help you in increasing your funds much, much faster.

6) Donations/Charity

As a Muslim I believe that by giving to those in need, will earn you more than you give. Because the Al-Mighty loves to those who gives, and hence He will reward you double or triple from the amount that you initially gave away. So always believe in the powers of giving.

Like the saying goes "What you give, you get back"

7) Prayers

After all the money that you have saved up, all the expenses that you have cut and yet you still find yourself not having enough? To Muslims especially, do increase in Dhuha prayers.

Please don't do it as a last resort but make it as a daily routine. If you practice, in time Insha Allah you will see the benefits and blessings by performing this additional prayer to your daily obligatory prayers.

8) Work Hard

Some of us earn our money by being employed and some run their own businesses. For me, I run my own business and knowing that I had 3 major trips this year made me work extra hard this year, maybe a little too hard.

But alhamdulillah with those earnings I managed to save up enough to finance my trips. Hopefully in the future, I can save up for my trip in a less strenuous way.

So if you do have any extra comments to add on how to save up and finance your trips do share it here at the comment section below.

Salam.