I found a new way to "save" for a cruise

In addition to putting aside all my spare change, I've just started putting aside any money I "saved" through coupons, shopping clubs, sales, etc. For example, the other day I transferred $13.57 to my cruise savings by using my club card at the grocery store. Today I bought a birthday gift for my grand-niece and saved $57 (!) at the department store. A sweater and pair of cords were originally $36 each for a total of $72, but I paid just $14.99 because of the end-of-year sale. I don't know how much this will add up to at the end of the year, but I feel I'm off to a good start! If nothing else, this fund should cover at least incidental items such as tips, drinks, pre-cruise hotel, excursions, etc.

Does anyone else out there have any tips I can add to these? The more I can save, the better!

At the end of each day, I look at my money and any $1 bills I have go into their own little jar. I just removed some yesterday to pay for hubbys and my passports. $202. It adds up quick.

Even just dumping change from the pocket each day adds up in a hurry. I usually am able to cash a couple of hundred from the change box between cruises. Really helps out with the bar bill, tips and parking fees.:p

I have a little jar that was given to my late mother for her to use to save for her cruises...marked "Cruise Fund". That's where I put my daily change. I just added my daily dollar bills per Talus731! The amount should start adding up in no time. Thanks! I have a few things that I hope to sell on eBay, as well.

Any more ideas out there? I'm desperate....I'm hopelessly HOOKED on cruising!

The change jar just wouldn't work for us, we live almost entirely cashless (it's unusual for me to even have a single dollar bill laying around) and use the debit card for anything we need. What we do to save for vacations is have a set percentage transferred from each paycheck into a dedicated vacation account. It adds up quickly and doesn't get touched for anything other than the yearly vacation. Any windfalls (tax returns, stock dividends, etc) also get deposited there.

One tip is, everytime you come across a $5 bill, put it aside. Those 5's add up pretty quick.

What I do is I only use one credit card for any travel, about once a month I will add to my ship board account using Carnival's fun ship dollars (other lines may have the same type of set up). By the time the crusie comes around I will have plenty of on board credit and everything from airfare to cruise fare has already been paid. This way I do not get hit with a large bill at the end and maybe if I do not spend it all I will get some back.

T&D Cruisers - wow...$5 a pop! I'll have to see if I can do that. My account would go up like crazy!

Seabass5215 - I've never heard of a Royal Caribbean plan that is similar to the Fun Ship Dollars. What exactly is that?

saving change and small bills whenever possible is a great way to save. We have been doing this with small amounts of cash for the past couple months for our upcoming cruise...counted yesterday and are over $350

In addition to putting aside all my spare change, I've just started putting aside any money I "saved" through coupons, shopping clubs, sales, etc. For example, the other day I transferred $13.57 to my cruise savings by using my club card at the grocery store. Today I bought a birthday gift for my grand-niece and saved $57 (!) at the department store. A sweater and pair of cords were originally $36 each for a total of $72, but I paid just $14.99 because of the end-of-year sale. I don't know how much this will add up to at the end of the year, but I feel I'm off to a good start! If nothing else, this fund should cover at least incidental items such as tips, drinks, pre-cruise hotel, excursions, etc.

 

Does anyone else out there have any tips I can add to these? The more I can save, the better!

Same here linkerbink. I was shopping last week in a local clothing store for us larger ladies and got some tops reduced from £35 and £40 to £3 and £5. Couldnt believe my luck. The money I saved went straight into my savings jar. I also keep a jar that I throw all my loose change into at the end of the day. You wouldn't believe how quickly it mounts up.

Do you purchase a lot of tea/coffe etc whilst out and about? If so try cutting down by at least a few cups a week and add that money to your jar.

Or if you have a birthday/special anniversary coming up ask friends and family to give you some dollars or Euros towards your trip, not huge amounts, just what they can afford.

Try switching from branded foods, maybe just one or 2 items a week and put the difference in price into your jar.

Hope this helps you, Claire

My wife and I have savings accounts for the kids. Every week each account gets $10 automatically. We don't notice it, but it really adds up. Would be a great idea for a vacation as well.

Great ideas, everyone! I might start putting in a fixed amount every week in addition to loose change, savings, etc. Thank you, all!

Great ideas, everyone! I might start putting in a fixed amount every week in addition to loose change, savings, etc. Thank you, all!

You are welcome. Have a great time and be sure to let us know how you get on.

Claire

what we are doing is paying EXTRA on monthly bills like an extra 50 a month on the electric/gas bill, untill one whole month is paid extra, then i move on to phone bill, get that one paid a month exta, then car and so on and so on, untill my husband and i have both of our last paychecks before vacation COMPLETLY for vacation.

what we are doing is paying EXTRA on monthly bills like an extra 50 a month on the electric/gas bill, untill one whole month is paid extra, then i move on to phone bill, get that one paid a month exta, then car and so on and so on, untill my husband and i have both of our last paychecks before vacation COMPLETLY for vacation.

So what you're doing is giving the utility companies your money to earn interest on? Why not just put the extra into a savings account so that YOU earn the interest. That would make more sense. You're actually costing yourself money doing this. It's purely a psychological exercise and not a very money saavy one at that.

1. I budget $10 a week for coffee (I take my lunch to work every day, so the coffee is my one indulgence) - I used to drink a large Starbucks every morning but a couple years ago I found a gas station on the way to work that has an excellent coffee bar and a large coffee is only $1.09. They also have punch cards so every fourth cup is free, so I usually end up spending less than $5 per week - the difference goes in my vacation spending money jar. Annual savings ~ $250

2. I work for a large grocery chain, and all employees get a 10% discount on store brand items - the savings is itemized at the bottom of the receipt, and when I get home I put cash in the amount of the savings in my jar - a buck or two a couple times a week really adds up. Annual savings ~ $150

:)

2. I work for a large grocery chain, and all employees get a 10% discount on store brand items - the savings is itemized at the bottom of the receipt, and when I get home I put cash in the amount of the savings in my jar - a buck or two a couple times a week really adds up. Annual savings ~ $150:)

That's basically what I've started to do. I use the store club card plus coupons and the receipt always shows how much I've saved using these perks. That's the amount I've decided to stash away. We get double coupons every day and sometimes we get coupon triplers in the Sunday paper or coupons that double $1 manufacturers' coupons. My fund should start to build in no time!

If you're really into couponing to save money, you should check out this woman's blog that I've been reading for a while now....

Google couponing to disney. She is doing pretty much what you are, in that she is putting away her "savings" to create the fund for their trip to Disney world. SHe is a crazy organized couponing fool, and I've saved a ton of money by reading the deals on her blog :) Seriously, it's wonderful!!

We just cashed in our change jar for a little under $400. that will be the majority, if not all of, our bar bill for the week. For no work at all. Granted it took two years, but it's not like we needed those quarters and nickels for anything else in the meantime!

If you live in a bottle return state (like we do..Michigan), we have started saving any return money we get. We have a large family, drinks a lot of pop and such, so often the trip yields $40 or more every other week!

We have a running budget every week for groceries, gas, entertainment, ect... Every week that we have $ left over from it goes into our cruise fund.:)

We've been saving our change in the change compartments of our vehicles and haven't cashed it in for a couple of years, will be interesting to see how much is there! (Any change that makes its way into our house goes into the two 2-yr old grands' piggy banks! :o) Also, I usually get a bonus at work every month, ranging from $100-$400. This month's will be $400 - yay! I also received an offer in the mail, to open a new account at a neighborhood bank and receive a really nice duffel bag as a gift...it looks perfect for DH to use as a carry-on for our (first!) cruise in May, so I'm going to open a savings account there and designate it as our "vacation fund" and tell DH we can now start packing! :D

I have direct deposit of my paycheck. So, I have money deducted from my check each week that automatically goes into a "travel " savings account. That way, I don't see it, and then won't spend it. Except for travel and especially cruising, of course. It adds up quickly. Also do the spare change in the bottle trick. That works too!

i also do the change jar, but for us it a big vase. i used to throw in $1 and $5 bills but those seemed to get fished out when we need gas money.... eeek! so now, DH and i each get a roll of quarters with our paychecks each week and empty it into the vacay vase! seems to work much better! i hope to have all out spending cash and maybe even our onboard acct cash by our next cruise in dec!

i also do the change jar, but for us it a big vase. i used to throw in $1 and $5 bills but those seemed to get fished out when we need gas money.... eeek! so now, DH and i each get a roll of quarters with our paychecks each week and empty it into the vacay vase! seems to work much better! i hope to have all out spending cash and maybe even our onboard acct cash by our next cruise in dec!

That's funny only because we have been guilty of the bill fishing as well. Great idea of the roll of quarters. Who has self contrl these days, lol!;)