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Cha-Ching: how to save so you can spluuuurge on holiday

I’m doing it up to eight times a day and lately I’m not even thinking twice about it. On my way to work, at the petrol station, lunch time, on the weekends (tipsy or sober) and now even with my local barista…

It’s so easy, but I know I need to stop or seriously tone it down. First it was fun, then it was convenient and now I just do it ALL THE TIME. I’m just going to come clean with my current sitch: I’m slave to the wave! I don’t even need to hear the words ‘you want to pay wave that?’ I’ve got my swipe down pat. I’ve been avoiding eye contact with my bank balance, but I know I’ve got hen’s weekends, friends’ birthday trips and a holiday to save for, you too? It’s time to ease up on the swipe! Time for a financial intervention (insert scary face emoji).

It’s not hard to work out what costs money, but when you work out the savings that’s a damn fine holiday or weekend away you’re missing out on! Here’s how much dosh you could be saving every day so you can treat yo self and make that trip happen:

  1. Ditch your latte for a sneaky weekend away

It may be hard at first but breaking up with your barista for a few months can save the regular coffee goer a wad of cash (soz to all those non-caffeinated peeps out there, insert smoothie, prots shake or other bevvy of choice). This may be an obvious one, but I’ve never crunched the numbers until now. I almost spilt my morning coffee when I figured out how much it costs getting the bean on the reg. Sure you’ll probably miss the creative spelling of your name scrawled across the lid and the awkward red eye chit chat but this can all be replicated at the office to help with the transition. Bam, that’s around $4 saved a day, five days a week… $20 (that’s a an espresso martini you’re missing out on once a week), now stretch that to three months ($240) and you’ve got yourself a weekend away sunning yourself at Kingscliffe #hellsyeah

Wouldn’t you rather be here at the Mantra on Salt Beach ?

beach sunrise mantra on salt beach

Extend your coffee hiatus for a whole year and (lemme get the calculator) that’s just over $900… that’s flights for you and your bestie to go to Melbs, plus two nights away (or two trips to Melbs if you’re splitting the cost!

Melbourne lane way

Save your caffeine cravings for exploring Melbs

  1. Double up in the shower to double up on trips away

So this may not work if you’re share housing, but sharing your shower time with your plus one ticks so many boxes. You get to see each other so much more, it’s totally enviro and if you can keep it up for a whole year, you could be enjoying a spa suite at a luxe hotel, like the five star Royal Pines Resort at the Gold Coast. Getting steamy in the shower for 10 minutes costs around $1.50 per person, share the shower six days a week (that’s still one a week solo where you won’t need to hustle and share) and you could save around $432, that’s a night away and maybe even a pampered spa treatment at the hotel #winning.

Royal pines bathroom

Ooh now this is worth doubling up in the shower 😉

  1. Pre-pack so you can get packing

Staring at a Fijian beach on my screensaver while chowing down on prawn baguettes, Thai curry and pulled pork salad during the work week made me realise two things. Firstly, daaamn I can’t remember work lunching being this appetising a year ago. I can easily wave away $10 – $15 per day. Second realisation, I’ve never actually been to Fiji but it’s in my face every weekday. It’s time to rein in the lunch time spending. If packing lunch isn’t going to happen, grabbing supplies on your lunch break to make salads or wraps for the week only sets you back about $5 per day. That’s half of what I could be spending each day. Say you’re at work 48 weeks in a year, that’s a pretty deece trip to Fiji ($1,200). I’ll be updating that screensaver in a year’s time 😉

Fiji

Bliss! Take me from el desko lunches with my screensaver to here…

  1. Rug up for a getaway by the fire

Let’s face it, no one likes jumping out of a steamy shower on a cold winter morning. At the beginning of winter the portable heater becomes a regular night time companion but how much better is a log fire in a cosy hotel up in the mountains? Piling on the blankets, snuggling up with the cat and running a little faster out of the shower could mean saving around $550ish for the winter months (based on putting the heater on for 2 hours a night).

Cat rugged up

This is our housemate Minty, he’s rugging up this winter and saving us a bundle… cosy weekend away here I come!

That’s a surprise romantic weekend away with Mr LML at the Fairmont Resort Blue Mountains, with a toasty fire in the hotel bar and heating in the rooms.

Blue mountains

That view!

 

Fairmount Resort Blue Mountains

This is one table I want to be sitting at! Insert me sipping wine in front of the fire at Fairmont Resort Blue Mountains with Mr LML.

What won’t save you much dosh (i.e. don’t bother)

  • Charging your phone at work (forget it, unless you want to save enough to share a scoop of gelato between you and three friends when you get to Italy)
  • Taking a bath for two instead of having a shower (baths are just so freakin’ expensive, save it for the spa at the hotel!)

Time to get my swiping action under control and get that little bit closer to splurging on a holiday!

Do you have any travel saving tips? Tweet us @lastminute_au!

 




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