We flew to Paris and spent nine days for a mere $20. Wait. What? Yes, we really flew from Missouri to Paris, France and had a vacation of a life time on a $20 dollar bill. Now before you call me a liar, you should know it took 5 years of me putting a $20 dollar bill into our Paris account each week to get the $5,000 it took to cover all of our expenses.
I know you are disappointed now, but stop and think about it for a moment. All you have to do is put a single $20 bill away each week and you, too, can have a vacation of a lifetime. It really is that simple and easy. You do not need to sell a kidney, get a second job, or stop giving to charity. Just deposit $20 a week into a savings account.
We flew to Paris, France and spent a glorious nine days in the city of romance. The balcony from our room gave us a perfect view of the Eiffel tower. The people, food, art, history, and atmosphere were intoxicating. Notre Dame, Louvre, Champs Elysee, and the world famous Cordon Bleu were just a few of the places we adventured to. A train ride through the country side to visit Versailles was breath taking. Eating at the world famous Le Train restaurant will forever be a highlight on our journey. Dining at cafes while people watching from the street was relaxing and addicting.Listening to the talented musicians in the subway was inspiring, but the strolls in the moonlight on the city streets made me feel that anything was possible.
Because I put $20 away each week, I didn't read about the Mona Lisa in an art book, I saw it in person. I stood in Napoleon's apartment. My husband kissed me on a bridge over the river as snow slowly fell from the European sky. I stood at Bob Marlee's grave, as well as, Chopin and countless other historical figures. I cooked food where Julie Child created feasts. I touched, tasted, smelled, saw, and heard the brilliance of a culture that touched my soul.
We still go to the beach each year and we have taken the kids to Disney World, because we budget for a family vacation each year. But, my $20 trip is our private time away from work, kids, and responsibilities. Going to McDonalds once a week, buying Starbucks before work, or a dream vacation? How do you want to spend $20 each week?
This page contains the following solutions.
It's hard in any budget to save money, even if you make what is considered a good income, there seems to never be enough. Nothing is left over, especially for vacation. It's the time in all our lives when we have to make exceptions and get crafty without thinking day to day.
A few years ago, I taught an "Introduction to the Internet" class for the Community Education Department of the local school district. The project I presented to the class was to "map out" the vacation of their dreams.
Acquire a photo of your destination vacation spot and reduce the photo so that it fits in your wallet. Place it where you can see it each time you reach for your cash, credit card or check to make a purchase.
My husband, son and I love to take a yearly weekend trip to Door County, WI. The last time we went, we were (as usual) on a tight budget. While we had fun, we got low on money a day or so before we went home, so we didn't get to go do or see some of the things we wanted to because of a lack of money.
We have never been able to afford a vacation so my family of three have decided to put aside a little each month (equal amounts)...
We save our change from one year to the next to take a vacation at Christmas to Pigeon Forge, Tenn (Dollywood). We rent a cabin for 14 of us, we've done this for 5 years and go ice skating and snowbowling.
Our income and bills are always the same every month, we wanted to save money to go on a mini vacation and the only way to do it was to stop going out to eat everyday.
I sell stuff on ebay and keep all the money in my paypal account. When I reach a thousand dollars, I withdrawl it and put it in a cd to earn interest at my bank.
Take a empty coffee can and cut a slit in the plastic cover and place near the bathroom door. Tell every house member that there is a 25 cent cover to enter. Watch the cash build up over the year and then use it for vacation fun!
