Real Women Share How They Save Money For Vacations

Imagine if you had unlimited funds to spend on travel. For some of us, it might mean having constant access to a private jet — or at least always flying business class — and exploring every corner of the world. It would mean taking last-minute trips to far-off destinations and balling out at the most extravagant hotels and the finest restaurants. Of course, that dream jet-set scenario is just that, a dream. In reality, we've got rent to pay, loans to settle, and daily grinds to worry about, so taking a trip requires some saving. How we choose to do that, however, varies from person to person.

Ahead, real women share the tools they use to set money aside for travel and their most useful tips and trick for how to save up for an awesome vacation. From personal finance apps to old-school cash-stashing, these women have some seriously smart approaches to meeting their travel goals. A few of them even have saving tricks that allow them to take those spontaneous trips we thought could only happen in our fantasies.

Make a line item in your budget specifically for travel

Age: 29

Occupation: Consultant

City: Washington, D.C.

What do you use to set aside money?

Charles Schwab account (no ATM fees when taking out money abroad) and credit card points

What are your tips and tricks for saving money so that you can afford a trip?

I make a line item in my budget specifically for travel. I'm self-employed and the money I make from one of my clients is solely for paying off debt and travel. Credit card signup bonuses also help me stretch my budget. I love my Chase Sapphire and Amex Platinum because they have a variety of transfer partners, and Southwest points will also get you pretty far domestically and for flights to the Caribbean. Pro-tip: only use travel cards for expenses you already have (rent, utilities, groceries, gas, etc.) Never go into debt to meet a signup bonus. Lastly, if you have some lead time before your travel, you can gain interest in your savings with an e-savings account like the Barclays account.

Follow @TheFlightDeal on Twitter

Age: 28

Occupation: Executive assistance

City: Chicago, IL

What do you use to set aside money?

I simply take my "fun money" and use it for travel. It’s in my checking account.

What are your tips and tricks for saving money so that you can afford a trip?

I follow @TheFlightDeal on Twitter and have notifications for when it tweets. When it has a deal for my city, I check my interest level in that city and decide whether to go. I haven’t paid more than $500 for international travel roundtrip. Airbnb is also my best friend for getting the best accommodation deals.

Auto-save a set amount from each check deposit

Age: 25

Occupation: Software engineer

City: San Francisco, CA

What do you use to set aside money?

I auto-save per check deposit using my Chase app.

What are your tips and tricks for saving money so that you can afford a trip?

Edge case, but I switched careers and ended up making 146% more than what I had been making previously, where I was barely breaking even and unable to save. I treated my promotion as non-existent, added a $500 auto-savings marker for each direct-deposit of a paycheck, and withheld as much of my paycheck as I could to increase my tax returns and make it feel as if my salary didn't increase. Didn't change my lifestyle. Got a giant tax return.