You already know that you can take that vacation. You ran the numbers and know what you need to do to make it happen. (If you don’t, check out part 1 here.) Now, it's all about doing it. Why haven't you started yet? Look, we'd all love for money to magically appear in our bank account, but that just isn't going to happen. Thankfully, there are ways to find the motivation you need to save along with the ways to do it.

Put Your Money Into a High(er)-Interest Savings Account


High-interest savings accounts are a misnomer these days. It's now almost impossible to find a savings account that offers more than 1% interest. The only exception is if you're able to put a LOT of money into savings. Try checking out your local Credit Unions that might offer a better rate. Still, that little bit of money can add up over time. If you're planning a vacation for 6 or more months in the future, you'll definitely see a bit of interest pile up.

Set Up an Automatic Savings Plan

The best thing about setting up a savings account with a bank is being able to automatically transfer funds into your savings at set intervals. The way it works is that you simply state how much money you want drawn from your checking over to savings and at what intervals (weekly, bi-weekly, monthly, etc.). This makes saving money so much easier. Why? Because you treat it like any other bill. Also, you don't have to think about transferring the money – it's done for you.

Go Ahead and Daydream


Anytime you think about spending money on something frivolous, daydream about your upcoming vacation. Think about lounging by the pool or enjoying Disney with the kids. Is that new pair of shoes that you don't really need more important than your vacation?

Create a Dream Board

A dream board is simply pictures that inspire or motivate you. All you need to do is place pictures of your vacation destination on the board. Whenever you need the motivation to put part of your paycheck into savings, look at the board. You can even place a picture of your vacation destination in your wallet. That way, when you go to spend money on something you don't need, you'll be reminded of why you're saving money.

Use a Cute Savings Jar


You can find jars that say “Vacation Fund” and other cute sayings. You can also use a large jar and write on it with a permanent marker. Make lines down the side of the jar and write motivational sayings like, You're Almost There, Keep Going, You Can Do It, You're Almost Beach-Ready, etc.


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Did you complete the planning from the first post? Where did you decide to go? I love to read your comments!