In just a few hours I head to sunny Tampa, FL to spend a long weekend with my family. I’ve mentioned before how my parents have been a big source of inspiration to living large on less, and our family vacations are just one example of how they do it well.
Instead of a hotel, we’ve rented a vacation home that can sleep the six of us. This has two advantages: it’s way more fun to be together all the time, instead of going back and forth from each hotel room and it saves about 70% on lodging expenses. Love it! There are million sites that you can help you find a home away from home, including HomeAway and Vacation Rentals by Owner.
The home has a kitchen area, so we won’t feel the need to go out to eat every time hunger strikes. Breakfast and snacks can easily be enjoyed at home before we head out for the day. I estimate that this saves about 25% on eating expenses.
I’m feeling the sun and the savings already . . . Ciao!
takeaway: Consider a hotel alternative next time you book a trip. The savings can be very substantial. If you can’t fill the home with your own family, consider sharing a home with some friends and splitting the cost. As an added (free!) bonus, you’ll get to enjoy their company!
total yearly savings: This number will vary depending on how often you vacation and where you enjoy staying, but I estimate an average of $500/year.
photo by tony
Yesterday, I received a check in the mail for $180. It took me a grand total of 30 minutes over a 90 day period to make that money.
Depending on your income, $180 may or may not be a large sum of money to you.
Regardless of your income, you should be interested in getting $180 for doing practically no work.
Interested? Good - that’s the idea!
To make that money, all I had to was register online for my city’s commuter incentive program. (In Atlanta, the program is known as Commuter Rewards, operated by the Clean Air Campaign.) I then logged my “clean” commutes every day for 3 months, and sent in a form at the end of 90 days. A few weeks later - voila! - a check arrives with my name on it.
The fun doesn’t stop there - as long as I keep entering my commute online (which takes all of a few seconds every day), I am automatically entered to win a $25 VISA gift card each month. My husband has won 4 over the past year for his clean commute behavior.
Disappointed because your city doesn’t offer this reward’s program? Don’t dismay - a quick search on Google and you will find that other cities have various incentive programs for taking public transit.
For example, in Connecticut, you can register for The Ride Stuff and be eligible for discounts at various retailers. In California, you can join the Lucky Bucks program for free cash and other prizes. In Boston, you can Ride to Win for gift cards.
Even if your city doesn’t offer cash or prizes for commuting, the money you will save by not driving is tremendous. For me and my husband, it means we can easily live with just one car, which has save us well over $20,000 over the past few years when you consider all the costs of car ownership, like insurance, gas, maintenance, etc. Even if you still have a second car, but don’t drive it to work everyday, you are looking at an average savings of $200/month. Wow!
Plus, you’ll get back all the time you spend driving, and can use it to do whatever you’d like. If time truly is priceless, I can’t even begin to calculate those savings.
Takeaway: Take a bus. Ride the subway. Carpool. Walk. Bike. Do whatever you’d like, but if it all possible, don’t drive. The savings, both monetarily and of your own time, are huge.
Total Yearly Savings: For me, it’s over $10,000. It can easily be at least $2,400 if you start practicing some commute alternative.
photo by mykl
