| How Can You Pay for A Cruise? | | | | So unless you have a very generous aunt, paying |
| It's one thing to say that you are going to take a | | | | for your cruise is going to be all up to you. Don't |
| cruise, choose the perfect package, and even get | | | | worry, though. Paying for a vacation is possible |
| prices for your dream vacation, but it is a whole | | | | even on the stingiest income if you know how to |
| different thing to actually save up the money to | | | | save. |
| pay for it and hand it over to your booking agent. | | | | The key to saving up for anything is consistency. |
| It's during this part of the vacation planning | | | | You can't simply say I'm going to put back any |
| process that most people give up on taking a sea | | | | extra money that I have until I have enough |
| voyage and end up taking a short excursion inland. | | | | saved up to take a cruise. If you go about it in |
| When asked, many people admit that taking a | | | | this way, you will never save anything. When's the |
| cruise has always been their dream vacation, but | | | | last time you had "extra" money? And if you did |
| they have not been able to quite pull it off. Why? | | | | have it, how long did it stay in your pocket? To |
| While some simply just can't get the time away | | | | save you need a plan, and you need discipline to |
| from work and responsibilities, most people are | | | | stick to that plan. |
| locked out of taking a sea vacation because they | | | | The first step to making a savings plan is to |
| cannot afford to pay for it. | | | | decide when you will be taking your vacation and |
| If this sounds like you, don't worry. Cruises are | | | | how much it will cost. Divide the amount of the |
| more affordable than you think, and there are | | | | vacation by the number of weeks you have until |
| ways that you can pay for the vacation of your | | | | you have to have your cruise passage paid in full. |
| dreams without maxing out your credit cards or | | | | This will tell you how much money you will have |
| taking out a second mortgage. | | | | to put back each week in order to pay for the |
| The first thing to consider when trying figuring out | | | | holiday. If you cannot possibly afford the amount |
| how to pay for a cruise is the actual cost for the | | | | that you need to tuck away each week, you |
| cruise. Many people take one look at the fare | | | | may have to postpone the date of your vacation |
| pricing and view it the same way that they would | | | | or make some adjustments to your living |
| hotel pricing. (I write about this in a previous | | | | expenses. |
| article: "Are You Saying You Can't Afford A | | | | Next, look at your budget. If you don't have one, |
| Cruise? Think Again!") In their mind they are | | | | make one. Include everything that you spend |
| visualizing this as the base cost of the vacation | | | | money on each week. Don't leave out extras. |
| with extras like food, entertainment, and other | | | | You would be surprised by how much income slips |
| expenses added on. But the truth of the matter | | | | through your fingers only to be spent on frivolous |
| is that cruise packages include all of these costs. | | | | purchases. Look for areas where you can cut |
| This means that the vacation that you have | | | | expenses to free up some income to put toward |
| always wanted could be just as affordable as or | | | | your trip. Do you stop for a latte every morning |
| even more affordable than the land-based | | | | or eat out frequently? By simply cutting out these |
| vacation that you have always taken. | | | | extras, you could free up enough income to pay |
| And if that's not enough, you can cut the cost of | | | | for your trip and then some. |
| your cruise vacation even further by cashing in on | | | | Now that you have figured out where the money |
| special promotions, booking and paying for your | | | | is going to come from, you will need to decide on |
| trip well in advance, and taking your cruise during | | | | a safe place to put it. This should be a place that |
| the off-season. Booking passage on a smaller ship | | | | you cannot raid if you feel the need to splurge. A |
| rather than the largest, most luxurious ship will | | | | savings account is a great idea if you can deposit |
| also save you a great deal of money. You can | | | | money into it and forget about it. You and your |
| even cut costs by choosing a smaller stateroom | | | | significant other can check up on each other. If |
| located on the inside of the ship over a room that | | | | you think that you may be tempted to make |
| faces outward and has a terrace or other | | | | withdraws from the account, you may want to |
| amenities. | | | | have a trusted friend or relative open an account |
| Even after you take off all of the possible | | | | for you with the stipulations that they are not to |
| savings, you will still have to come up with | | | | withdraw any money for you for any reason. If |
| something to pay for your cruise. And just how | | | | your vacation is going to be well into the future, |
| will you do that? Well the key to saving for | | | | savings bonds are also a great idea. |
| anything is early planning. If you save throughout | | | | Here's a simple saving tip: At the end of every |
| the year rather than just for a few weeks or | | | | day any change PLUS any one dollar bills you |
| months before your trip, you will be better able | | | | have go into a jar for the cruise fund. That's it, |
| to put something away toward your trip without | | | | just be disciplined about it. $3 dollars a day for a |
| having to let other financial obligations slide. | | | | year is more than $1,000. Don't buy something |
| You should never finance a holiday with credit. No | | | | everyday? Then step it up a notch? Never pay |
| matter whether or not you get a great interest | | | | for anything with dollar bills so you will accumulate |
| rate, funding vacations with credit is never a good | | | | them throughout the day. If something is $2.50, |
| idea. This is because you will end up paying much | | | | than you have to pay with a $5 or $10 and get |
| more for your vacation over a longer period of | | | | $2.50 in coin change and one dollar bill change that |
| time than you would have if you would have | | | | you will save. So now every single purchase will |
| saved for your trip before hand. Financing a | | | | contribute to your cruise fund! |
| vacation often makes it impossible to take future | | | | But no matter where you decide to keep your |
| vacations until the financed holiday is paid for, and | | | | holiday savings, be sure that you make weekly |
| it may even create financial hardships. This can | | | | deposits and stick to your savings plan. Don't give |
| lead to resentment and hard feelings over a time | | | | up. The vacation of a lifetime is within your grasp. |
| that was supposed to only generate happy | | | | It's up to you. Make the dream a reality. |
| memories. | | | | |