I'm Taking 8 Vacations This Summer. Here's How I'm Affording It

A summer of travel is affordable with some pre-planning. 

Over the course of this summer, my family and I will be taking eight vacations. These range from trips over a three-day-weekend to 10-day trips to exciting destinations. We really want to travel while our children are still young so we can make plenty of family memories before they start elementary school and sports and our schedules fill up. 

Obviously, taking so many vacations comes at a big cost. But I won't be going into credit card debt to indulge my wanderlust. Instead, there are five steps I've taken to make sure that going on multiple trips is easily affordable for us without charging our getaways. 

1. I increased my income during the year

The biggest step I took to make so many vacations possible was to work hard and increase my income. I work as an independent contractor, so the amount I work directly correlates with how much I am paid. I increased my work hours and I do at least a little bit of work every day of the week, including weekends, so I could pad my vacation fund.

While not everyone has as much flexibility as I do in my job, increasing income is usually possible by doing overtime and even finding a part-time side gig in your spare time. Since there's theoretically no limit to how much you can earn, finding a way to bring in extra money is a great way to fund travel.

2. I can work remotely

Another key way I've made my vacations cheaper is by ensuring I can still work while I am away. That means I won't miss out on income during all of the weeks when I'm gone. With an increasing number of employers open to remote work, this could hopefully be a possibility for more people so that taking more trips becomes possible. 

3. I saved money toward my trips throughout the year

I'm not planning to pay for all of my trips solely with the money I make during the summer. I started a dedicated vacation account for travel and I put money into it all year long. In fact, I booked many of my trips months ago, so the lodging is already paid for and all I will have to cover now is the transportation to my destination and food and activities when I get there. 

4. I'm keeping vacation costs down by choosing affordable destinations

Several of our vacations will be at campgrounds, so I've also been able to make my trips more affordable by keeping lodging costs down. Since hotels can be expensive, finding cheaper places to stay has been crucial to enabling me to take as many vacations as I want to.

5. I've signed up for rewards programs to earn free nights

Finally, I've also signed up for as many rewards programs as I can so I can earn perks that reduce my costs. One of the campgrounds we are staying at regularly offers a rewards points program, for example, and I've already earned several free nights by becoming a member of it. I also use a credit card that provides bonus rewards for travel which helps to defray my costs as well. 

By taking all of these steps, I've made it possible for my husband and I to spend weeks out in nature, enjoying life with our children while we still can.