The trip is all planned and you’ve been day-dreaming about it for weeks.  The flights haven’t been booked and the hotels haven’t been reserved because funds are low and you’re not sure where to find the money.  Taking a look at your income and outflow of money, along with using some smart tactics, will help you find money where you didn’t think there was any.  Follow these tips and you’ll start building your vacation fund so you can have the trip of a lifetime.

1. Look at your bank statement to see where the money goes – If you see a lot of recurring expenses that you can do without, stop them.  Coffees, movie rentals, ice cream, even haircuts can be reduced or eliminated.  If you can’t live without something (like haircuts) do them less often or see if you can get them for free.  Borrow a friend’s movies or see if your salon has a hair cutting school where you can be a chair model for free cuts!

2. Open an account at your bank for the trip – Have a dedicated account where you only put money into it.  This is a good psychological tactic because as you see the dollars slowly add up, you feel satisfied that you are working towards your goal with success.  Also, this way your everyday money and vacation money don’t co-mingle and end up becoming bill money.

3. Automatically transfer money – Have your primary savings account set up to automatically transfer a certain amount every payday into your dedicated vacation account.  This way you don’t even see the money in your regular account so you can adjust your everyday spending to this new amount.

4. Sell your stuff – Seriously.  If you have stuff around your home that you don’t need, sell it.  Do you want to travel for a year but have no idea how to fund it?  Sell your car if you have one.  Old cameras and computers, clothes, books, and various other things of value can add up fast to give you a good foundation for your vacation fund.

5. Take on a second job – Freelance in your spare time or work a part-time job somewhere to accumulate some cash.   Ask for extra hours at your current job if it’s hourly.

6. Rent your place out – If you have somewhere else you can stay random nights, like a family member’s home or a significant other’s place, rent yours on AirBnB.  You set the price and if people reserve your home it’s an easy way to quickly make extra money in the hundreds.  You’ll have to make sure your home is cleaned extra well and it’s presentable for paying guests, but it’s a super simple process and the money is directly deposited into your bank account.

7. Crowdfund it! – Popular sites such as indiegogo.com and honeyfund.com make it very easy to share your travel dreams with the world and ask for donations.  You create a profile that includes your goal and what you want the money for, share it with family and friends, who can share with their social media circles, and so on.  Honeyfund.com is niched for engaged couples who’d rather get money for their honeymoon instead of traditional gifts.