Consumer Corner: Saving up for the sun

How to plan for a hassle-free holiday

"In order to save money, you should try to avoid trendy destinations that come with a higher price tag"

Holidays are great and the best part is that we can plan ahead to have a great time. Starting a savings fund for a holiday is a fantastic way of making it work. There are some great options now to do this easily such as a Revolut Vault where they will put away money each week for you. Planning ahead can make it all the more hassle free when it comes to finally boarding that flight for sunnier shores. Putting away €50 each week for a year would leave you with a nice fund of €2,600 for your holiday.

Paul Merriman of AskPaul.ie said that start your holiday planning by creating a budget.

“Sit down with pen and paper, or excel, and jot down your income and your outgoings. By doing this, you will easily see how much you have coming in and going out. It will also show you where you are overspending and should consider cutting back," he said.

He added that when it comes to saving up money for your holiday, cut out things that you can do without.

“Do you really need to buy bottled water? Can you make your own lunch or coffee? These costs may seem like small amounts but it all adds up over the months,” he said.

Signing up for email alerts from travel agents will ensure that you are on the list when they are letting people know about last-minute deals. This can be a handy way to bag a bargain and you can sign up on their websites.

Aer Lingus has a loyalty programme called the AerClub where flyers can earn credits or ‘Avios’ for every time they fly. These can be used then to pay for flights, car hire and hotels. Depending on the level you are at you could get lounge access and priority boarding. These points are hard-earned however and will really only suit regular flyers.

The internet too can be a great source of information for comparing flights. Sites like Skyscanner and Google Flights can be a very valuable source as they will compare flights with different airlines so you don’t have to.

Although we will never know for sure rumours say that flights are at their highest price around four to six weeks ahead of the date of travel. There are also rumours that airlines heavily discount flights a few days before Christmas Day.

According to Cassidy Travel in order to save money, you should try to avoid trendy destinations that come with a higher price tag. They advise keeping an eye out for good deals on established favourites, or consider up and coming destinations that haven’t been discovered by the mainstream yet.

Planning ahead too will save you money and often you will get great deals on attractions by buying tickets before heading off.

When on holidays experts say that there can be so much to discover at your destination free of charge. Just because you are abroad it doesn’t mean you have to pay for every theme or adventure park. There will likely be lovely walks and free attractions if you do some research beforehand. The pool and beach will also be free and you can bring picnics with you to save spending money on a restaurant at lunch. Also don’t be afraid to use public transport rather than opting for the taxi every time. And the final tip - make sure you check your passport expiry date well in advance.