I’m sure you’re wondering if I won a contest or robbed a bank. Nope! The funds for our trip were not acquired by chance and definitely not obtained illegally. Here’s how we did it.
Using Savings As A Motivator
From the start of wedding planning I knew our finances were too tight to cover a honeymoon, but we needed and deserved it [we all do]. So, how were we going to do it?
Our motivator to find an alternative solution to fund our honeymoon was our goal to keep every cent we had in our savings. Those dollar signs gave me the sense of limits, urgency, and dogged persistence to find a resolution to our dilemma without reaching into the cookie jar.
Research, research, research!
There was no shame in my game. I asked any and everyone I knew for budget travel suggestions. I searched online tirelessly for travel deals and specials. A co-worker mentioned that he used a site called the Honeyfund to go on his own honeymoon. He explained that instead of guests giving you wedding gifts they give monetary gifts toward your travels. With this site my honeymoon dream became a reality.
How does it work?
Upon signing up for a Honeyfund account you create a personal page with details about yourself and where you plan to go for vacation. Then you make gift categories for each expense needed for travel [i.e. flight, meals, activities, etc.] and share the page with your guests.
Guests go on to your website and give you a gift by credit card or PayPal. A notification comes through to your email that a gift was received. Guests can also commit on the site to bring you their gift for travel in cash or check on the wedding day.
Make the Most of Honeyfund
For the best results, you should dedicate time to perfect the content on your page and answer any questions that may arise while your guests use the site. The more confident guests are with the site the more likely they will be inclined to use it.
Breaking down the individual expense amounts down to increments of $50 worked really well for my guests. For example, our flights cost approximately $1,000. I posted a quantity of 20 flight gifts at $50 each.
Get to it!
You can find ways to realize your dreams without using your savings. It simply takes a goal and unwavering resolve to find alternate solutions.
What are you waiting for? Start now!
Commit to a savings goal for 2014. If you’re committed, I guarantee you will find make a way to save while enjoying life.
Taylor Gordon – budget millennial lifestyle blogger with a personal finance obsession. She blogs about budget home décor and style at www.trendycheapo.com
Andrea is the Chief Chick of Smart Money Chicks. After filing BK twice (once because she panicked, second time because the pro messed the first time up), she realized that it all could have been avoided if she understood more about how her Finances worked and the options available. At that point, she wanted to help as many as she could never make the same mistakes again. Our Promise is that all the content you read on here is created or edited by Andrea