10 tips to help you save for a dream holiday
CONSUMER CHAMP GEMMA GODFREY TELLS MARION McMULLEN HOW TO
GEMMA GODFREY says get smart, make it manageable and stay motivated and you can afford to book your dream break. Gemma is a natural consumer champion and was hand-picked by Arnold Schwarzenegger to be one of his boardroom advisors on The New Celebrity Apprentice USA.
She is also a regular consumer expert on ITV’s Good Morning Britain, BBC Breakfast and Sky News and is one of three experts on ITV’s new primetime consumer show Eat, Shop, Save.
Hosted by Good Morning Britain’s Ranvir Singh, it offers advice to families each week.
Gemma says: “The families in the series are typical of most of us – working harder than ever and finding it tricky to keep track of their spending. I was delighted to show them a few tips and tricks to help them get control of their cash and make some serious savings.”
She says the same tips can help people save for their perfect holiday. Gemma trained in quantum physics at Leeds University and worked at global investment companies including Goldman Sachs before settng up her own online investment company.
She hopes to help people look at their hard-earned money in a new light and make it work for them. So how do you save for a dream break?
START OUT RIGHT
IDENTIFY the best place for your budget – location, distance, number of flights and number of hotels can make a big difference on price for very similar experiences. There are many places offering crystal blue seas, cloudless skies, good food and fun activities, but they can be cheaper if they are easier to get to – and there are more flight operators and hotels competing to attract customers.
LOOK FOR THE BEST DEAL FOR FLIGHTS AND ACCOMMODATION
IT could be more affordable to package flights and accommodation together, but it could also be cheaper to do it separately. Also, get creative. There are now a lot of online websites where you can find homes to rent for a few days/weeks (Airbnb, home swap etc). Also investigate whether you could use any credit card points or deals to help.
TAKE INTO ACCOUNT ALL COSTS
WORK out how much you’ll spend on food and drink out there (often forgotten!). You need to know how much the whole holiday will cost; not just the cost to get you there and stay somewhere. This will help you work out if a package holiday is better value, booking ‘all-inclusive’ or just ‘bed and breakfast.’ Also don’t be afraid to mix and match – for a dream location would you spend a few days camping, enjoying nature, and then end up at the hotel at the end?
FIND THE RIGHT TIME
WORK out when you’d like to go (off season can be cheaper) and work out how much time do you have to save up this money.