“Take Vacations, Go as many places as you can. You can always make money. You can’t always make memories.”
-Unknown
The Size Zero Myth:
I just can’t afford a vacation!
The Wise Hero Reality:
1Open a Dedicated Travel Savings Account:
Most of us start calculating travel expenditures after we start planning that vacation which we knew we will be taking for almost a year. So we mostly try to manage our travel expenditures with whatever currently is in our bank account. But with other basic daily expenditures, it starts to look like a lot of pressure and you realize that you cannot afford to travel.
A good idea would be to plan a certain amount you would contribute to a travel savings account. It will be useful to have ATM and online access to the account, this way you can draw money directly from the account when booking and while you travel. This will keep you from mingling your regular accounts with your “trip money,” 
2Set up an Automatic Transfer:
Once you have set up a dedicated travel savings account, it needs to be funded. Make sure to activate the automatic transfer at a regular interval option which the banks provide or else you will always have an excuse (I needed to buy these pair of flats to wear them on my planned vacation to Hawaii next year, where will I get so much discount later) not to fund the account. This is easy to set up and can really add up over time.
It’s not how much you make, it’s how much you save.
-Unknown
3Sign Up for Travel Newsletters:
No one likes to clutter up their inbox, but by signing up for mailing lists from airlines and travel companies, you’ll be able to get updates about all the last-minute sales or special deals happening.
4Be Flexible with Your Plans:
If you have a certain place in your mind you want to travel, be flexible about the timing. If there is a certain time of the year you want to travel, then be flexible with the place. Do not choose both options.
5Take Time Off from Work, Starting in the Middle of the Week:
Most of the people fly on weekends, hence the airfare is costliest during that time. If you fly on weekdays, you will get the advantage of cheaper airfares. Tuesdays and Wednesdays are often the cheapest days to fly, so you can save a lot of money this just by shifting your schedule by a few days.
6Check for Round-Trip Fares:
Many airlines provide discounted rates if you choose round trip while booking. Check all the possible round trip combinations and also check fares in different sites (few sites might offer some extra discounts) for booking tickets. This will help you save some extra money which will act as a buffer and make you feel more comfortable planning your trip as you can easily afford a vacation.
7Travel During the Off-Peak Time:
If you travel in peak times when the schools are on vacation or its festival time, you will definitely have to pay high travel prices. Instead choose a time which is not peak season, that way you will get a discount on travel as well as accommodation. An added advantage would be that you will get privacy as peace as well due to less crowd.
8Book the Hotel Room Online:
Booking a hotel online for accommodation is much cheaper than paying at the reception desk. You will be surprised to see you can save more than 50% when you book a hotel online. Make sure to compare different hotel rates and also read the reviews online before you book a room.
Also, few websites give you the option of booking flights & hotel rooms together giving you a further discount. Make sure to explore all the options before you make the payment. Proper research and planning will make sure that you do not face last-minute money crunches. Booking travel, hotel, local commute and food in advance will keep your expenditure in check and give you the delight of being able to afford a vacation with limited resources and lots of pre-planning.
Money spent on travel is never wasted. Vacations are necessities not luxuries.