Our media is saturated with ads about exotic vacations. Trips to Bangkok, Bali, Europe and USA… Enchanting and alluring places that we are more often acquainted with via Google. As much as we all want to go there, we worry about the costs and believe that it would be too much. Even the so called ‘package’ tours seem to hit our pockets very hard.
Yet the other part of our mind is constantly yearning for it – a welcome escape and an unforgettable experience with family and friends, at some faraway destination.
You need not despair. while the costs may appear huge, most people can actually afford them.
Think of Vijayan, a tea stall owner in Kerala. At 65 and despite earning very little from his little establishment, he and his wife have managed to travel to 16 countries. There is even a documentary made about this ordinary couple and their extraordinary travel habits called ‘Invisible Wings’.
You too can enjoy such trips and the secret is planned savings. We do not realize this but almost every day we spend money on things which we have no use for. It may be small expenses, but they build up over time. This arithmetic will make sense to you only if you start saving for a goal, such as a vacation.
Take for example, you imagine that a week-long vacation to Bali will cost you and your spouse Rs. 1,30,000. Now it might seem to be a big amount. But imagine making some cuts to your monthly movie budget and restaurant trips. Imagine going to the supermarket and choosing only economy items, rather than premium brands.
Even as a young, salaried person, you could easily end up saving Rs. 5,000 each month. Put this money as a systematic investment plan with 12 percent expected rate of return and in two years you would have close to Rs. 1,36,216. That’s what you will need to fund a dream vacation.
Think about it.
Click here for SIP calculator.
To start investing download Geojit’s Mutual Fund App Funds Genie. The desktop version can be accessed from www.fundsgenie.in
Posted: September 2017
