Cross  Off  Your  Travel  Bucket  List  in  2014
Happy New Year! We hope that your year is off to a great start and that you are fired up for the possibilities ahead. We love this month of optimism  and hope to inspire you with our newest blog series, Bucket List Destinations.  Over the next few weeks, members of our office staff will share with you the destination they are dreaming about and their proactive advice for crossing off the travel destinations on your bucket list in 2014.
What will you cross off your bucket list this year? Soaking up the sun in Aruba? Skiing in the Alps? Hiking the Grand Canyon? A family trip to Disney World? Â Often these trips can seem out of reach in light of life responsibilities, but with committed effort and thoughtful planning, these trips are within reach. We are here to help!
 2014 can be the year you take your dream trip, if you play your cards right.  Here are a few tips to get started. It’s a little preview of what is to come in the series. Stay tuned!
Use  Vacation  Days  in  a  Block:
The New Year marks a fresh start for many things, including vacation days. Think ahead on your calendar. How many days off do you need to factor for weddings, graduations, etc? How many do you have left? Plan to use your remaining vacation days all at once to do something really memorable, instead of spreading them out here and there throughout the year. It may also be the year use any days that have rolled over from previous years.
Maximize  Weekends  and  Holidays:
Maximize vacation time while minimizing missed work. Have 5 days off? Take a 9 day trip by leaving late Friday night and returning the following Sunday night. Book trips near holidays when coworkers will also be out of town (Fri-Wed preceding Thanksgiving, for example). Trips taken at the end of the year also allow more time to save and to plan.
Save  in  Small  Ways:
Evaluate each purchase this year in light of your upcoming trip. Where can you cut corners? It doesn’t have to hurt. Eat out less, pack your lunches, avoid  Starbucks, wait until movies arrive at Redbox, etc. Surprisingly, your habits add up over a year!
Fuel  the  Fire:
Use your upcoming trip to motivate keeping your other New Year’s resolutions. Give up fast food or smoking? Calculate your average annual spending on a habit you are kicking and allot the money to your trip funds.
Holiday  Gifts:
Instead of exchanging gifts with your spouse or travel buddy for birthdays, anniversaries, and other holidays, put the money towards your trip or give items needed for your excursion.
Where will you go this year? What steps will you take to make it happen? Comment below!
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