She let her tired fingers fall on her keyboard as the word came to her mind , “Vacation,…” For a long minute she let her mind wander to sandy beaches. She could almost feel the warm sunshine on her body and feel the cool breeze of the ocean blowing on her face. Then she jerked back to reality with a start. “Vacation”, I might as well not think about it, I know I won’t be able to afford one this year either.” She sighed with frustration and went back to the document she was typing.

We think in this tricky economy that vacations for some of us are things of the past. However, there are some strategic things that we can do to still have the vacation of our dreams. We just have to think outside the box a little and envision other creative ways to make that happen. You might think, "Yes, well if I get a second job maybe I will be able to afford a vacation." I contend that if we must make some small minor adjustments to our everyday spending habits, we can have one also.

We all spend money on beverages: I happen to be a coffee connoisseur myself. I was shelling out money for at least 3 cups of coffee a day. I realized that if I gave up just one of those cups of coffee a day that I would be saving $2 a day, or $14 dollars a week. That probably doesn't sound like a of money, but your yearly savings would be $728. That is enough to finance a modest vacation. If you just gave up one beverage a day, the savings would be impressive.

I know one lady who takes all the change on the bottom of her purse at the end of each week and throws it in a coin jar. She was amazed at the end of the first year of doing this how much she was able to save. She does admit that it is hard not to break into the jar at times when money got a little tight. She stuck to her resolve and went on a weekend vacation to New York City. She saw a show, did lots of shopping and had a glorious time sightseeing. Because of that experience, she continues that practice to this day.

Another way to supplement your vacation fund is to take gently worn clothing that you don't wear any more to a consignment shop. The shop will sell the items for you, and keep a percentage of the selling price. This is a trendy market, especially in a college town like ours. Students have very little money to spend on clothing. By shopping at these kinds of shop they can still look fashion forward at a percentage of the price they would pay for a new item at a shopping mall.

Coupons are also a very good way to save money. You can find coupons in the Sunday paper or in fashion magazines. You can also print coupons from your home printer by using coupon sites. You use these coupons the same as any other coupon, just make sure that your printout has a barcode on it or the grocery store will not be able to scan it. When you use a coupon, put the same amount you saved in your coupon jar. I save 1/3 of my grocery bill by using coupons, so that is a pretty significant amount of money.

Now let's change the opening scenario to a new one: She sits in a beach chair on a sunny beach. The warm sun has already begun to bleach her hair a sandy yellow. A breeze from the ocean wafts across the water and caresses her face. A happy sigh escapes her lips as she sinks deeper in her chair in total and complete relaxation.