Saving money is hard. Especially when there are so many great restaurants, cafes, and shops calling my name. This year, however, I decided to step up my saving game, and I found some great ways to move the needle when it comes to saving for travel.

For many people, saving for travel can be difficult since the trip is in the future and we all love instant gratification. But here are some ways I’ve been able to add to my travel saving account:

Set Goals

The first step seems obvious, but I was always someone who would just say I was “saving for travel.” When you don’t have a plan, it’s hard to dedicate money to your travel account (especially when Sephora is having a sale). This is what I call the “dream” part of the plan since you get to decide where you want to travel, and when you want to go.

Luckily, there are tons of resources online that you can use to plan your trip and figure out just how much moolah you’ll need. Once you’ve done some planning, you can work backwards to see how much you’ll need to save each month to meet that goal.

Use your Phone

If you’re anything like me, you probably have your phone attached to your hand throughout the day. I found it much easier to save when I started downloading some apps that could help me get the job done. Instead of keeping receipts or writing down what I was spending, I could quickly and easily input it into my phone. There are tons of travel budgeting apps available, whether you’re looking for a monthly budget app or an Apple financial planning app.

The great thing about this is it makes saving fun. You can easily see how close you are to your goal and if you’re on target for your next milestone.

Sacrifice

Ok, so this isn’t exactly the fun part of the plan. Unfortunately, saving requires real sacrifice. But there are a few things you can do to make it a little less miserable. First, make a list of the things you’re willing to give up. For me, you’ll pry my daily Starbucks latte out of my cold dead hands. But I can give up shopping as long as I don’t go near the mall, and I can easily cut down my eating out to one or two times a week.

Once you’ve figured out how much you need to save, it’s time to decide how you’ll get there. If you want to travel, you’ll probably need to take money out of your entertainment, eating out or shopping budget.

These three tips have been a massive help when I’ve been saving for travel this year. What are your top tips? Let me know in the comments below.