

We’ve all scrolled through social media and caught a serious case of holiday envy.
While we’re working to pay the endless bills, folding mountains of laundry and cooking food our kids refuse to eat, the cashed-up crew are sipping on mojitos and getting bloated at the buffet.
If you’re living pay to pay, a family holiday can seem like an unattainable luxury reserved for people who have that mythical thing called disposable income.
But there are ways you can join the holiday selfie brigade, minus the credit card debt.
Enter Tammy Barton from personal budgeting company MyBudget, a finance guru who knows a thing or two about helping families better manage their money and save for the fun stuff, like a family holiday.
We spoke to Tammy, along with a few frugal parents about how you can afford a break without breaking the bank.
View this post on Instagram
1. Be more savvy with your spending.
Tammy says you should kick off #OperationHoliday by setting up a separate savings account and depositing money into it every pay. Another good starting point is to create a detailed budget that includes all your income and expenses over the next 12 months then looking at what you can cut back on.
When it comes to reducing expenses, Tammy recommends starting with the big ones like insurance, which can help you save thousands a year.
Father of two Lachlan agrees. “Our family was complete, but we were still paying for obstetrics on our private health insurance,” he told Mamamia. “We saved nearly $200 a month by removing it.”
Once you’ve tackled the big expenses, look at the little ones. “Spending $15 a day on work lunches adds up to over $3500 over 12 months. Your holiday budget could be hiding in your daily spending habits,” advises Tammy.
