Q: I am planning to take a trip to France this summer. How can I best save the money I need for that trip? -- K.G., via the Internet
A: You can do it! Or, in French, "c'est facile!" (Translation: "It's easy.") You can do it in five easy steps.
1. Plan out what your expenses will be.
You don't know how much to save if you don't know how much you're going to need, do you? You'd be surprised how many people neglect to answer this most basic question. You're going to need money for ...
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Airfare. In general, it becomes more difficult to find good prices when you book a few weeks before you want to leave. Instead, if you can, try to find a cheap rate now, as soon ahead of your trip as possible. You might try priceline.com, cheaptickets.com, or expedia.com, just to name a few.
The other potentially decent time to buy a seat is at the last minute. You can sometimes get Internet specials with jaw-dropping prices on round-trip fares, though those great deals apply generally in the offseason and often are subject to severe time limitations -- you might be able to stay only for a weekend or for a week or two, for example. Go to the websites of the major airline carriers to find out about their special deals and to be notified by email of such deals.
- Lodging and food. Figure out where you're going to stay. Have a yen for adventure? You can probably stay at youth hostels. Have a tent and like to camp? You can save a bundle that way, too. If you're going with friends, consider renting a house together. You'll save on both lodging and food.
- Transportation within the country. Depending on how long you're going to be there, you can get very good deals on Eurailpasses, for travel on the excellent French train system. For train information, go to www.sncf.fr and click on the little British flag in the lower left corner. Or, even easier -- go to a travel agent.
- Fun. Yes, fun. Your entertainment and souvenir expenses can pile up quickly. Prepare accordingly, and keep reading for more tips.
2. Add $500 to the expenses you figured out in step No. 1. You'll be glad you did after your 45th bread-and-cheese sandwich.
3. Decide where in your budget to cut back, and start now.
Mountains are made of little clods of dirt. It's those precious clods -- those nuggets, pebbles, weed roots -- that you're going to have to pile up into your own little mountain of cash. So do you really need to eat out at restaurants twice a week? How about the money you're tossing off for drinks at a bar? Instead, eat at home and become a teetotaler -- or at least buy your six-pack at the supermarket, if you must. Quit buying those useless lottery tickets. Quit smoking.
4. Put the money in an account that'll earn you the highest possible interest. You're looking at too short a time span to invest in the stock market, but check into money markets and short-term CDs. Make sure there's no penalty for early withdrawal.
5. And finally, have fun in France! Remember, it's the country that invented the expression "joie de vivre" -- joy of life! You'll want to remember that while they're ignoring you in Paris!
