Have you started planning your summer vacation yet? It’ll be sipping-lemonade-by-the-pool season before you know it. I love vacations, but here’s what I don’t love: nearly 40 per cent of millennials are willing to go into debt for their trips.

Coming back home to credit card bills makes the end of a vacation miserable. I don’t want that to be your story. If you start saving up now, you’ll be in great shape when it’s time to pack your bags.

Here are eight ways to save up and pay for your vacation with your own money:

Give your budget a refresh. If it’s been a while since you looked at where your money is really going each month, I bet you’ll find some areas where you can cut back in a matter of minutes. Then, you can put that cash towards your vacation sinking fund!

Brew your own coffee at home. I get it. Fancy coffee with a designer label makes me feel special, too. But if you put that $25 a week into a vacation fund for a while, you’ll add a couple hundred bucks or more to your travel budget.

Pack your lunch. Peanut butter and jelly today means piña coladas all day on the beach this summer!

Order water at restaurants. If you go out to eat, give up extras like soda, appetisers, and alcohol.

Sell stuff online through places like Facebook Marketplace. You know there’s stuff laying around the house, in the garage, or in your closet that you don’t use any more. Put it to good use by selling it, and put that money towards your vacation!

Cancel any unused subscriptions. When’s the last time you really watched a show on HBO, or used any of the make-up samples from your Birchbox? I’m not hating on subscription services, but if you don’t use them, that’s money leaving your bank account each month you could be saving.

Once you try these money-saving tips, you might just make them a habit. Then, you’ll be ahead of the game when it’s vacation time next year. My free Vacation Budget Worksheet (https://tinyurl.com/sj559m6) makes it easy to plan for all your expenses.

Things always cost more than you expect. But this worksheet will help you plan for everything — even the unexpected stuff!

• Rachel Cruze is a No 1 New York Times bestselling author, host of The Rachel Cruze Show, and The Rachel Cruze Show podcast. She has authored three bestselling books, including Love Your Life, Not Theirs and Smart Money Smart Kids, which she co-wrote with her father, Dave Ramsey. You can follow her on Twitter and Instagram at @RachelCruze and online at rachelcruze.com, youtube.com/rachelcruze or facebook.com/rachelramseycruze