I don't have any concrete plans for another vacation, but I did take a step to organize my funds for a trip of some sort.

Normally, I throw whatever change I have left in my pocket at the end of the day into a jar. (However, I do keep quarters separate since I need them for laundry.) Over the past few months, my girlfriend has also ben putting her change in the jar; we decided that the money we collect will be used to help fund vacations.

When we cashed in the jar for our travel to Williamsburg, Virginia, we had saved more than $70, despite not including quarters. But why should this money sit in a jar instead of "in a bank" earning interest?

We decided to open up a joint savings account through ING Direct. Just by opening the account, we were able to add $35 from bonuses to help fund our next trip together. (Contact me for more info on how you can get a similar bonus.) Even with the higher interest rate we can get from Emigrant Direct after our bonus is available for withdrawal, we won't be earning much on the money.

I plan on taking the coin jar to the bank every few weeks. Once the cash is deposited in my checking account, I'll initiate a transfer to move the funds to the online savings account.

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