Vacations don’t have to be expensive to be memorable and fun. Here are some suggestions to plan a successful vacation.
Create a vacation budget
Decide how much money you can afford for a summer vacation. Start by reviewing your income, expenses and debt obligations and setting aside money for emergency expenses. Then decide how much you can direct towards a summer vacation. This becomes the baseline amount for your travel, hotel, meals and amusement. Add up the estimated costs in advance before making final plans. Then, put away money each month into a savings account. You can set up a separate savings account at Access Credit Union for this purpose.
Research your vacation options
Use the Internet to get information on sightseeing, tourism attractions and discount travel and hotels. Get advice from friends and relatives who’ve traveled to places you plan to visit. They can help direct you to places that are fun and affordable.
Plan your schedule in advance
Map out your daily activities and routes to ensure that you’re staying on-course and on budget. Unplanned activities can often amount to unplanned spending.
Have a credit plan
Check credit card balances on your accounts well before you travel. Make sure they are paid off or under half the limit that you can charge. Be sure to limit credit card cash advances. If you need cash, use your ATM or debit card. Limit your charges to one or two credit cards and be sure to keep all receipts and record your charges. Pay off the credit card charges when you return from vacation using the amount that you saved.