Budget travel tips to avoid vacation debt hangover
According to a recent study by Experian Consumer Services, 46% of people are said to finance vacation expenses using credit cards when they have inadequate savings. The same study also found that most travelers have a tendency of overspending and accumulating huge debts during vacations.
Jan 20, 2016 10:01 IST India Infoline News Service
Always pay cash
No one wants to borrow and build on the debts for the love of traveling. While seeing new sights is a great way to spend your vacation, borrowing is not. Coming home loaded with debts defeats the purpose of your vacation.
One way to avoid raising your debts is by paying for the vacation using cold cash. Avoid relying on the credit cards and save cash prior to the vacation. Initiate automatic transfer from your checking to a savings account.
At the same time, it pays to develop realistic budget for the vacation to make it easy for you to save adequate funds. Depending on your preferred destination, saving should start as early as six months.
Stick to the current debt commitment
To most people, it makes no sense going on a vacation while in debt. Travelling is fun and a great way to unwind. However, it does not mean derailing your commitment to pay off current debts. Ensure to stick to the minimum payments and on time. if taking the vacation affects your repayment, then you should reconsider taking the vacation. If you must, find ways to make your vacation cheap. One way of taking a dream vacation while at the same time repaying your debts is balance. Always stick to your commitment but start saving early enough so you can easily pay your vacation in cash and avoid getting yourself in more debts after once you return.
