In part one of this two-part blog series, we went over some general budgeting tips for planning a summer or fall vacation. Planning such trips is often a matter of proper advanced planning and controlling your spending, and with the right attention to detail you can take a great family vacation without a major cost incurred.
At Utah Money Center, we’re proud of the way our various installment loan programs, from vehicle title loans to signature loans and many options in between, help clients with budgeting and small financial hiccups. Let’s look at a few other ways you can be smart about your money leading up to a trip, allowing for a fun time for you and the entire family without breaking the bank.
Item Cleanout and Sale
Can you look around your home and identify all sorts of items you haven’t used or even looked at in decades? Do you have an entire attic full of these kinds of things, even? If so, take a weekend to clean and organize all these items – and then look for any profits you can gain off them.
Whether this is through a neighborhood garage sale, online listings or some combination of the two, you might be surprised how you can bolster your budget this way. And once you have these additional funds, which you never expected to have to begin with, they can boost your vacation planning fund right away.
Part-Time Work
Another way to build up a little cash, at least for those whose schedules allow them to do so, is picking up a small side-hustle for a few months. If you can accomplish this without making major changes to your lifestyle, it can be a great, low-stress way to add to your vacation budget. Many such opportunities don’t require a long-term commitment, either.
Group Trips
If you’re looking into a particular location that might be a bit too pricy for you or the family alone, consider linking up with a group rental. There are several such options out there, from splitting a weekly rental as a group to attending separately but paying together. You can also save additional money by cooking together as a group rather than going out to expensive restaurants on your trip.
Transportation Format
Finally, consider the destination of your planned trip: Is it close enough that you could consider a road trip instead of more expensive plane flights? The larger your group is, the more you save by traveling via the road rather than ponying up for a plane ticket for each individual.
For more on how to properly budget and save for an upcoming vacation, or to learn about how any of our signature or title loans benefit you in several budgeting areas, speak to the staff at Utah Money Center today.