All of us take vacations at different frequencies to help us have a change from the usual routine and also to rejuvenate ourselves. While going on vacations is fun and desirable, it is very important that the vacation goes on without any hassles. Let’s look at a few tips which will help you to be money-wise when you take a vacation:
Determine your budget: It is very important to determine what your budget is for the vacation before you decide on anything else. This is especially true when you wish to travel to foreign locations. Satish did not consider his budget when he took his family on a Europe Tour and made all payments by swiping his credit card. When he came back from the vacation, he was faced with an exorbitant amount as credit card dues, which he found impossible to repay. This resulted in lowering of his credit score and ultimately affected his credit rating. An occasion as special as a family vacation should not cause nightmares for the rest of your life. Hence determine how much you can spend as the first step. Only after this, you should decide on the location and other details.
Prepare in advance: When you go on a holiday with your family, you would want to have a memorable trip and take back pleasant memories. This is possible only when you do good research on the place you are going to and plan your itinerary well in advance. This does not mean you work on huge spreadsheets for a vacation. But you must definitely look at important details like the places you would like to visit, the mode of travel, where you would like to stay etc. Planning in advance not only gives you peace of mind, but also saves money. When you make your reservations in advance, you save on hotel bills and travel costs. You also do not waste time and money as you have all your plans chalked out, making it easier to enjoy.
Grab deals and offers: Opting for travel agents to plan your travel is definitely easier, but can cost you dearly. If you do some hard work and research yourself, you can end up saving a lot of money by taking the advantage of ongoing discount deals. When Raj wanted to take his family to Singapore for a holiday, he browsed various travel websites for various options and combinations. He realised that he was getting a great bargain deal on accommodation in one website for a limited period. He immediately grabbed the offer. He also checked out other websites for the cheapest airfare and excursion packages and got some good deals. On the whole, Raj saved a huge amount by doing research and picking discount offers, which would have otherwise cost him several times more had he opted for a one-stop product from a travel agent.
Opt for secondary destinations: Sometimes, offbeat destinations are as good as the popular destinations and cost much lesser. For example, if you want to go on a beach holiday near Mumbai, Alibaug is a popular destination, but is expensive as all tourists prefer this place. However, there are many resorts which are a little farther off and which are not so popular, but offer you accommodation at much lower rates and also lets you experience the beauty of the beach.
Opt out of peak season travel: Every place has a peak season and an off season depending on the weather, festivals and various other factors. If you plan your travel during the peak season you will end up paying through the nose. On the other hand, if you arrive at the destination just before or just after the peak season, you can get good discounts on accommodation, excursions and travel. You must however consider the climate and other factors before deciding on this.
Take care of the amount of luggage you carry: Everyone likes to carry different clothes, shoes, accessories etc when going on a holiday. But do remember to consider the baggage restrictions of airlines. Also factor in what you may shop at the holiday destination, as this will be an extra luggage you will need to carry. You may end up paying for extra baggage to the airlines, which can work out to be very expensive.
Take travel insurance: When you go on a vacation abroad, travel insurance is very important to cover your risk. If you do not take sufficient travel insurance, you will have to pay heavily if there is a loss or damage.
Take precautions at the vacation: Take care to secure your credit cards, debit cards, wallets, etc. Do not keep all your valuables at one place and do remember to keep some money in your hotel safe. You must also hand over some money to your spouse and children and be prepared for any emergency. It is not wise to carry all your debit and credit cards on the vacation, as you risk it being stolen. A couple of credit cards and a debit card are sufficient for the trip. When you are abroad, you must always carry a copy of your passport and all relevant phone numbers with you to help you in emergencies.