Summer vacation need not break the bank

Wed., June 7, 2006

David Uffington King Features Syndicate

You’ve worked hard all year, and now it’s time for a nice relaxing break.

To get the best bang for your vacation dollar, here are some tips, provided by the National Foundation for Credit Counseling.

•Create a vacation budget. Decide how much money you can afford to spend on a summer vacation for travel, lodging, amusement, etc. This includes existing money plus any money you can save before your vacation.

•Get input from the entire family. Now that you know how much money you can afford to spend, decide on the best way to use it. Ask family members where they want to go and what they want to do when they arrive. Consider visiting nearby tourist attractions or even vacationing at home if you have a limited budget.

•Research your vacation options. Use the Internet to get information on sightseeing, tourist attractions and discount travel and lodging. Read the latest travel guides. Get advice from friends and relatives. Watch for discount coupon books sometimes issued by visitor and tourism associations.

•Plan your vacation activities thoroughly. Hit the ground running when you arrive. Smart vacationers plan out their stops and activities well in advance. They know where they are going and how much it will cost. Unplanned stops can be the death of a vacation budget.

•Have a credit plan. Credit cards can come in handy on the road. They’re safer than cash because they can be replaced if lost. That’s the good news. The bad news is that it is easy to overspend with credit cards. If you are going to use them, be sure to record your charges in a ledger and to limit your charges to budgeted expenses. When you get home, pay off your charges in full as quickly as possible. Remember, these charges amount to a short-term loan.

And now that you’ve done your financial homework — it’s time to play!

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