How To Fund The Vacation Of Your Dreams
One of the most common New Year’s resolutions we see – beyond the basic weight loss goals or surrendering little vices – is to travel more. People enter the new year with a sense of ambition and possibility, and often direct that toward a desire to see more of the world. And if this accurately describes your own mindset here in the early days of the new year (and decade!), you may have already taken a look at some of the top tourist destinations we previously identified for 2020, including Punta Cana, Vancouver, and Los Angeles, among others.
In this piece though, we want to provide a few words about how to fund that next dream getaway, whether it’s to on of those suggested destinations or somewhere else entirely. The truth of the matter is that even those who make a regular habit of traveling, and are accustomed to seeking out good airfare and budget accommodations, can sometimes come up short on trip costs. So below are a few of our suggestions for how to fund a vacation if it starts to seem too pricey.
Go In The Off Season
This first tip is a fairly common one, but still one you should make a point of keeping in mind as you plot out any trips for the year ahead. The simple idea is that if you travel to a destination during the off season, it’s usually cheaper to do so, with lower airfare and more affordable accommodations. One thing you might also consider though, is that this isn’t just a good tip for your wallet – you may have a better experience, too. In pitching the idea of off season travel, the travel site Just A Pack points out that crowds will be smaller too, meaning you may actually get to see more attractions and enjoy more flexibility once you’re at your destination.
Secure A Loan
If you’re truly worried that a trip that’s important to you might be too expensive, you might want to consider trying to secure a loan. The most traditional means of doing so – through a bank, for instance – might not necessarily work for something as personal as a vacation. However, there are other ways to secure a quick loan that will enable you to jet off without draining your bank account.
The first place a lot of people are looking for personal loans today is online lending platforms. The Upstart Blog details how online lending can be tailored to a specific need, and how it can offer a more efficient solution than a traditional bank loan. Through an option like this, you can essentially rely on an internet-based company or even an individual to provide you with short-term funds in exchange for long-term repayment with interest.
Another alternative option that may be appealing to travelers today is that of a title loan for a vehicle. Specific options for this sort of arrangement differ between states, but some offer very appealing setups. ChoiceCash Title Loans in Ohio allow lenders to use their cars as collateral for funding, and then provide generous schedules for repayment (sometimes with rates decreasing over time). In some cases, title loans can even be augmented by secondary infusions of funds during the repayment process – which may come in handy for those who splurge a bit more than intended while on dream vacations!
Use A Payment Plan
The idea of applying a payment plan to travel, beyond your own preparation for covering costs, may sound somewhat foreign. However, this has actually become a more popular option than you might realize, particularly if you tend to think of payment plans as relating only to, say, home or car purchases.
These days, certain travel booking websites actually facilitate payment plans themselves, which can basically automate the process and make your next trip more affordable up front. Travel & Leisure posted an article that identified four sites in particular with various types of payment plans that can make your travel experience more manageable. Expedia, for instance, allows customers to spread out booking payments of over $200 for up to a year; Airfordable customizes payment plans according to individual itineraries.
Rent Out Your Home
Depending on how long you are planning on taking off for, or how often you travel in general, you may want to consider your own home as a means of funding your next trip also. Once upon a time that sentence would have made very little sense, but these days it’s actually becoming quite common for frequent travelers to rent out their homes in order to offset costs, or possibly even make money while traveling.
This can be done through any number of property rental sites online, though AirBnB has undoubtedly become the go-to for a lot of travelers. Thrifty Nomads explains the process by which one can list a property on this popular rental platform, and makes it clear that it can actually be done in short time. Depending on where your home is, you may have to comply with certain neighborhood or city regulations in order to maintain such a listing. But this general idea, provided you stay organized, can be an excellent way to fund your travels.
