AICCCA Offers Frugal Vacation Tips To Avoid More Debt
Fairfax, VA — May 14, 2004 - Family vacations can serve as a great opportunity to spend time with loved ones. Unfortunately, many families often spend themselves into debt as well. According to the Travel Industry Association of America, the average family spends more than $2,200 a year on an extended vacation. Despite your plan for an ideal break, more money does not necessarily buy a better vacation.
"Families do not have to spend beyond their means in order to take a retreat from their daily lives," says Dave Jones, president of the Association of Independent Consumer Credit Counseling Agencies. "Vacationers can sometimes find what they are looking for in their own backyard."
In order to save money while on vacation and avoid using credit to supplement vacation expenses, here are seven tips that AICCCA suggests vacationing families follow:
Always plan ahead - In many cases, deals are available when you purchase well in advance. Also, by researching your traveling plans ahead of time, you may find special deals on certain days that you had not planned to travel. For example, some airlines offer discounted prices on flights that leave in the middle of the week. Hotel stays often work the same way. In this case, arranging your schedule around these offers can save you money.
Look within your own region - You do not necessarily need to escape your local area in order to take a vacation. For example, consider a camping trip in one of your state's parks. There are more than 5,600 in the U.S., and your family can take advantage of swimming, hiking, camping and biking for small fees that generally cover parking or entrance charges. In addition, your own city may contain museums, parks, and other civic offerings for little or no fees. Before deciding to venture out across the country, make sure that you consider visiting the resources that may be within your own backyard.
Research innovative economical vacation destinations - If your family does not want to vacation close to home, be sure to do your vacation research. Theme parks and tourist traps may offer many entertainment opportunities, but most of the time, they are the most expensive vacations. Collect information on interesting trips from postcards, magazine articles, and other media sources. Instead of using travel agents, use people. Speak with friends, neighbors and co-
workers in order to find unusual destinations that you may not have considered, while straying from the more conventional destinations that only offer eight-dollar hamburgers and ten-dollar parking.
Do not load your wallet with credit cards - Develop a vacation plan with spending limits and stick to them. In order to simplify the auditing of your vacation charges at a later date in addition to minimizing the risk of stolen cards, use only one major credit card on your trip. Traveler's checks will also offer more security when vacationing away from home. More to the point, when traveling with more than one credit card, you may feel inclined to spend beyond your means.
Go easy on the souvenirs - Instead of paying an incredible amount of money on items that you do not need, consider more sentimental vacation souvenirs. For example, if you are at the beach, a container of beach sand costs nothing, and it is an excellent physical reminder of your trip. In addition, give your children souvenir guidelines before you leave. Providing them with a souvenir allowance assures that they know how much they have to spend, and it will teach them the responsibility of budgeting their own souvenir funds.
Bring your own food - According to the Travel Industry Association of America, 79 percent of travelers will still use automobiles to get to their destination. Your car travelers will ultimately get hungry, and instead of relying solely on restaurants and convenience stores for snack food, bring the food with you for the journey. Keep an ice chest full of goodies in the car, and do not be afraid to visit local grocery stores while on the road. In fact, many hotels provide refrigerators that you can stock for those between-meal munchies.
Seek professional help if needed. If you do end up spending more than you can afford on your vacation, contact an AICCCA member office by calling (800) 450-1794 or visit www.aiccca.com. AICCCA members can assess your financial situation and make recommendations to help you get back on track.
Founded in 1993, Association of Independent Consumer Credit Counseling Agencies (AICCCA) is a national membership organization, established to promote quality and consistent delivery of credit counseling services. AICCCA and its members are focused on improved creditor relations, efficient processes and advanced technology to best serve clients and creditors. AICCCA members are independent nonprofit agencies that advocate for debtors, counsel millions of consumers annually nationwide and provide debt management services to consumers with excessive unsecured debt. For more information or to contact an AICCCA member office call (800) 450-1794 or visit www.aiccca.org.
