9009 West Loop South, Seventh Floor, Houston Texas
1-866-889-9347		 CCCS of Southwest
A Division of Money Management International
Regional Headquarters  -  722 East Osborn Rd., # B200, Phoenix Arizona
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CCCS Offers Tips For Planning A Vacation On A Budget
 
As consumer confidence levels rise, more families are planning to take a vacation this year, but may not be planning on how to pay for their fun.

With this in mind, Consumer Credit Counseling Services Southwest is offering the following suggestions to help make this summer’s vacations more enjoyable and less draining on family pocket books.
  • Prioritize your vacation -- Determine how important a vacation is to you and your family and make plans accordingly. If the vacation you’re set on is an expensive one, and it’s important to you, then go ahead and have fun. However, make plans now for how you’re going to pay for your fun. This could mean cutting spending in other areas of your budget ahead of time to save the necessary money.
  • If you use credit cards on your vacation, use those cards with the lowest rates -- For safety and convenience, taking a credit card along on your vacation makes sense. But avoid using credit to finance a vacation unless you have a plan for paying off the balance when you return home. No matter how much fun you had on a vacation, it’s never fun to still be paying it off six months or a year later.
  • Plan for related expenses -- Be sure you’ve budgeted for expenses related to the vacation such as car maintenance or rental costs, clothing, fees for boarding pets, etc.
  • Consider upcoming expenses -- When determining how much you can afford to spend on a vacation this year, be sure that you consider other periodic expenses that may be waiting for you when you return, such as back-to-school costs, holiday expenses and next year’s taxes.
  • Plan ahead to take advantage of low-cost fares -- When possible, book your airline and hotel reservations in advance to take advantage of “early bird” specials and discount rates. Remember though, a fee may be charged if you decide to cancel or change those reservations.
  • Plan low-cost activities -- Contact the local Chamber of Commerce or Visitors Bureau in the area if you are planning to visit to find out about free or low-cost entertainment and activities. Many areas have local parks, playgrounds, museums, community concerts, annual festivals, art exhibits, fairs and craft shows to enhance your vacation plans without breaking your budget.
  • Consider spending your vacation at or near home -- If you can’t afford to spend a lot of money on a vacation, there are many fun day and weekend trips that families can plan. Consider alternatives closer to home to cut down on travel costs, or plan day trips to eliminate the cost of lodging.


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CCCS, A Division of Money Management International
Regional Headquarters - 722 East Osborn Rd., # B200, Phoenix Arizona
Corporate Address - 9009 West Loop South, Seventh Floor, Houston, TX 77096
It’s time you discovered financial freedom through Consumer Credit Counseling Services. Call 1-866-889-9347 or start counseling online today.