Everyone wants to go on vacation, right? But not everyone is prepared to make the investment. Between air travel, hotel, activities scheduled on holiday, and all the meals, vacation trip costs can multiply fast and quickly get out of hand.

Here are Beacon Pointe’s top tips to help ease the exhaustion and daunting task of planning a (family) vacation:

1. Set your budget before looking at destinations. The worst is checking out a fabulous resort online and realizing later there is no chance it will fit into the budget. Or worse, spending more than desired to stay at the dreamiest resort wished. To spend more on a hotel or activities? This question is vital to address and determine before moving on to the next steps.

Helpful tip: be sure to have saved enough funds to cover the airfare cost beforehand. Once saved, a credit card can be an excellent route for airfare payment so that points can be accumulated, and interest payments can be avoided. Also, since airfare tends to be the most expensive factor in vacation planning, investigate utilizing credit card points for airfare so that the large payment can be avoided altogether, and the money used to pay off other prior charges can work towards the hefty flight expenses.

2. Once the vacation spending amount is determined, please refer to our Financial Planning and Budgeting Guide to further determine what is affordable and if/how much more money needs to be saved to reach the desired vacation spending goal.

Helpful tip: Varying the day or time that flights are booked could also help to save more on travel expenses [1]. For example, booking flights on Sunday may gain the lowest price, and flying domestically on a Wednesday might help save fifteen percent on airfare [1]. Some airlines have ‘Flexible Dates’ features that provide the difference in prices by showing how much money could be saved by leaving one day earlier or later.

3. The next to-do item to investigate includes food options. Eating at only restaurants for a week can be expensive, not to mention unhealthy. A happy medium for funding food on a (family) vacation could be booking a hotel room with a kitchenette; that way, eating out and eating in could be split up, depending on what makes the most sense for the type of vacation desired. Cooking meals at the hotel is a great way to save on expenses, especially for a larger group. The price of groceries is much less than dining out, and no tips are needed. A win-win!

4. Finally, book the big trip once all details, including vacation dates, budget, hotel reservations, flights, and other activities, have been decided. As the covid pandemic taught us all in 2020, plans can change. For extra added protection in case travel plans fall through, ensure that the trip is covered with travel insurance. Some credit cards offer travel protection on trips (if booking with a credit card) due to unforeseen weather conditions, sickness, etc., but some don’t. The good news is that many travel agencies, hotel websites, airlines, and other activities include an option to pay extra for a full refund if something happens and the trip can no longer be taken. Overall, planning what is right for you is essential as each vacation varies, and not all trips may need extra travel protection.

Helpful Tip: Once booked, don’t forget to continue saving every month to be sure you’ll have enough available funds while on vacation. For extra encouragement, print a picture of your destination and post it on your bathroom mirror, fridge, or somewhere that will be seen often. This is another excellent way to keep the saving inspiration moving and the vacation dreams closer and closer to being reached.

Happy packing & safe travels!

[1] H. D. Johnson, “What’s The Cheapest Day To Book Flights,” Bankrate. https://www.bankrate.com/finance/credit-cards/cheapest-day-to-book-flights/#cheapest (accessed May 02, 2023).

Important Disclosure: This content is for informational purposes only. Opinions expressed herein are subject to change without notice. Beacon Pointe has exercised all reasonable professional care in preparing this information. Some information may have been obtained from third-party sources we believe to be reliable; however, Beacon Pointe has not independently verified, or attested to, the accuracy or authenticity of the information. Nothing contained herein should be construed or relied upon as investment, legal or tax advice. Only private legal counsel may recommend the application of this general information to any particular situation or prepare an instrument chosen to implement the design discussed herein. An investor should consult with their financial professional before making any investment decisions.

Copyright © 2024 Beacon Pointe Advisors, LLC®. No part of this document may be reproduced.