Managing Your

Travels and Savings

As summer winds down, and with many travel restrictions eased, if you’re looking to go on a last-minute trip or plan one for the near future, enjoy the adventure. Keep in mind that there are things you can do to help make the most of your time and money—without sacrificing your ability to continue saving for your future. If you’re regularly contributing to your retirement savings, that’s great—keep it going. Just make sure you don’t reduce your contributions or redirect that money to pay for a vacation.

Keep travel costs in mind.
Think about how much you can and want to spend on a vacation by assessing what financial goals you have and haven’t met during the year, as well as your regular expenses. Consider how expensive a vacation you can realistically afford. Of course, the longer the vacation, the more money you’ll likely spend, and international travel is generally more costly than domestic. Additionally, you may find cost-saving options depending on what month, and even days of the week, you plan to vacation. The fall and winter months are usually cheaper than summer, and air travel is typically less expensive midweek than over the weekend.

Be aware of COVID testing or quarantine requirements.
While domestic travel has opened completely, international travel is still tricky. There are many factors you’ll want to consider, including making sure your destination is open for travel and finding out what restrictions are in place, and checking on testing or quarantine requirements. Remember that, if you go abroad, you may not be able to move around and explore with the same ease as you would have in the past. Of course, conditions in any country can change rapidly at any time.

Consider how you spend, and look to find ways to reduce costs.
Once you’ve booked your flight or loaded up your car, set aside a budget for how much you plan to spend on accommodations, food and any other parts of your trip. You can save money on a meal, for example, by staying at a hotel or inn that serves a complimentary breakfast. And if you plan to take a guided tour or visit historic sites or theme parks, keep in mind that these activities all add to the overall cost of your trip. Find out if there are deals that you can take advantage of, such as discounted prices on certain days of the week or times of day.

With careful planning, you can still enjoy a memorable vacation while keeping costs down—and arrive home knowing you haven’t put your financial future on the line.