Some never get to go on a vacation or enjoy it while flying on a plane because of the financial aspect: every ticket, every meal and every dollar spent would make them feel that they should have probably stayed at home and watched TV. The last thing on your mind when you’re on vacation should be finance. That’s why we’re here to help you with these holiday hacks for you to enjoy a debt-free vacation.
Budget
You must create a unique budget for your vacation. Any budget will spread the funds equally for your needs, wants, and leisure. Significantly, it will also restrict overspending. If a vacation is your top priority, then you can consider cutting down the cost of wants — like eating at a restaurant, buying new clothes or a TV subscription.
You can use this money for your travel expenses. If you struggle to give up something, you can motivate yourself about the rewards you will get at your travel destination. Finally, you can also increase your income by working part-time or finding a better-paying job.
Bypass toll roads using iPhone
If you are going on a road trip, you will have to pay $30 to get a toll pass. Without a toll pass, you might be fined $40 if you unintentionally enter a toll road. You can use the iPhone GPS that has an option to reach the destination by avoiding toll roads. You can turn on Avoid Tolls option in the setting.
A vacation home instead of a hotel
Many vacation houses have more facilities than a hotel and cost much less than a hotel room. You can use Airbnb. It is a vacation rental company that provides lodging for vacation rentals and tourism activities. However, you will not get room service or pre-ordered food. So you will have to set aside some money for that.
Use apps to get cashback
Many apps reward you with cash, coupons, or discounts. You can make most of every app available out there and save a lot of money.
Dosh
Dosh is an app that will be linked to your credit and debit cards. Every time your swipe the card, you will get a reward on the Dosh app. It works in several locations in the United States.
Here’s how much you can get while shopping at some popular locations.
Guess: 5%
Walmart: 3%
Jiffy Lube: 10%
Bed Bath & Beyond: 7%
Target: 1.5%
Walgreens: 6%
Patagonia: 6%
Exxon Mobile: 2%
Rakuten
Rakuten is a simple to use Cash Back service. It’s very beneficial if you shop online. Rakuten will analyze your shopping cart and apply coupons to your order. It will also give you some cash back after you make a purchase. Thus, it reduces your bill amount and also gives you some cash back. You can transfer all these extra dollars to your vacation fund.
Ibotta
This app is simple to use — you just have to send a picture of your grocery receipt to Ibotta app. You can get some dollars back every time you buy groceries. The cashback amount will be deposited into your Ibotta account immediately.
Sweat Coin
The SweatCoin app pays if you walk outside. The app will count your steps and use the phone GPS to check your location.
Scott’s Cheap Flights
On Scott’s Cheap Flights, you can add your home airport and the vacation destination to get deals on cheap flights. Most deals are 40% to 90% off. On average, a person will save at least $550 per flight.
We sincerely hope these holiday hacks to have a debt-free vacation will help you have a fantastic break with money as the last thing on your mind. Happy holidays!