If you’re planning on traveling for the holidays, you’re probably feeling conflicted about it. On one hand, you’re looking forward to traveling again, especially after sheltering in place for most of 2020. On the other hand, though, travel is stressful, whether you’re traveling by car or by plane.
Unfortunately, travel-related stress will always be with us. However, the more you travel, the more you discover ways to eliminate some of the stress from your trip. Here are some of the ways veteran travelers make their trips a little less stressful and a little more carefree.
How do veteran travelers make travel easier?
Make Sure Your Vaccinations Are Up to Date
Unfortunately, one of the biggest sources of stress on the planet is still COVID-19, and while the threat of the virus is dying down, a lot of people are understandably concerned about catching the disease while they travel. You can hedge your bets against getting sick by making sure your COVID vaccinations are up to date at least two weeks before your trip begins. While you’re at it, you should get your flu vaccine shot too.
Create a Vacation Budget
One of the biggest causes of stress during travel is money. While there’s no getting around the fact that travel is expensive, the good news is that you can help keep your travel costs under control by creating a vacation budget where you list the expenses you expect to encounter on your trip. This will not only let you anticipate how much your trip will cost, but you’ll also be able to see what you can afford without having to rely on your credit card.
If that weren’t helpful enough, you’ll also be able to see what funds you can move from other budget categories to help pay for your trip. You can use the money you’d spend on new clothes, for instance, and have that much less to pay off on your credit card at the end of the month.
Create your vacation budget today!
Adjust the Thermostat
Another way veteran travelers make vacations more affordable is by saving money at home. The easiest way to do that? Turn the thermostat down a few degrees when you go out.
A lot of people make the mistake of leaving their homes heated while they’re traveling and end up spending money heating an empty home that would have been better spent on travel expenses. It’s worth pointing out that investing in a smart thermometer like an Ecobee or a Nest will let you adjust the temperature in your home with your smartphone or tablet even if you’re not home.
Notify Your Financial Institution
If you’re planning on traveling out of state, you should let your financial institution know where you’re headed. One of the signs financial institutions, including credit card companies, look for when detecting identity theft is whether a credit or debit card is being used in a location you don’t usually visit. If they spot a transaction in a location you don’t usually visit, they may block any transactions you make with your card.
It’s worth pointing out that if you’re a First Alliance Credit Union member, you can also use the My Cards feature of our mobile app to limit the areas where your credit or debit card can work. You can also limit the types of businesses where your credit card can work, or even how much you can spend on a transaction.
Charge Your Technical Devices
These days, everyone travels with at least one technical device, whether it’s the smartphone that has an e-copy of their ticket or a laptop with movies that they break out during a flight. Regardless of how many technical devices you carry, you’ll want to make sure that they’re all charged beforehand. This will not only give you peace of mind and let you access apps like an airline’s e-ticket app or Google Maps, it will also serve as a reminder of how many charging cords you’ll need to pack for your trip, so you’ll be less likely to forget them.
What are some good travel apps to have on your phone?
Some of the best travel apps to have on your phone are
These apps can help you with travel planning, accommodation bookings, navigation, flight searches, and language learning, making your travel experience easier and more enjoyable.
Got questions about how to save for holiday trips? Ask us!
Make Holiday Travel Easier With First Alliance Credit Union
There’s no denying that holiday travel can be stressful, but if you plan ahead you can reduce the stress you’ll have visiting family and friends this holiday season.
You can also lower your stress all year round when you become a member of First Alliance Credit Union. You can open a club account to help you save money for your next big trip, make sure you never miss a payment by taking advantage of our online banking platform’s electronic bill pay service and even get help achieving financial goals from buying a new refrigerator to preparing for retirement.
