TEXAS, USA — After the recent travel chaos at airports at the end of 2022, plus the latest price of eggs rising due to inflation, budgets have become tighter than ever. Naturally, one of the first things to be excluded from your budget is a vacation.
However, one travel expert wants people to reconsider, believing there is a way to keep your vacation plans intact.
With Jan. 31 being National Plan Your Vacation Day. A new report from TopCashBack has shone a light how you can afford that summer vacation or girls' trip that you're probably already looking forward to.
"The US Travel Association has started this National Plan Your Vacation Day and it's supposed to be at the beginning of the year so Americans can take their time and figure out vacation time for the year and stress the need of vacations," said TopCashBack consumer expert Rebecca Gramuglia.
She shared how residents should take full advantage of the symbolic reset she believes January brings.
"The first step really is to just plan ahead as much as possible, the sooner you can plan your trip the better," said Gramuglia.
In addition to these tips:
- Use the right credit card: Look into the terms of your credit card to get the most out of your spending. This gives you access to cashback, reward, miles, and or points for those purchases.
- Book with money-saving tools. “When booking your vacation, look for discounts and compare prices to find the best deal possible. Shop through a cash back site, like TopCashback, which guarantees the highest percentage of your money back on qualifying purchases from travel sites like Expedia, Booking.com, Priceline, and more.
- Pro-tip: “Download the free TopCashback Browser Extension to be notified when you’re shopping on a site offering cash back and coupons so you’ll never miss out on any potential savings.”
"It can be expensive for some people," explained Gramuglia. "So just make sure you're comfortable spending that much money as well as knowing the terms and if you can put that money towards the trip and also when you can activate the reward."
However, there also an ideal time to look for and book your vacations, according to Gramuglia.
"I think the whole point is to start it in the beginning of the year," said Gramuglia. "Start looking now and that way you're not faced with maybe a higher airfare the closer you get to your trip. Starting in January for a trip later in the year like summer for example can really help you cut down some costs."
Additionally, signing up for TopCashBack to take advantage of what they provide can give you and your wallet a peace of mind when looking to book your next vacation.