A vacation is an event that almost every individual in the United States looks forward to all year. Depending on what you are looking for, vacations can be exhilarating, relaxing, or educational. There are plenty of different types of vacations that will appeal to different people with different interests.
Types of Vacations
- Amusement Park
- The Big City
- Camping
- Museums and Culture
- Staycation
Whatever type of vacation appeals to you, you can be sure that it will provide a much-needed break from the stress and daily demands of work. In fact, studies show that vacations improve physical and mental health, strengthen familial bonds, and boost happiness.
With that being said, vacations are rarely cheap. On average, Americans spend around 10% of their annual income on vacation, for a price of around $1,000 a person.
Despite the high price tags, the benefits of vacation are definitely worth the cost. But what do you do when you need to take a vacation but are running low on cash?
Read the tips below to learn how to fund your next vacation.
Create and Follow a Budget While on Vacation
The first thing to consider when you are planning to fund a vacation is to create a budget and stick to it. While this might seem like obvious advice, it can be difficult and time consuming to create a budget that works, and it can be even harder to stick to one.
The first step when creating a budget, is to tally up your net income. Your net income is your salary minus deductions for things like taxes, Social Security, and retirement funds.
Once you have your net income number, you can set your goals. For example, you can come up with percentages for each aspect of your budget. A popular breakdown is the 50/20/30 rule. This budget rule states that you should spend 50% on needs, 30% on wants, and 20% on savings.
Once you have your net income number and your goal in mind, you can begin to track your spending and adjust accordingly. For example, you might find that you spend over $50 at coffee shops every month. If this feels like too much for you, you can start drinking your coffee at home and put that $50 towards your next vacation.
Keeping track of your expenses and adjusting your budget to grow your vacation fund will put you well on your way to an unforgettable vacation experience.
Crowdfunding
Even if you create a sound budget and stick to it religiously, there might not be enough cash left over to be able to afford your dream vacation.
When you face a lack of cash with no way to get more through your normal income, you can follow the lead of thousands of others who have turned to crowdfunding to help pay for their vacations.
There are plenty of great crowdfunding sites that will help you fund your dream vacation. Whether you choose GoFundMe, Fundly, JustGiving, or Fund My Travel, you will have to create a convincing narrative on why exactly you deserve the money to use on a vacation.
The way you phrase your story will undoubtedly be the difference between a successful or unsuccessful crowdfunding campaign.
No stranger will want to donate to a campaign that is sparse on details or does not make a good case on why a vacation is so important. Therefore, make sure to be descriptive and persuasive in your rhetoric. For example, you can cite the fact that vacations improve mental and physical health.
Loans
While it is probably a good idea to budget and crowdfund first, taking out a loan is also a good way to get enough money to fund your dream vacation.
There are a variety of different types of loans to choose from when you are looking to get enough cash to pay for a great vacation.
A credit card is a type of loan that is particularly suited for a vacation. You can rack up points based on your spending that you can then use to pay for some of your vacation expenses.
A personal bank loan is also a good choice if you need cash to fund your vacation. If you have a good enough credit history, many banks will be willing to give you a relatively large amount of money because they are confident that you will pay it back on time.
Title loans are a great choice if you have less than stellar credit. If you own your car, you have a valuable asset that lenders will be happy to accept as collateral for the loan. For example, if you live in the Jacksonville, Florida area, you can simply search for a Jacksonville title loan lender near you.
Once you find a lender, most title loans will take less than an hour to be approved for, letting you get the cash you need to fund your vacation quickly.
Conclusion
Vacations are an amazing way to unwind, destress, and take account of your personal health. As such, it is important to take a vacation, even if you are not sure if you can afford it or not. Whether you follow a budget, use crowdfunding, take out a loan, or do a mix of all three, you can easily fund your next dream vacation.