TOLEDO, Ohio — For many of us, last year's summer plans were pretty much a bust, but now, Americans are more eager than ever to get back to traveling this summer.
A new survey from a buy now, pay later solution called Affirm found 75% of respondents plan to go on at least one vacation this summer and consumers will spend more money on travel than any other category.
"Buy now, pay later solutions can help consumers remain in control of their finances while protecting them from hidden charges and fees that they may not be prepared for," said Silvija Martincevic, Chief Commercial Officer at Affirm.
A new report shows the average person spends between $1,800-$2,500 on a one-week vacation and the typical vacationing family spends nearly half of their budget on traveling to, from and around their destinations.
Emmy Award-winning travel expert Dayvee Sutton says to keep those costs down, you'll need to know when to book to get the best deal. "The most expensive part of your trip will be the flight, so booking early once you know where your destination is, and choosing mid-week flights, that's going to help with the budget."
Your best bet is the book 3 months to 3 weeks in advance and travel on a Tuesday or Wednesday.
Not only is it going to be cheaper, but it'll be less crowded as well.
You should also dig around to find free or low-cost activities before you arrive, and be sure to leave room for unexpected costs.
Some other cost-saving ideas: give yourself a daily spending limit and stick to it; cook some of your own meals; track what you're spending and use a travel credit card to earn rewards while vacationing.
Of course, low-cost summer vacation isn't always about that flight or cruise, says Sutton.
"We should not abandon the good old-fashioned American road trip. You can hit up smaller destinations and you can be in control of how big you want to go."
Another fun low-cost option is to enjoy that staycation and explore your own community.
"Sometimes we forget that our own backyards are vacation destination spots as well, so I think it's always a good time to be a tourist in your own town."
One other way to stay on budget this summer is to pay your travel bills off in full once you return home so you don't have interest on credit cards that eventually jack up the cost of that summer trip.
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