financial – Page 9 – Luv Saving Money

Going Into Debt For Vacation? Wallethub’s Latest Survey

We all need a vacation. Some people seem like the live to travel but is it worth going into debt for? With the proper planning you don’t have to go into debt. In fact I wrote a post about 5 Ways To Save For Summer Vacation the beginning of the year.

Going into debt or even getting behind on bills to go on vacation doesn’t make your vacation very relaxing. Especially knowing when you come back you have to figure out how to catch up.

According to Wallethub’s latest survey though, 48 million Americans would skip a credit card payment over skipping vacation. According to their latest financial survey:

Key Findings:

19% of people would skip a credit card payment over a vacation.
29% of people say travel usually gets them into debt.
32% of people are scared to fly this summer because of the Boeing airplane issues.
Travelers are more than twice as likely to worry about money than terrorism.
46% of people think about post-vacation credit card bills while on vacation.
Barclaycard Arrival Plus Card is the best credit card for summer travel because it offers an initial bonus worth $700 in travel for spending $5,000 in the first 90 days.
Credit cards with no foreign transaction fees save international travelers an average of 9.3% versus airport kiosks and 7.1% compared to local banks.

Survey: 48 Million Would Skip a Credit Card Payment Over a Vacation

It’s been a long year, and Americans need some summer travel to decompress. Just ask the 48 million people who say they’d rather skip a credit card payment than a vacation, according to a new survey by the personal-finance website WalletHub. That’s roughly 1 in 5 Americans who are willing to trade in the grace period on their credit card and pay sky-high interest rates just to get away for a while. The question is, does this display good common sense or bad money management?

“Well, we know from research that a vacation usually has a very positive impact on the body and mind – and can often make us more productive when we return to the office,” Simon Hudson, endowed chair in tourism and economic development at the University of South Carolina, told WalletHub. “So paying off that credit card after a vacation may not take too long!”

Still, it’s better to avoid putting ourselves in such a predicament. And there are indeed ways to enjoy the fruits of a vacation without the financial jeopardy. “My advice is to do everything in moderation and find a happy balance,” said Audrey Guskey, a professor of marketing at Duquense University. “Take the vacation. Take the time off, but keep the debt down by finding a cheaper alternative for your vacation plans. Stay closer to home. Find cheaper hotels or Airbnb. Travel at off peak times.” There may be even more reason to stay close to home this year, too.

Despite all of its relaxing properties, summer travel still weighs on the minds and wallets of millions of Americans in a variety of ways. We worry about everything from the weather to whether we’re flying in a new Boeing airplane. In fact, roughly one-third of people are scared to fly this summer because of Boeing’s recent issues.

“Obviously this was expected. However, travelers need to understand that those planes are not flying yet, and Boeing is addressing the problem before these planes will be back into service,” said Abraham Pizam, dean of the Rosen College of Hospitality Management at the University of Central Florida. “The U.S. federal authorities (FAA) and similar authorities in Europe and other countries are also much more careful in certifying the planes after the new modifications will be put in place.”

Money matters are actually more likely to put a damper on summer fun. And that can happen leading up to a vacation, while you’re away, or after you get back. Travelers are more than twice as likely to worry about money than terrorism, WalletHub’s survey found, and 46% of people think about post-vacation credit card bills while on vacation.

“Plan the vacation you can afford, and you won’t have to worry as much about the cost,” said Thomas P. Sweeney, an assistant professor of recreation and tourism management at Georgia Southern University. “Your vacation should be a time to relax, recharge, and have a good time. If you’re worrying about your bills, chances are you’ve overextended yourself financially. Before you plan anything, put together a realistic budget and stick to it.”

What we spend on vacation doesn’t stay on vacation, after all. It can come back to haunt us if we’re not careful, and too few of us are. Just ask the nearly 1 in 3 people who say travel usually gets them into debt. Or, better yet, ask what they’re doing wrong.

“They are not planning,” said Russ McCullough, chair of the economics department at Ottawa University. “Before committing to a trip, spend five minutes sketching out the expenses you will incur. If you don’t have money, find some ways to make enough before you go.”

There are many ways to make vacations more affordable, from turning them into staycations to getting a little help from your payment method. For example, applying for the right rewards credit card offer could get you $500 or more in free travel. And taking steps now to save later will really pay off.

“The better you plan financially the less stress you have about spending the money,” advises Stephen Barth, professor of hospitality law at the University of Houston.

5 Budgeting Tips for Living in Florida

Summer is coming up, so it’s no surprise if you are looking to save some extra money for a
vacation or simply looking to enjoy the season without financial strain.
Living in Florida, this can be a little tricky considering the inflated prices in wealthier or more
tourist-heavy areas.
To help keep your wallet from emptying, here are five great tips to budget well and save some
extra cash while living in Florida.

Publix Coupons
While Publix may not always have the cheaper options compared to places like Walmart, Trader
Joe’s or other on-a-budget grocery choices, knowing how to work their coupons can make a big
difference (and allow you to enjoy the Publix experience).

One of the most effective and modern ways to do this is to download the app where you can
plan your shopping trips ahead, browse coupons for inspiration, manage prescriptions and even
order online.
While the best part of downloading the app is giving yourself the ability to browse coupons and
deals at the tip of your fingers, the other features are a fantastic bonus.
Plus, Publix has new deals every week that can help you save money, and the way they
structure their shopping experience helps to give you a lot of inspiration on meals for the week
so that you can further plan things out according to your finances.

Beauty on a Budget
Summer is approaching, and it’s completely normal to want to start looking into beauty
treatments and options to get you feeling beach-ready.
For common skincare and spa treatments, you can save money on this by doing it at home and
avoiding high prices at salons and day spas.
For more complicated treatments that may require doctors or medical spas (laser hair removal,
vein treatment, etc.), you might have to put a little more effort into researching the places by
you.
The good news is that at this particular time of year, most medical professionals are really
pushing to bring in new clients since we are approaching swimsuit season, so it’s definitely
possible to browse available coupons on deals.
The most important thing to remember is that any form of beauty treatment is really about
feeling healthy and confident in the skin you’re in, so take a moment to really reflect on what
might help bring you closer to that and narrow down your options from there.

Vacation for Less

One of the perks about living in Florida is that you get “Florida
Resident” discounts on most theme park options, giving you a
range of choices for your next vacation.
Instead of splurging on expensive cruises or out-of-state
adventures, plan your vacations right at home and think ahead to
further save money.
Buying tickets ahead of time online, planning vacations for less
popular months like February or September, packing your own

meals and making sure to check out free attractions are all great ways to further make the most
of your experience.
Plus, you can have even more fun by investing in multi-day passes for most of the theme parks
to spend less on each individual day (especially if you were planning on a full week or weekend
anyway).
Above all, make sure you stock up on gas far away from places like airports or theme parks as
you plan out your road trip – these will have exorbitant prices in comparison to other locations.

Be Smart About Housing
If you don’t already have a permanent residence in Florida (or you are looking to move soon),
considering the location of your home can save you BIG bucks in the long run.
Living in downtown areas, picking locations close to the water or living in big-name cities can
cause your rent to skyrocket.
While the location will affect rent in any state, the range of prices is extreme in Florida. For
instance, if you are looking to live in the Miami area, you will pay a great deal more to live in a
suburb like Coral Gables or in Downtown Brickell than in areas that are even just a few blocks
away in some instances.
Definitely do your research beforehand and consider choosing cities that are on the outskirts of
bigger areas and that won’t have extremely high pricing.
After all, you will likely still be able to enjoy all of the same great things that Florida has to offer
without living smack in the middle of it (plus, it may even be a little less crowded).

Avoid Shopping in Those Expensive Areas
As mentioned, the cost of living can fluctuate wildly between different areas in Florida, and this
doesn’t only apply to housing.
One of the biggest things to remember about Florida is that it is a tourist state, so many places
(Miami, Destin, Tampa, Orlando, etc.) will have inflated prices to take advantage of that.
In some instances, gratuity will even be included on tabs, so you will have less control over that
part of bills and also will need to be careful about accidentally double-tipping.
Ultimately, you should try your best to avoid shopping, dining, stocking up on gas and generally
spending money in these more tourist-heavy areas so that you can avoid paying these tourist
prices.

By just enjoying all of your leisure activities in surrounding areas or generally less pricey
neighborhoods, you will realize that your financial stresses will decrease immensely.

In Summary
Everyone wants to save money, even in places like Florida that can have a wide range in terms
of cost of living.
By just remembering these five tips, you should have some extra spending money in your
pocket this summer:
● Become a Publix coupon expert
● Spend wisely on beauty treatments
● Save money on vacationing
● Choose a low-cost housing option
● Don’t shop in tourist-heavy areas
For more great budgeting tips to help you save money, be sure to check out our other fantastic
posts!

About Our Guest Writer

Katherine (Tori) Lutz is a graduate of Florida State University and current student at Columbia University. Professional, she is a writer and editor with a great deal of freelance experience surrounding articles, marketing, and other various areas. She currently lives in Brooklyn, New York, and hopes to one day be a journalist.

Free Resources To Help Keep Your Finances On Track with August Funding

During my first marriage, my financial life was falling apart. There were times when I honestly didn’t know how we were going to buy groceries or put gas in the car. When we got divorced I had a new set of challenges. Paying off debts from that marriage and getting my finances back on track. With the help of August Funding, I’m sharing my experience with you.

It’s no secret that I had creditors calling. If my parents hadn’t let my boys and I stay with them I don’t know what i would have done. I was determined to work on getting myself financially independent and into a place of our own. It felt hopeless to me and I honestly looked into things like being a surrogate and donating plasma just to keep my head above water. But I didn’t end up having to do any of that. Here’s some free resources that helped me along the way.

Turn To The Money Gurus

It was obvious that I needed help so I started looking at the finance and debt gurus like Dave Ramsey and Suze Orman. I liked what they had to say. I remember one of Dave Ramsey’s books. It started off with, something along the lines of, him pulling up to a gas station in his vehicle and not knowing if his credit card was going to be decline to put gas in his card. That really resonated with me. Like, he knows what I’m going through. While you can buy the books you don’t have to. Dave Ramsey has free resources on his website, you can check out his books at local libraries, or ask to borrow from a friend.

You Can Get a Free Credit Report

I did pull a credit report when trying to get my finances in order. You are allowed to get 1 free credit report every 12 months. This helped me see exactly where I was at with creditors, amount owed, what might be coming down the pipes, and fix errors that might have showed up. Seriously check it. My husband’s parents had declared bankruptcy at one point. My husband’s name is very similar to his dad’s he ended up having to call because his dad’s bankruptcy info was showing up on his credit report! Obviously that would effect his credit if he hadn’t gotten it fixed! Sites like annual credit report help you to get your free credit report you’re entitled to.

Keep Tabs On Your Credit Score and More in One Place

I discovered Credit Sesame all those years ago. At first I ignored it thinking there was a catch but it’s still one of my favorite tools to use to keep me on track even after repairing a lot of damage. Here are just some of the FREE benefits of Credit Sesame:

free credit score
tips to increase your credit score
Up to $50K in aggregate identity theft insurance
credit monitoring
payment history
credit usage grade

Read Financial Blogs and Sites Like August Funding

I’ve found that there are a lot of helpful financial blogs, websites, and debt sites that have very helpful information on repairing your credit after a divorce, consolidating debt, and avoiding bankruptcy. AARP has great info for retirement finances as well.

Believe it or not, the debt collectors themselves can even be good sources. One recommended a debt consolidator to me. Another one called me and I basically poured my heart out to them. The “Hey I’m a single mom paying off all the joint debt from my failed marriage. I’m not getting any child support, I’m trying” I really didn’t expect much feedback. I honestly expected nothing but I was caught on a stressful day. But this debt collector actually told me just to keep paying what I could afford to pay like I was doing. Tell other debt collectors what I told her and most of them would work with me. You know what?! Most of them did. I might have paid $10 a month a first but once I started paying those off I started snowballing as Dave Ramsey might suggest paying $20 a month, then $50 a month. So on. I paid off $30K in joint marriage debt.

If you feel the need to you can even consult with financial professionals like August Funding to see how hey can help you. Or speak with a local financial consultant.

What I want you to understand is that it didn’t happen overnight. It it didn’t even happen over a year. It took me a number of years to do it but I did it. My credit still isn’t perfect but it’s a heck of a lot better than it was after my divorce. You can do this!

This post is sponsored by Diamond Links

Affordable Home Renovations To Consider As You Get Older

Blogging is my side-gig, my day job is actually a Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant at a local hospital. I’ve been working as a COTA for about 18 years. One of the many things I do is to make recommendations for home set up when a person is discharged home to make their home safer so they can stay in their home longer. I recommend home health Occupational Therapy comes in because they can actually see the home and make specific recommendations for a person’s specific medical needs and of course their home.

When my husband and I bought our most recent home about 3 years ago I was already thinking of things that will need to be done and things that will help us when we get older.

There are often simple changes people can make in their own homes that don’t cost a lot of money. From preventing falls, to making it easier to get around these are things you can do fairly easily.

Remove throw rugs: This is a big one we recommend to elderly patients, patients with frequent falls, and gait problems. The reason being they’re easy to trip on, can move, and tend to bunch up.
Add hand rails to stairs: One of the first things i noticed in our home when we bought it was there was no handrail to go upstairs. I told my husband we will definitely need to add one. Not just for when we’re older but for the kids safety too.
Switching out door knobs: For those with arthritis or grip issue a regular round door knob can be hard for people to grip. Switching door knobs to a lever door handle can make it so much easier to open door. This can be done for entry doors and interior doors.
Create clear walking paths throughout your home: moving furniture and decor to create a wider, clear walking path throughout the house can make it much easier to navigate through your home, especially if you’re going to be using a walker or another type of device in your home.

Unfortunately, not everything is a quick or cheap fix. For some things like getting a lift chair or an elevated seat on the toilet insurance can help some. Then there are things such as adding a bathroom to the first floor or creating a ramp into the home that may take more financial resources. The Associates Home Loan of Florida can help you refinance, get a home equity loan, or get a home improvement loan if needed.

This post is sponsored by Diamond Links.

3 Easy To Use Money Management Tools

Creating and managing a budget can be difficult. Even if you are not a business owner, it is important to organize your finances so that you are able to afford the things you want, and save for your future as well! There are many tools available which can help you with tracking your spending, paying your bills, and assisting you with saving and investing for the future.

One such app is called You Need A Budget (YNAB). This tool has a very intuitive interface, and syncs all of your accounts in one place. Having everything in one spot makes it simple to take an overview of your current financial status, and where you can make improvements. You are also able to sync up with family members so you all have instant access to the budget plan. YNAB costs 84 dollars a year, but on average customers save around 6,000 dollars! You can find out more about how YNAB differs from other budgeting apps here.

Secondly, it is important to make sure you are saving! It is recommended that 20 percent of your income goes towards savings. Chime bank has a helpful automatic savings tool which rounds purchases to the nearest dollar. The roundup is then transferred into your savings account! Chime also has no fees which can save you over 300 dollars a year. The average individual spends around 329 dollars a year on banking fees, so a bank with no hidden fees is another great way to save!

BillGO is another great app for assisting you with your budgeting and finances! BillGO allows you easily view all of your bills on one simple app. Everything is always up to date, and the app is extremely easy to use! They even have option which makes it easy to split bills. This feature is perfect for those who have roommates and may be splitting rent and utilities!

Although creating a budget and managing money can be difficult, there are tools out there to help. Find the app that works best for you, and get your finances back on track!