It’s almost summer but vacation season really begins now: Memorial Day Weekend.

The grills come out. The bags are packed. The beach hotels are full. The gas tank is filled. Everyone is in vacation mode. The next three months will have millions of Americans spending billions of dollars taking time away from work.

Speaking of billions of dollars, you don’t have to spend a ton of money on your vacation if you plan it right. In fact, using tried and true methods, you can budget your time away and have it paid off, even before you leave.

Here are some financial tips to save on your vacation:

1. Get a Travel Card from your bank: Every major bank has a card that you can use for vacation. You can transfer funds to it and take it with you. If it is lost or stolen, you just report it and it will be canceled. You won’t lose money. Plus, it keeps you honest. If you have $1,000 on it, you will try to keep within that number when vacationing.
2. Stay at a vacation rental of Air BNB: Hotels typically hike their rates during the summer so you could spend $250-$450 a night at a resort or middle-class hotel, depending on the location. That means you could spend upwards of $1,500 for six nights at a hotel. That could be a budget buster. Instead, load the VRBO app at www.vrbo.com. Using this app, you can find vacation rentals which are in people’s homes and spend, instead, around $75 per night. A huge difference in savings!    
3. Flight prediction apps: We all know there are better and cheaper days and times to fly. (Tuesdays and Wednesdays, typically.) You could spend $850 on a roundtrip flight to San Francisco that leaves on Friday or save money and leave on a Tuesday but spend only $375. Load the Hopper app (www.hopper.com) to your smartphone and save. This flight prediction app gives you the best days and times to fly. It also tells you when flight fees go up or down. Once you see the cheapest ticket, you buy it. It is simple and saves you a lot of time, too.
4. Eat where the locals eat: Of course the tourist trap restaurants will be pricy. They have a captive audience who is looking for convenience. Instead, find out where the locals eat. Go to Yelp (www.yelp.com) and Chowhound (www.chowhound.com) to see the restaurants locals like. Also, ask for recommendations from people you meet.
5. Meet with your financial advisor before you leave: Your licensed and experienced financial advisor can help you budget and also make money-saving recommendations.

Here at A.K. Burton, PC we wish you a summer vacation for the books! Contact us at (301) 365-1974 or info@cpa-maryland.com. We serve the Bethesda, MD area.