This photo made me sigh. Calling Hachiko…how do those cherry blossoms look?
And this made me smile. Walking barefoot on grassy fields is a favorite pastime since I was a kid in Bicol. I used to let my heavy bags slide down after a long day at school and spend the good part of an hour quietly observing birds, trees and clouds and smelling the earth. I nurtured my inner introvert that way ☺
Work and life balance is a big deal in personal finance. When it comes to a point where work sucks in all our energy, we are no good both at work, at home, at church or in the community. Imbalance kills the inner joy in us; it is an enemy of money-smart peeps like you.
But since vacations are expensive especially in a country with more than 7,000 beautiful islands, it is best to plan and prepare for them carefully. Our personal finance article today on “Travel now, pay later” gives some tips:
1. Book early. It’s mid-summer, and most people would like to head out of town, if they haven’t done so already. Pick a vacation spot you and your family will enjoy then book flights and hotel rooms as soon as possible. This will make sure you’ll still have a summer getaway in comfort. Find out too, if the airline and hotel you’re looking at will give added points for your credit card company’s rewards program. Extra points will mean extra rewards later on. Plus, paying with a credit card may entitle you to free travel insurance.
2. Compare costs. Not only should you compare hotel room rates and air fares; compare costs between destinations as well. For instance, there may not be much difference between traveling to Hong Kong or Macau and traveling to Palawan and Davao. The weak US dollar has made reasonable travel packages abroad possible.
3. Budget the monthly installments. The Travel Now, Pay Later scheme is an installment plan which you should treat in the same way you would treat an appliance purchase. Find out how much the monthly installments for your vacation would be, then calendar it in your budget and planner. This scheme is easy on the pocket, enabling you to enjoy a big-ticket item (your vacation) without taxing your bank account.
4. Don’t forget transfer arrangements. Transfers between airport to hotel and vice versa may be arranged beforehand; so do city guided tours. Take advantage of these offers as these will enhance your travel experience.
5. Charge only what you can afford to pay. Just because you can use your credit card for the Travel Now, Pay Later scheme doesn’t mean you should get the most expensive travel package offered. Take only what you can afford to pay in the next three or six months (depending on the terms of the scheme). Don’t be saddled with debt with the vacation of your dreams. That will come in later in life, when you can afford to do so.
There are credit card companies who offer travel packages that will allow you to “travel now, but pay later.” Perhaps you have already availed of them or are planning to. Do you think these are good deals?
Yes or No?
*Photos from Agence France Presse.
April 2nd, 2008 at 4:59 pm
nope. it’s not a good deal at all.
after you’ve chosen your summer destination, try to check online for,well, almost everything: room accommodation, must-see places, currency conversion, weather forecast, what to wear(yep, even this is a concern), answer quesetions like: is cheaper to travel by bus or subway…it’s all a click away just like opening this page.
but aside from checking general info, the net is also a great way to ask questions by joining online forums (or reading a traveler’s blog). You can get a pretty good idea on how it’s like to be in that place.
but of course, just like any other online activities…be extra careful. It also helps if you check (and double check) your info through travel agencies (at no cost!-hehe)
btw, this is also another good use of credit cards: online purchases =) i should have posted this under the previous topic but i couldn’t seem to find it.
have a great summer getaway, everyone!
Thought Out Loud: i strictly suggest that every Pinoy, who wants to travel abroad, should try to visit at least 2 or 3 local destinations first. it’s a shame that foreigners know more about the pristine beaches and great wonders of our country than us–pinoys.
plus, the government should give discounts to local travellers since,heck, this is our country! We have the luxury of enjoying sunrise in Palawan, a buffet lunch in Loboc’s floating restaurant or spend the whole day in awe at Davao’s Pearl farm.
is that really too hard to ask from them? =)
April 2nd, 2008 at 4:42 pm
nope. it’s not a good deal at all.
after you’ve chosen your destination, try to check online for,well, almost everything: room accommodation, must-see places, currency conversion, weather forecast, what to wear(yep, even this is a concern), answer quesetions like: is cheaper to travel by bus or subway…it’s all a click away…just like opening this page.
but aside from checking general info, the net is also a great way to ask questions by joining online forums (or reading a traveler’s blog), you can get a pretty good idea on how it’s like to be in that place.
but of course, just like any other online activities…be extra careful…it also helps if you make check and double check about your info through travel agencies (at no cost!-hehe)
April 2nd, 2008 at 1:45 pm
I do the same as Nina’s. I save a certain amount from my monthly income to my travel fund. Never ever travel on credit. Of course you need credit cards to book for flights and stuff but always make sure you have something to pay it off and not taking away from funds allocated for other things.
I am also an independent traveller so I don’t buy into these tour packages.
Backpacking in Europe - some tips
1)They have budget airlines that really offer very good deals if you can catch it. That means months and months of research in advance sometimes. Also train travel can be more expensive.
2) Stay in hostels. Lesser cost for accommodation and good meeting place for like-minded travelers (this is helpful in exchanging info).
3) Avoid tourist peak season.
4) Go off the beaten path and if you have to go to popular tourist destinations, avoid the tourist traps (i.e. unnecessary tours)
5) Don’t snub those street/market food. They make tasty meals when funds are running low
6) Lastly, walk, walk and walk if you have to.
April 1st, 2008 at 9:32 pm
chac, P1 per seat, two seats per flight?? Really hard for a family of five
April 1st, 2008 at 9:31 pm
hachiko, will check out your pictures. i love how they look from here. so, any travel tips for when we all go to Tokyo?