Tips to Take the Stress out of Travel
Summer is officially here, and many of us have some which means you may have travel planned. Please read our 5 helpful tips to help take the stress out of travel. Vacations are meant to be relaxing, but under planning and overspending can lead to financial stressors. Consider the following tips to reduce travel-related anxiety and help you make the most out of your time away—whether journeying across state lines or overseas.
Create a Travel Budget¶
A travel budget will help you make well-informed financial decisions while away without compromising your long-term savings goals when you return. Find out how much your travel will cost and try making small frequent deposits into your travel fund and canceling unnecessary subscriptions to help get you to your goal.
Think mini getaway¶
Taking shorter, more frequent trips versus one big faraway bonanza not only requires less planning, and is generally less expensive, but offers more opportunities to unwind year-round.
Plan in advance¶
Trip planning can be stressful. Research destinations, make reservations, prepare itineraries, and create a budget. Create a reasonable timeline and budget and ensure you have your affairs in order (impending deadlines, medication needs, and baby-sitting, dog-sitting or house-sitting arrangements).
Control what you can¶
Unexpected surprises— (e.g. flight delays, lost or stolen items), can quickly sour your vacation mindset. Buffer your trip with plenty of travel time in case of you experience unexpected delays and try traveling in the early morning or late evening to avoid congestion. Travel insurance can help you recoup some of your expenses and soften the blow to help with smooth sailing. Some credit cards—especially those designed for travel—offer protections for delayed flights, lost luggage, trip cancellation, accident insurance and more.
Accessing accounts abroad¶
When traveling outside the United States, make sure to inform your trusted community banker of your plans to avoid an account freeze or declines for “suspicious activity". Please give us a call at 805 965 5942, stop by your local branch, or notify us through online and mobile banking with your trip details by navigating . Go to Debit Card, then selecting Travel Notifications. This page will prompt for your debit card information, departure date, return date, and the states or countries in which you plan to use the card.
Here’s a quick list of what we need to know while you’re away:
- Dates you will be traveling
- The location(s) (city/country) that you will be visiting
- A good phone number to reach you (if necessary)
- The cards you'd like access to while traveling
As always, remember that as your trusted community bank, we are here to help. We hope you take these tips into consideration and enjoy a well-deserved vacation.
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