How to achieve your summer travel goals without breaking the bank
Sponsored Advertising Content by the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Credit Card from Chase
We all have responsibilities that need to be accounted for when we're thinking of planning a summer trip. Whether it's your rent, your bills, or some other expense that is making you hesitate to book your dream vacation, we can all relate to that travel FOMO.
But you don't have to put a huge dent in your check book to get to your ideal travel destination.
Here are a few ways you can save on your perfect trip this summer:
1. Consider all accommodations
For a lot of us, it seems like a given. If you're going on a trip, you need to book a hotel.
But that's not the case!
No matter where you’re heading, there may be some really great places available through room-sharing sites that allow you to book a space in someone's home or apartment. You can book a single room, or sometimes you can get the whole place to yourself! Make sure to do your research to find an option that will be comfortable and safe for you and whoever you're traveling with.
And if you want to save even more, you can rough it and stay on a campground. This is great for anyone who wants to go to a big festival this summer since camping has become a tradition at these events. Make sure to check out a list of do's and don'ts to make sure you're fully prepared for this awesome experience.
2. Use the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Credit Card from Chase
The Rapid Rewards points you earn with the Southwest Rapid Rewards Credit Card from Chase can be used for things like flights, car rentals, hotels, and More Rewards. You can earn 40,000 Rapid Rewards points upon sign up, after spending $1,000 in the first 3 months. But the coolest thing you can get with this card might be Southwest’s Companion Pass benefit.
Once a Cardmember earns 110,000 qualifying points or flies 100 qualifying one-way flights in a calendar year, they earn Companion Pass status. With this awesome perk, you can bring a designated friend along with you free of airline charges every time you purchase or redeem rewards for a Southwest® flight. All you have to do is pay the cost of taxes and fees from $5.60 one-way on your companion’s ticket and a ticket for one becomes a ticket for two. And this is not just a one-time perk. You can enjoy the Companion Pass benefit for the remainder of the calendar year in which it was earned as well as for the next 12 months. Pretty sweet, huh?
3. Cook and eat in
Make sure that wherever you stay, you have access to a kitchen.
Eating out can get expensive really quickly. So even if you want to sample all of the local cuisine, it's a good idea to create your own meal at least once a day.
If you buy local groceries and cook your own meals, you can still immerse yourself in the culture of the place you're visiting and explore where the locals shop. Besides, cooking can be a really fun activity and a great way to try new, authentic flavors.
4. Make memories instead of buying souvenirs
Souvenirs are great, but photos are better.
We're all guilty of buying a little something on vacation that we'll never actually use in the future.
So instead of making that spur of the moment purchase and coming home with a shirt, hat, or paperweight that you really don't need, take a lot of photos. Then, when you get home, get them printed and hang them on the wall.
Then when you're feeling some wanderlust, just glance at your framed memories and let yourself be transported back to your spectacular adventure again.
