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There are many benefits of traveling. For one thing, it’s always good to have new experiences. And for a lot of people, travel is an escape from the daily grind.
Recent data from IPX shows that 51% of Americans plan to travel more in 2023 than they did in 2022. And all told, 91% of Americans are planning travel this year.
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Meanwhile, a good 24% of Americans are setting aside $4,000 or more for 2023 travel. If that seems like a lot of money to you, well, it is. But if you’re eager to free up more money to travel this summer, then there are some steps you can take in the coming months to make that happen.
1. Rethink your general spending
Would you rather spend $100 a month for the next two months on cable, or would you rather use that money for an excursion on a summer trip? There are probably different bills in your budget you can cut back on. Take a look at the various things you’re spending money on and make some choices. Eating at home for all of June and July could set you up to be able to enjoy delicious international cuisine on a trip in August.
2. Work a side hustle
The gig economy is booming these days, so there’s plenty of opportunity to earn an income on top of what your regular job pays you. Try your hand at driving for a ride-hailing service, or apply to bartend at a local pub that needs more hands on deck on weekends. If you’re willing to put in the time, you might manage to boost your travel budget quite nicely.
3. Bank the cash you get from your credit card
Many credit cards give you cash back or rewards on the purchases you’re making. If you bank those and redeem them for your upcoming trips, you’ll have that much more flexibility. At the same time, swipe your cards strategically. If one of your credit cards offers extra cash back at the pump, that’s the card you’ll want to use when you put gas in your car. IPX found that 43% of Americans intend to use credit card points to cover travel expenses this year.
4. Snag a sign-up bonus
Some credit cards offer a sign-up bonus for meeting a certain spending threshold shortly after opening your card. If you get a travel rewards credit card, for example, it might offer you 50,000 bonus points that are redeemable for air miles or hotel points (or cash back) for spending $3,000 within three months of opening your account. So if you’ll be spending that much on travel, you can charge your expenses on that new card, meet the requirement, and then help offset your costs with that bonus.
Travel has gotten expensive, but that doesn’t mean you can’t pull off your summertime plans. If you spend carefully these next few months, boost your income, and use credit card rewards and cash back to your advantage, you might be able to enjoy the vacation of your dreams.
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