In case you missed PFC’s “It’s Spring Break NOT Spring Broke” event yesterday, here are some tips to help you stick to your budget during spring break. Start planning what you will do, how you will get there, what it will cost, and any additional spending money you will need for it.
Compare flight prices in an incognito browser (aka private browser). An incognito browser won’t release your IP address to the site, which can prevent sites from raising prices on a second visit in order to pressure customers into buying too quickly or without further research. In Chrome, click the menu button on the top right. In Firefox, click on the drop down menu in the top left. On Safari, click on Safari in the top task bar. And in Internet Explorer, click on the safety tab on the menu. Some sites to look at for comparing travel prices are:
- http://www.kayak.com/
- http://www.expedia.com/
- http://www.priceline.com/
- http://www.amtrak.com/
- http://www.greyhound.com/
- http://us.megabus.com/ (though there’s no stations in Kansas, it can help with a connecting trip)
Oftentimes, taking a bus, train, or driving will be largely cheaper than taking a flight, but will take longer. Consider cutting costs by sacrificing a little time. Also keep in mind that prices tend to go up as the date of the trip gets closer. Getting a jump on buying tickets can save you a lot of money.
Compare hotel prices. Most of the travel sites listed above also offer hotel comparisons and discounts. Make sure to research the cost it would be to buy them separately before assuming that the bundle is cheaper. http://www.hotels.com/ is a good site to compare prices. They have deals every now and then for certain hotels and offer a punch card system for booking through their site where you get a free stay after ten nights booked. Since a hotel can sometimes just be a place to sleep at night, consider booking a lower-cost hotel instead of one that has a lot of amenities.
Make SMART goals to save up for the trip. They should be Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Timely. Determine how much you will need for the trip and set a specific amount of money to put away for a specific period of time (each month, each paycheck, etc…), that can fit in your budget and get you the amount needed in time. This will require a good budget to know how much you can afford to set aside each month. Consider stashing away any holiday or birthday money towards it as well.
Christyne Stephenson
Peer Counselor I
Powercat Financial Counseling
www.k-state.edu/pfc
