A little planning can help you spend an economically stress-free holidays. themoneytimes.com gives you some financial planning tips on vacationing.

When you plan for the tour this summer, don’t let the inflation or the doomed markets keep you from having a ball.

Whether it is a week end escape that you are planning or a quite break away in Hawaii, you can always make your holidays super special without burning a hole in your pockets. The key to adding the missing zing to your holidays that will allow you to make the most of it is to pre plan them.

Budgeting Your Trip

The best way to budget your holidays is to spend from out of your savings. You could determine a fixed percentage of your savings that you would like to spend upon an annual holiday for the entire family. Now, depending upon the total budget allocation, you can decide about your intended spending on meals, transportation, travel, shopping, accommodation, entertainment, admission fees to theme parks, museums, etc., and tips. This exercise will have meaning only if you religiously stick to your budget allocation.

Determining a holiday facilitator

Depending upon your budget, you can decide whether you would like to make your own arrangements or avail the services of a travel facilitator. A travel facilitator would, for obvious reasons, charge you on a higher side. Also watch out for the hidden costs marked with an asterix in a corner.

Looking at the present market and employment scenario, it would be advisable to make your own travel arrangements. These arrangements would necessitate you to carry out painstaking research on-line to book for hotels, pick ups, restaurants, tickets for sight seeing and entertainment and also flights and rail tickets. Don’t hesitate to ask for a discount if you are traveling off season or during week days.

Holiday time is also the time to encash the reward points that you have collected the year round. These may be in the form of free travel mileage or free holiday coupons. In case you have any, make sure you plan your holidays in accordance. Check if they are valid for the duration that you wish to utilize them in and be ready to be a little flexible on your plans. After all, it is saving you a lot of your green bills.

Do it on Your Own

Trust yourself and learn to be your own guide. With the internet at your service 24/7, there shouldn’t be much of a problem. Putting together a personalized tour will help you save and divert money in shopping, or the river view room that you had always dreamt of.

Pay in Cash

Remember, cash is king. So, make all payments in cash. This way you will avoid unnecessary and unplanned expenditure. Paying in cash doesn’t mean you cannot carry anything other than cash on your vacation. For the purpose of safety and several other reasons, carry your debit as well as credit cards and TCs.

Keeping cash to a bear minimum is very much advisable. But while making actual payments, as far as possible, refrain from using your credit cards.

Practice Comparative Shopping

Be an educated shopper. The souvenirs that you plan to buy from the destination of your visit must be researched beforehand. You must find out the costs at which those artifacts are available on line. Buy it from a local shop only if it offers you the same stuff at a lower price. Even locally, you might be required to do some leg work to get the best deal. Though it would require more time, but would make you richer by a few bucks at the end of the day.

Holidays are investments. An investment of your valuable time spent along with your family. An investment which reaps benefits, in terms of enhanced knowledge and bringing you closer to your loved ones. Make the most of them!