News You Can Use
Pre-planning can help vacationers deal with high travel costs
University Relations
News Bureau (662) 325-3442
Contact: Susan Hughes
May 31, 2006
STARKVILLE, Miss -Soaring gas prices don't have to keep you and your family rooted at home this summer. With some simple planning, you can have the vacation you wish without adding stress to the bank account.
A consumer economics specialist at Mississippi State says families who will be traveling by vehicle can begin by ensuring that the van or sedan is operating at its maximum efficiency.
"Make sure your car is tuned up, your tires are at the right pressure and that you are driving the speed limit," says Sheri Worthy, a human sciences professor at the university.
Secondly, she urges families to establish a spending limit before leaving home; doing so can cause everyone to become more price-conscious and less susceptible to impulse purchases.
"Use cash or travelers' checks instead of a credit card," she adds. "It is a lot easier to overspend once you start using the plastic, instead of actually handing over cash."
Worthy offers several other tips for money-wise travelers:
- Pack a cooler with snacks and drinks, especially when traveling with children;
- Make advance grocery-store purchases of film, batteries, toiletries, and the like in order to avoid higher prices of hotel gift shops and convenience stores;
- Book motel or hotel rooms with a kitchenette, refrigerator or complimentary breakfast to save on meal costs.
- Remember that many automatic teller machines often charge high usage fees.
When traveling by air, Worthy suggests either planning well in advance or, for more flexible travelers, searching online for last-minute fares that can be cheaper.
Web sites such as www.travelocity.com, www.expedia.com or www.orbitz.com offer price comparisons and package deals with airfare, hotel accommodations and, sometimes, tickets to shows or amusement parks.
"Sites like www.tripadvisor.com allow you to look up hotels or resorts to read customer feedback and customers are brutally honest," Worthy observed.