BudgetPulse Blog | Personal Finance Tips and News » personal planning http://blog.budgetpulse.com Personal Financial Management Tue, 13 Jul 2010 02:30:17 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 en hourly 1 Preparing your Finances for Travel: Part 3 http://blog.budgetpulse.com/2009/02/15/preparing-your-finances-for-travel-part-3/ http://blog.budgetpulse.com/2009/02/15/preparing-your-finances-for-travel-part-3/#comments Sun, 15 Feb 2009 11:15:47 +0000 Ryan http://blog.budgetpulse.com/?p=270 Here are the last set of finance travel tips. Now you should be well prepared and ready for your trip! Your credit card company knows of your travel, you have saved money from exchanging currency early, and your mail and home are being looked after. Here is the last set of travel prep finances tips. Enjoy your trip, and see you back here at the BudgetPulse blog when you get back!

  • Make sure to pack accordingly. Having to buy clothes or other items while on your trip can be very expensive. If you start packing and planning early you’re much less likely to forget something important. However, if you’re going to a place like China, you could find some great deals!
  • When it comes to bills make sure you remember the “non-monthlies”. Think about car titles, insurance payments, or maybe condo dues. Be sure to think ahead at least until your return to not miss anything out of the norm.
  • Pay those bills for an extra week. Crazy right? No. What if you love our vacation so much that you want to stay an extra week, or heaven forbid something goes wrong.  Paying your bills for that extra week and you’ll give yourself some time to relax when you return.
  • Planning ahead can save you a ton! Using a service like Yelp.com can give you more information on the costs of restaurants, hotels, and almost any other commercial establishment. Find the best combination of quality and price to really make your trip great! If you’re going abroad try out Tripadvisor.com for reviews.
  • The last thing is to have a blast! Now that your ready for your trip, with your finances in order, you’ll be able to completely enjoy your trip, worry free!


]]> http://blog.budgetpulse.com/2009/02/15/preparing-your-finances-for-travel-part-3/feed/ 0 Preparing your Finances for Travel: Part 2 http://blog.budgetpulse.com/2009/02/10/preparing-your-finances-for-travel-part-2/ http://blog.budgetpulse.com/2009/02/10/preparing-your-finances-for-travel-part-2/#comments Tue, 10 Feb 2009 10:59:02 +0000 Ryan http://blog.budgetpulse.com/?p=262 When getting ready for a trip it’s important to plan, plan, and plan some more. You’ll save yourself money and a headache. Here are a few more travel tips to keep your trips as fun and stress free as possible.

  • Stick to the norm before you travel. Don’t try and change your auto bill pay before you leave, vacation is not the time you want to deal with something going wrong. You can make any changes when you get back home.
  • Call your credit card company to check your rates. Getting a cash advance from credit cards can cost up to 25% but making a credit purchase my just be 2-3% or less. Also, if you have a credit union account some purchases are charge free!
  • What did you pay for that flight? You can double check your flight costs and if the price dropped many airlines will allow you to rebook or possibly get credit towards a future flight. Also, make sure you set with hotel reservations and car rentals.
  • Even if you’re not a frequent flier you can still benefit from enrolling in the airlines rewards programs. Some times these reward programs can save you money on your hotel rate. Rack up those points while you can, you never know when they’ll come in handy.
]]> http://blog.budgetpulse.com/2009/02/10/preparing-your-finances-for-travel-part-2/feed/ 3 Preparing your Finances for Travel : Part 1 http://blog.budgetpulse.com/2009/02/07/preparing-your-finances-for-travel-part-1/ http://blog.budgetpulse.com/2009/02/07/preparing-your-finances-for-travel-part-1/#comments Sat, 07 Feb 2009 23:51:26 +0000 Ryan http://blog.budgetpulse.com/?p=257 When preparing for a trip, whether it’s business or pleasure, there are so many things to plan. With so much on your mind, it helps to have a check list of tips so you cover everything. You have to make sure to pack correctly and plan logistics among so many other things.  One of the most important things that you might forget is to make sure that your finances are in order before you leave.

This 3 part series of tips in preparing your finances for travel will help you to be prepared and have a worry free travel experience. The most important thing to do is to plan ahead, but here are some tips to get you on your way…

  • Have someone watch the house. If you have someone you trust then leave them a key. At the very least, have a neighbor collect your mail so no unwanted visitors realize you’re away.
  • Know what you need. Make a list before you leave so that you can make sure not to miss anything. Go to the ATM for extra cash and make your currency exchanges before you leave (the rates are cheaper). If you’re going abroad, you may need to look into travelers checks.
  • Get your bills out of the way.  Just like any other time, your bills have to be paid. You can even pay them ahead of time! My suggestion is to use online bill pay and pre-pay your bill.  Whether it’s your cell phone or auto payment, no service is going to turn down early money. Take care of it early and be worry free on your trip!
  • Clear out the fridge. Make sure to grocery shop smart and plan for your departure. For example, buy a 1/2 gallon of milk a week before you leave instead of a full gallon. This strategy will save your pennies and keep your kitchen from stinking!

Parts 2 & 3 of ‘Preparing your Finance for Travel’ still to come…

]]> http://blog.budgetpulse.com/2009/02/07/preparing-your-finances-for-travel-part-1/feed/ 2