Make an Appointment

5 Steps to Affording Your Vacation

July 11, 2017

Man enjoying a beautiful view on vacation he financed
Plan ahead for worry-free vacation financing

When you’ve been planning a dream vacation and you’re ready to find financing to make it happen, follow these 5 simple steps to making your adventure possible.

1. Plan Your Trip

You’ll need to know where you’re going, for how long, where you plan to stay, and at least an idea of the kinds of activities you plan to pursue while you’re there. All of these will figure into your travel and accommodations expenses, as well as entertainment expenses, how much meals and incidentals will cost, and more. Once you have your trip plan outlined, you can move on to figuring out your budget.

2. Estimate Your Expenses

With your trip plan in hand, make your best estimates for the costs of each part of your trip: travel getting to and from your destination (flights, cruise, etc.), any travel expenses while there (car rental, public transportation, ride sharing services), accommodations (hotels/motels/other), and daily expenses, including souvenirs, parks or attractions, and meals. If you’re traveling overseas, remember to factor in currency exchange rates. We also suggest adding in a little extra, say 10% more, for anything you’ve missed, or unexpected expenses. Every trip has them!

3. Start Saving

With this target number in mind, figure out how much you can reasonably set aside each week or month in advance of your trip, and how much total you’ll have saved by the time your departure date arrives. This may not necessarily match your target expenses for the trip. That’s where a loan comes in…

4. Apply for a Loan to Make Up the Difference

Start with how much cash you can save for the trip, subtract that from your total expenses, and you’ll have your target loan amount. So if your trip will cost $5,000, and you can save $2,000, you’ll need to borrow the difference ($3,000). Sit down with one of our loan officers early in the process, and we’ll help you figure out the best loan option for you. How do you start the financing process for a vacation? Learn more here.

5. Enjoy Your Adventure

Once you’re approved, congratulations—you’re going on an adventure! If you want to consider a larger loan amount or different terms next time around, just ask how we can help. We can suggest steps to get you better prepared for future loans. We want to make your vacation a reality!

Learn More

Visit our vacation financing page to learn about how financing will work. If it’s time to plan that vacation, start the application process below.

 

If you’re not ready to apply for a Personal Loan, and have questions, we are here to help. Call 315-735-8571 to talk about your options or make an appointment with one of our friendly and knowledgeable representatives today. Simply click on the button below, select the “Apply for a Loan” service from the menu and choose the “Personal” option.


Let’s Get Started

We look forward to helping you.

Make an Appointment