How to Take a Vacation When You’re Juggling Student Loan Debt

Are your student loans keeping you from taking a much-needed vacation? While many put off planning a trip to pay down their loans, others find ways to do both. Student loans don’t need to feel like handcuffs restricting you from the excitement of traveling to a new or favorite destination. With a little discipline and money management, you can travel responsibly. Here’s how.

1. Live Within Your Means

While it’s always advisable to live within your means, taking on an extra-frugal mentality will not only help you save money for your vacation but also help you put more money toward your student loan debt. Living within your means starts with creating a budget.

Many dislike the word budget, or think it’s an impossible task. However, you may be surprised how much cash you free up when you limit your expenses to a set amount and cut unnecessary spending. When you have an idea of where your money is going, you see where you can make cutbacks. (Here are 50 things to stop wasting your money on.) Even a few cutbacks can free up enough cash for your vacation.

2. Start a Vacation Fund

If you don’t plan on traveling anytime soon, you may want to open a vacation fund where you put money aside each month. If you’re in a position to set money aside, even a small contribution a month will add up in no time. You may want to consider making automatic transfers so you’re not tempted to spend the money elsewhere. Just remember, saving money in an emergency fund (and for retirement) should take precedent.

3. Spread Out Purchases

For those looking to book flight and hotel accommodations with their credit cards, you may want to consider spreading out these purchases. Typically, flights and hotels will be the costlier part of your vacation. When you book these together, you’re making it difficult to pay back in full — add in your student loans and monthly bills, and this may break your budget. By planning ahead and spreading out these large vacation expenses, you’ll make your monthly credit card and loan payments a bit easier.

4. ‘There’s an App for That!’

If your travel and hotel accommodations eat up too much of your vacation budget, you may want to consider other options. Sites such as Airbnb let you rent out homes, apartments or even rooms, often for a lower price than a hotel. When traveling by air, consider downloading helpful apps like Hopper. The Hopper app predicts when flights to a specific location will be cheapest and notifies travelers when they should consider purchasing tickets.

5. Pick Up a Side Gig

A side hustle can be a great way to help supplement your current income. This extra cash can help pay for your vacation while helping you keep up with student loan payments. Between babysitting, tutoring, freelance writing or shifts at your local gym, there are endless possibilities. Consider finding something that interests you so it doesn’t feel too much like extra work.

6. Opt for a Staycation

While a staycation may not sound as appealing as an actual vacation, sometimes a trip around your own region can end up being surprisingly relaxing or adventurous. Consider researching what your own area has to offer. Between beaches, hiking trails and museums, you may find a staycation is just what you need to forget about those student loans.

Image: Rawpixel

Get everything you need to master your credit today.

Get started for free