Summer air travel has been trying, to put it mildly. Hellacious, many travelers would say.
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Talk about money before vacationing with friends — or regret it later
2. Decide who's booking everything — and make sure they're paid back
Someone has to risk putting down their credit card for the hotel. If that's you, El-Amin suggests waiting until you receive deposits from everyone else.
Once you agree on dates and pick lodging, give the group a deadline for payments. Once everyone has paid, then go ahead and book on your card. That way, you're not left in a financially dire situation if friends bail — and people are more likely to commit to something they paid for. "If you're going to put down this deposit, that really means that you're serious about this trip," El-Amin says.
Beyond lodging, other costs can snowball throughout the trip. Activities and meals often are put on one person's card, which can become hard to keep track of, especially if different people pay for each event (then there's the hassle of saving receipts). El-Amin and White both recommend apps like Splitwise, which helps log and divide payments between the whole group or specific members.
"That has been a huge lifesaver, especially amongst friend-group trips, because then there's so much transparency around what people owe," El-Amin says. "And there's not that awkward conversation after a trip being like, 'Hey, girl, you still owe me for this.'" Integrate settling up into your departure day so that loose ends are tied up before everyone heads home.
3. Don't be afraid to split up
White remembers splitting the bill at a pricier-than-expected dinner and the sadness she felt about how her budget had been blown. While your friends are on a trip together, it's OK to break into smaller groups to better fit one another's budgets.
White advises being clear about your own boundaries. If the group decides to switch plans and splurge on fancy dining, especially while splitting the bill, others can try a cheaper restaurant. Don't be afraid to do your own thing.
Mix in group activities or meals that everyone is comfortable with, White says.
"It's so important to honor what it is you want to get out of your vacation and then have a lot of flexibility and patience for what other people's needs might be," she says.
4. Stick to your budget
In her early 20s, El-Amin, now 28, used to travel spontaneously without knowing how she'd pay for it, but it led her into debt. Then she created a separate bank account where she'd deposit a bit of each paycheck to build up travel funds.
"Whether or not I have a trip that I'm actively planning, I'm still making sure that a portion of my paycheck is going towards saving for travel. I can take advantage when friends reach out to me or I see flight deals at a really cool place, I already know that I have the money," El-Amin says.
Designating travel funds creates opportunity and sets financial boundaries. Going over budget on this vacation might mean sacrificing another trip later.
El-Amin also recommends investing in travel insurance on group trips. Say half the group gets COVID-19 and excursions are nonrefundable, then travel insurance could protect you.
5. When all else fails, stay level-headed
It's important to keep communicating every step of the way. Rising tensions may be due to issues building up over more than just money (like who got which room in the Airbnb or didn't clean up after breakfast).
"Oftentimes, if there is an emotional reaction to something, it's not just about one thing," Bhatia says. "It could be about relationship issues that have come up before and may be a displaced reaction. They may be upset about something else, but that will be the one thing that they might focus on and the reason they got angry or upset."
Bhatia recommends building in time for rest as well as active communication. "Talking things through makes for a better outing."
Tips to take the sting out of 50% higher car rental prices
HOW TO FIND AFFORDABLE RENTAL CARS
NerdWallet conducted an analysis of 360 rental car reservations to better understand the cheapest ways to rent. Some of the findings may help you save on your next rental car.
Among the rental car companies in the analysis, Enterprise is usually the cheapest, while National is most expensive. The analysis also found that last-minute rentals are typically cheaper than those booked months in advance. And you’ll almost always save by booking at an off-site rental car location versus at the airport.
That knowledge can help you better understand the cheapest places to book, but sometimes booking from a specific location or company might be non-negotiable with the nature of your trip. These other tricks can still help you save:
— USE TRAVEL CREDIT CARDS: Some travel credit cards offer rental car insurance as part of their benefits, though it may exclude certain types of expensive cars or rentals in some countries. When it is applicable though, it can save you money on the extra insurance you might have otherwise signed up for at the counter.
— JOIN RENTAL CAR LOYALTY PROGRAMS: Benefits vary based on your level of elite status, though some levels can include free upgrades and waived fees. You might even get automatic status through a credit card. Yet even the entry-level, free-to-join tiers can include perks like priority lines.
— RESERVE NOW AND PAY AT THE COUNTER: Many rental car companies give you the option to pay at the counter. Paying upon pickup has two major benefits versus paying upfront: First, should you need to cancel your trip, you remove the headache of trying to get a refund since you won’t have put down any money anyway. Second, if rates drop, you can always cancel and rebook at a lower rate.
HOW TO SAVE MONEY ON ROAD TRIPS
Throw in high gas prices, and road trips might be one of the most expensive ways to travel these days. Here are some ways to cut back on costs.
— USE APPS TO FIND CHEAP GAS: Apps like GasBuddy track local gas prices and can help you find the cheapest gas stations along your route.
— CONSIDER AN ELECTRIC VEHICLE: With an electric car, you’ll avoid paying for gas entirely. While you may still have to pay to charge it, some hotels offer free electric vehicle charging as a guest benefit.
— PLAN A BUDGET-FRIENDLY ROUTE: If you’re open-minded to location, consider driving through states with lower gas prices. During the last week of July, the three states with the lowest gas prices were Georgia, South Carolina and Texas, according to AAA data.
WHY TRIP PLANNING SHOULD START WITH RENTAL CAR PRICES
Before you get too caught up in the excitement of a road trip, make sure you can afford it. With prices so much higher than they were two years ago, you don’t want to get caught off guard. Hold off on booking your flights or hotels until you’ve compared rental car prices and included it in your trip budget.
