Saving for your family vacation

Updated: Feb. 18, 2019 at 10:55 AM EST
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CHARLESTON, SC (WCSC) -Vacations are supposed to be a relaxing time spent with the family but a South Carolina travel agent says it can be hard to unwind when you’re stressed about how to pay for it.

A Charleston are AAA General Manager and Travel Agent Lori Jo Harvey offers tips on how to avoid being stressed about the cost of family vacations.

Harvey says the key to having a great vacation starts with being realistic about what you can actually spend.

“How you go about paying for it depends on the vacation. When you’re pre-planning in advance one year it’s a low deposit and then you establish a family budget of how you are going to pay for it,” Harvey says.

Harvey says it’s easier for many families to pay on their trip a little at a time with an Agent or by putting travel money into a separate savings account.

When it comes to planning out spring and summer vacations, Harvey says its best to plan it out almost a year in advance if you can.

She says the best time to see deals for spring and summer is in the fall right when the kids go back to school.

Harvey says you can still snag last minute deals when you book at least 30 days in advance, but the key is also to be flexible with dates of travel.

“It’s never too late to plan for a vacation but it’s a little late for spring break because availability is getting slim which drives the rate up. Maybe the weekend or mid week you might have to flex the days back and see what is best for your family,” Harvey says.

Another thing that can save you time and money when planning your family vacation is to set up price alert for your airfare and hotels on your phone.

Whenever your selected itinerary drops in price, companies like Kayak, Hopper or Skyscanner will send an email alert telling you it’s time to book.

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