Bankruptcy Can Make Affordable Summer Vacations Possible By Lowering Debt
Memorial Day weekend is here, the kids are almost out of school, the temperature is rising - but for some Chicago residents, that summer vacation is on hold.
But dealing with debt doesn't mean you have to forgo your warm weather getaway - at least, not if you use some strategic planning to snag the most affordable travel rates for the best-priced destinations. Remember, a vacation is about getting away - it's about rest, refreshment and relaxation. Nowhere in that definition is there anything about spending big bucks. So how can you make it happen?
Start planning ahead of time. Think about when you're traveling. You're likely not going to find discounts for a holiday weekend like this one, the Fourth of July or Labor Day - but what about the weekends - or weekdays - before and after? Hotels and motels are desperate to fill empty rooms during slow travel times - even during the summer. Browse accommodations at online sites like Hotels.com or Orbitz.com and click on individual lodging sites to see what price breaks they're offering. You can even try calling hotels and asking about upcoming discounts.
As for the destination, try thinking backwards. Everybody wants to go to the beach and amusement park in summer and go to the mountains in fall and winter for autumn color and skiing. But what if you did the opposite? For instance, if you hit a ski resort town in summer, the accommodations will still be there, but with winter tourism dying down, the purveyors will be hungry for your money - and probably willing to offer deep discounts.
Some of the biggest traveling costs are totally unavoidable - for instance, eating on the road. If you'll only be gone for a couple days, why not pack your meals and keep them in a cooler? Bonus: not only is it cheaper, it's also healthier.
What if you're so broke that you can't afford to take even a simple day trip? That's no way to live! If all of your income and more is going to debt, bills and other obligations, you need a financial readjustment. Bankruptcy can help you get your debt under control so you can shift money used for debt payments to other things - bills, the mortgage, even the occasional vacation. Find out if bankruptcy is the financial relief you've been waiting for with a free personal debt analysis via a Chicago bankruptcy attorney - and give yourself a break.