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Worry-Free Vacation

The vacation you’ve planned with your friends deserves to be the best. Some of us have gone on a group trip that didn’t turn out as expected and ended up being a bad trip... but we offer some tips for a successful getaway.

Our 5 tips will make worries disappear and earn you the honorary title of travel buddy.

Choose the place

Ask key questions to start planning the budget. Where do you want to vacation? Do you prefer domestic tourism or venturing outside the island? A relaxing beach or a cold-weather location? If the group’s mood leans towards domestic tourism, planning may be more manageable.

Are you going to travel outside the island?

Consider the type of stay you’re looking for. Check and compare prices on hotels, inns, and house rentals, devoting the same attention you’d give to buying tickets for a Bad Bunny concert. #teamwork.

If you’re going to take off with your group, start looking at plane tickets in advance. According to travel experts, if you choose an international destination, it’s a good idea to purchase tickets 4 to 10 months in advance. For domestic trips, the average is 3 to 7 months.

Popular x Platea Tip: You may have accumulated miles on your credit cards. We recommend making a list of what you can redeem with your existing points.

Gather your travel buddies

The crowd travelling with you is important, as not only will you have a good time together, but also choose together where to go, and most importantly, how much you will spend.

Talk openly about the budget, discuss how much you can spend, and define how far you can go in economic terms. Join the loud budgeting trend and get your friends on board.

Practicing loud budgeting as a group can make a significant difference when choosing places to stay, eat or visit.

It will also help you find alternatives within everyone's budget and identify which will be joint expenses and which will be individual expenditures.

Plan ahead

Whether the vacation takes you to a beach, sightseeing or to discover new places, planning can help get the most fun out of it and avoid pesky problems or unforeseen events.

As a group, determine the places where you all want to go, as well as the days and times when you’ll go. To stay on track in terms of planning, create a group chat to keep links and price information in one place.

You may have to make reservations to visit some places or go to restaurants. Don’t forget to also make transportation arrangements.

Planning these details in advance will prevent you from having to improvise or maybe miss an offer.

Create a realistic budget

Nothing beats having set a budget before traveling. Although it may seem uncomfortable at first, this will help you enjoy every moment without feeling guilty.

The first step in determining your budget is to make a list with cost estimates for travel, lodging, transportation, tours, meals, and miscellaneous (gifts, experiences, etc.). 

Once you have a clearer idea of the total cost of the trip, you can use our budget sheet to determine your monthly expenses and calculate if you have the necessary money. 

Extra tip to get your savings going

A good savings alternative is the U-Save1 account, which allows you to save some money in a simple, automated way, and at your own pace. You can choose whether you want to make savings transfers weekly, biweekly, monthly, quarterly, semi-annually, or annually. 

Save for your return

Did you know that going on a financial diet to get back in step after a trip is more common than you think? If you’ve done this, you are not alone. Enjoy your vacation to the fullest, but don’t forget your finances when you return to reality. 

This begins when you set the vacation budget, taking your expenses and income into consideration. 

A good alternative is to pay your main accounts before leaving on vacationvacation, so you won’t have to deal with those matters when you come back. 

Popular x Platea Tip: During your trip, activate notifications2 here to keep track of your accounts and balances.

Consider including an additional item in your budget so you’ll have money available for unforeseen expenses when your vacation is over.

Leave worries behind

These five tips will allow worries to fly away when the plane takes off. Learn more hacks, tips, and how to plan better financial habits in our Future Me landing page.