This website has already discussed a number of strategies that student debt borrowers can employ to save money so that additional cash can be devoted to student debt. As mentioned in a few prior articles, I saved cash during my student debt repayment saga by not taking vacations. Because I never planned a traditional vacation, I pocketed thousands of dollars on flights, hotels, and all of the other costs associated with going on a vacation, and this helped me pay off my student loans. However, taking a vacation while paying off student loans should not affect your financial goals if you keep a few things in mind.
It is worth mentioning at the beginning of this article that taking a vacation while paying off student loans might actually be a good idea. Debt fatigue is a real issue for many student debt borrowers, and taking a vacation while paying off student loans might reduce the likelihood that student debt borrowers will burn out. In addition, everyone needs time away from work and other stresses to unwind and recharge their batteries.
During my student debt repayment saga, I opted to take staycations most of the time rather than heading away for a traditional vacation. As many readers are likely aware, a staycation is when people stay at home during their time off rather than head to a different location in order to relax.
Staycations offer a number of benefits. For one, staycations are usually more relaxing than traditional vacations. In order to travel for a traditional vacation, many people have to endure the indignities of commercial air travel, deal with jet jag, and suffer other problems associated with traveling. By staying at home, individuals don’t have to waste time traveling, and can focus on the relaxing activities that help people unwind.
One time, during my student debt repayment saga, I took a staycation for 11 days, and this had an extremely positive impact on my life. I watched a number of TV shows I never had time to catch up on, slept much more than I usually do, and enjoyed other activities. This staycation was much more rejuvenating than any traditional vacation I ever took.
Also, taking a staycation offers people the chance to catch up on errands that all of us have to complete. Not being able to finish necessary errands in one’s life can create a lot of stress, and many people do not have time to complete tasks they need to perform. I recently went weeks without getting a hair cut or changing the oil in my car, since I genuinely did not have the time to complete these tasks, even though my hair was getting super long and my car was in bad shape! In any case, taking a staycation allows people to unwind and perform chores that they might not otherwise have time to complete.
In addition, people can save tons of money by staying at home rather than taking a traditional vacation while paying off student loans. Traditional vacations are not cheap. Airfare, hotels, rental cars, and other expenses can easily cost thousands of dollars, and some of my friends have taken vacations for upwards of ten thousand dollars. Taking a staycation costs almost no money, and you can devote the cash you save to pay down your student loans.
While paying off my student loans, I also used work trips and reward points to finance my more traditional vacations. During the last part of my student debt repayment saga, I had a job that required me to travel extensively. I spent about 75 nights a year on the road while working this gig, and all of my travel expenses were paid for by our clients. However, I was allowed to keep all of the hotel, airline, and rental car reward points, which ended up being extremely valuable.
While working this job, I earned 11 free hotel nights and a few free rental car days. I also earned several round-trip airline flights, and all of these points were worth several thousand dollars. I used these points to take a few smaller vacations, and to save money while visiting family. Of course, not everyone travels as much as I did to accumulate a large amount of reward points, but so long as you are loyal to certain companies when you travel, you can start accumulating points on your own.
In addition, while I was on the road for work, I made sure to enjoy leisure activities in the locations to which I traveled. I once spent nearly two weeks in the Cayman Islands for work, and I made sure to hit the beach pretty much every day I was there. I also took a dozen or so trips to Florida for work, and I made sure to visit Disney World, hit the beach, and otherwise enjoy the attractions of the sunshine state. Again, not everyone will travel as much as I did for work, but so long as you plan leisure activities whenever you are in a new location, taking a vacation while paying off student loans doesn’t have to cost you an arm and a leg.
In the end, everyone hoping to pay down their student loans needs to make sacrifices. Not taking traditional vacations is one way that you can save money to devote additional cash to student debt. However, if you keep a few things in mind, taking a vacation while paying off student loans is achievable and won’t affect your bottom line.