Family Vacation Planner: Benefits, Packing, Paying

Are you looking to build up a family vacation planner so that you can get away? Has your family been confined to the house for work, school, and everyday living since the pandemic hit last year? After being cooped up for all this time, it’s crucial to find a way to spend quality time together outside of the home. Getting the entire family together is beneficial for everyone as a whole, as well as individually.

There are many ways to spend time with family. However, taking a family vacation is one of the best ways for everyone to relax and get a break from life’s everyday responsibilities. Keep reading to learn how a vacation will benefit you and your family, what you should pack, and tips for how to finance your getaway.

Source: William V. Sweeney Instagram

Family Vacation Planner: Benefits of Taking a Family Vacation

Life is full of long workdays, regular family responsibilities, and stress. It is important to take a vacation sometimes to give you and your family a break. Beyond allowing you and your family to break away from routine, getting away from the hustle and bustle of daily life offers many additional benefits.

First and foremost, taking a break from your normal schedule is a stress reliever, which will improve your physical and psychological health. Secondly, are improvements to your mental health. Those common feelings of stress you might feel on a day-to-day basis can eventually lead to anxiety, or worse, depression. By taking a trip, you allow your body and mind to relax and calm down. When promoting feelings of relaxation, there come several advantages. When working or going to school every day, everyone can hit a point of burning out. By getting away and relaxing, when you return you will feel better, be more productive, and ready to focus on your essential responsibilities. Besides, relaxation will help your family sleep better in days to come and be happier overall. Wherever you choose to take your family on vacation, your family will appreciate the long-term benefits.

Family Vacation Planner: Things Your Family Should Pack

Depending on the trip you and your family plan to take, deciding what to pack for a trip can be daunting. Sometimes packing can be a little stressful due to the fear of forgetting something essential or important. Moreover, your intended destination can have a big impact on what you pack. However, there is a solid base where you can start with things you will need no matter where your trip is. For example, a skiing trip will involve more packing than a low-key trip to the beach. Start by making a list of your must-need items such as medications, bathroom essentials, documents, clothes, and electronics. Because you will be packing for an entire family, you need to be strategic about what you bring.

It also might be a good idea to only bring carry-on luggage if you are taking a plane. If you choose to do this, remember that you don’t need something brand new to wear every day. You can re-wear things multiple times while you’re away. Also, most of the time, there are opportunities to do laundry. On a week-long trip, each traveler should have 5-6 shirts, one pair of jeans, one pair of pajamas, 4-5 pairs of socks, and a pair of underwear for each day. Of course, your travel destination will impact this list. If you are going somewhere hot, you might only wear dresses, sandals, and a bathing suit. No matter where you are planning to vacation, try to pack little, pack light, and pack essentials only.

Source: William V. Sweeney Instagram

Family Vacation Planner: Your Family Vacation and Options to Finance

Deciding to go on a much-needed family trip can be much easier than figuring out how to pay for it. However, it doesn’t have to be! Sometimes taking a vacation is critical during these times of the pandemic. Nevertheless, there are many options for financing your family vacation.

Savings

Consider tapping into any forgotten savings. Although this might not be an option for some, there might be an amount of money stored away somewhere that you forgot about. Although you may not want to get rid of your savings completely, you can use some of it to go on a trip that will give everyone the time off they need to relax and refocus.

Stimulus Relief Money

Another option that is in the process of being released right now, is using stimulus relief money from the government. Even though many Americans need this money to survive during these challenging times, others have been fortunate enough to have kept their jobs throughout the pandemic. With that said, the stimulus money might be an unexpected bonus for you and your family to splurge a little and take a family vacation.

If your stimulus check won’t cover the total cost of your trip, you might want to consider going through the process of getting a small-scale personal loan, especially if your family is going through a hard time mentally and physically. After you have answered some personal questions, you can pick from your qualifying options and select a pay-back period that you can comfortably manage.

Points or Miles

You can also redeem points or miles that you’ve accumulated on a credit card. Most private credit card companies offer benefits to help their customers, and this is a seamless way to use them up. Book the flights and hotels right on your card, and then when you get the bill, redeem your points. You have the flexibility to choose from one of the many different ways to finance your family vacation.

Although there are many things to do and places to go, it’s important to ensure your entire family is enjoying themselves and doing something out of the ordinary together. Put your family vacation planner together now even if money is part of the reason you haven’t gone on vacation lately.  There are many different outlets that will allow your trip to become more realistic. Get your family out of hibernation and enjoy much-needed time off with a family vacation that’s more in reach than you think!