Friday, August 22, 2014

Vacation Club Savings with Travel Points Credit Cards


Here is an idea to help build your vacation club savings.  Signup for a travel points credit card that has a signup bonus.  There are several cards which offer these bonuses.  This is only for people with good to very good credit.  You should check your credit score before you apply for more credit.  These type of cards require an annual income of $30,000.  You need to look for credit cards which will not cost a lot to maintain yearly and will give you a big chunk of travel points as a signing bonus.  There could also be my added benefits to some of these travel points credit cards.

You could get free insurance on air travel and car rentals by using your credit card.  This is a great advantage and savings for your vacation.  Check out the fine print as you might also get extended manufacturer’s warranty on purchases.

There are also the Frequent-Flyer Miles cards which almost every airline has got available.  Cardholders rack up miles at a rate of one mile per dollar spent or more.  Some of these Frequent-Flyer Miles cards have restrictions.  So, buyer beware, these cards are not all the same.   These cards can also offer bonus signups of air mile points which will boost your way towards a free or discounted airfare.  There is another collector program which can be used for more than air travel.

The Air Miles Collector Program is also a good addition to vacation club savings.  You can use this program with a credit card and/or with the collector card on its own.  Using the Air Miles Program with the credit card and the Collector Card will double your Air Miles points.  Air Miles sponsored retailers will give you additional points (and bonus points on certain items and services) if you shop from them.  Air Miles points can be redeemed for air travel, car rental, entertainment and consumer items from sponsors.

A good reason to use credit cards in general is that there is a safety factor with using credit cards.   Paying with a credit card makes it easier to avoid losses from fraud.  You just notify your credit card company of the fraud and don't pay for the transactions you didn't make.  The credit card company will always resolves the matter to your advantage.

The grace period with using a credit card is always attractive, but eventually you have to pay the credit back.  It is not a good idea to take a vacation on credit.  You are getting the credit card so you can take advantages of the bonus offer not to abuse the new credit you just got.  Live within your means and don’t go into debt.  Major credit cards have universal acceptance.  It is like caring cash.  Just have the funds ready to pay it down when you come back from the vacation.

Most rental companies require a credit card in case of damage to the rental which is a good reason to have one on your vacation.

You should also consider that you are building credit with this new credit card.  Credit card companies will report your payment activity to the credit bureaus.  So pay on time and try not to keep a balance on the card.

Credit and credit cards are great must have tools today.  One just has to use them wisely and take advantage of all the bonuses offered by the credit cards.

Wednesday, August 20, 2014

Have you heard of VRBO? Stay at a private residence while on vacation.


Have you heard about VRBO? 

It is a great idea if you want to save money on vacation accommodations.  What VRBO does, is bring home owners who are not staying at their home to offer to travellers who need a place to hang their hats when on vacation.

There are advantages for this.  The big one is cost.  Hotel room rates are 10 to 30% higher.  There is much more room (it’s a fully furnished home) and a kitchen to dine on your own time.

These vacation rentals are ideal for family vacations since they are homes and sleep several people.  There is also more privacy, pets are usually welcome and no hidden costs since you have discussed the rental with the owner and you know what you are paying for in extras.

This sounds like a great way to spend a vacation since you have so much choice.  There are 1 million plus properties in 100 countries to choose from.  Dwellings include loft apartments, beach front condos, mountain cabins, lake houses with docks, country farmhouses and harbour-side houseboats.

Here a link from VRBO to show you the comparison with their rentals vs hotels.  VRBO Rentals “Discover the Difference”.

To learn more about Timeshare and Vacation Club Savings and let us know what you are looking for, just click LINK HERE!