From searching for the best deals on flights to finding the perfect Airbnb rental, travelers often spend hours planning the perfect vacation.  Unfortunately, many vacation goers neglect to take the same care with their financial planning. From searching for the best deals on flights to finding the perfect Airbnb rental, travelers often spend hours planning the perfect vacation. Unfortunately, many vacation goers neglect to take the same care with their financial planning.

Before leaving for a vacation, it’s important to create a financial “to-do list” to ensure your finances are kept in order while you’re away. Making a few small monetary moves before leaving for your trip can ensure your re-entry into the real world is as smooth as possible. CFSC has crafted a checklist in hopes that your next trip goes off without a hitch.

✅ Use Travel Budgeting Tools Like Prepaid Debit Cards

Nothing kills a post-vacation buzz quite like spender’s remorse. Fortunately, you can take steps to stick to your budget while you’re away, and CFSC can help you do exactly that.

To keep your financial life in order on your trip, the best thing to do is create a budget. Once you have that established, the rest is really simple. Before leaving for paradise, stop in at any one of CFSC’s 200+ locations nationwide to conveniently load funds onto your prepaid debit card.

Money is instantly at your fingertips, and by carrying a prepaid debit card, you’ll enjoy knowing your money is more secure, as this card is safer than carrying cash. What’s more, you’ll be less likely to spend your money on wasteful items on vacation, so it helps you better manage funds.

✅ Traveling Abroad? Exchange Currency Before Take Off!

Currency conversion can be an unnecessary expense, and it’s one that you can avoid with some clever preparation for your travel. One of the most painful parts of international travel is the currency conversion process. Many banks, particularly those with international branches, will happily convert currency for you, but at a high price.

It’s always best to put many of your expenses on our prepaid debit cards. However, it is still very worthwhile to have some foreign currency on hand, and it’s wise to do so before you leave. Doing the exchange before you leave allows you to avoid the pain of having to deal with the higher exchange fees and limited options when you arrive at your destination.

CFSC can assist you with your foreign currency exchange needs, so that you can focus on what’s really important – your much-needed vacation. We swiftly and easily take care of the conversion for you, so you can spend your time abroad sightseeing and relaxing, instead of waiting in line to change money over.

CFSC offers foreign currency exchange so you can have your funds before you fly, and because we buy and sell currency for over 80 different countries, you’re almost always guaranteed to find what you need.

✅ Cash Your Checks Quickly and Without Hassle

There’s always so much to do when planning and preparing for your long-anticipated vacation. Your neighborhood CFSC wants to make your preparation as easy and painless as possible. After all, your vacation time is a well-deserved break from the hustle and bustle of everyday life!

We make it easy for you to cash checks without the wait and without the hassle. Our check cashing services extend to checks of any type, and you don’t even need a checking account. Checks can be cashed on the spot, so you can get to where you’re going and begin to relax and unwind.

✅ Set Up Electronic Bill Pay for When You’re Out Of Town

It’s easy to forget about finances while on a trip. Prior to leaving, be sure to do a quick accounting of the direct deposits and automatic withdrawals that will occur while you are away to ensure that your account balance does not dip into the negative range.

For most accounts – including credit cards, car loans, utilities and mortgages – setting up automatic payments is simple, especially with the help of CFSC. In fact, CFSC has a relationship with hundreds of billers.

CFSC makes getting your bills paid on time a breeze. Simply bring in your latest bill or account number, and our knowledgeable staff will help get you all set up. Taking this step will help you avoid late fees or suspended services if a bill comes due while you’re out of town.

And if you continue using automatic payment services, you can save time, paper and postage long after your vacation is over! Some companies even offer auto-enrollment discounts and perks as incentives for customers.

For the odd expense that can’t be paid automatically, be sure to send funds in advance of your departure date with our safe and secure money orders.

Before you hit the highway or take to the tarmac, it pays to get your money matters in order. Count on CFSC to help make your next vacation a worry-free one. To learn more, visit your nearest CFSC location today!