- Many Americans plan summer travel, often using credit cards, risking debt.
- Ashley LeBaron-Black advises against debt for vacations, encouraging saving instead.
- Travel tips include using frequent flier miles, finding free activities, and cheaper accommodations.
SALT LAKE CITY — Most Americans say they'll travel at least one night away this summer.
That's according to a report from NerdWallet previewing the summer travel season. However, nearly 9 in 10 surveyed said they plan to use a credit card to pay for it.
But you don't need to go into debt to have a memorable summer.
Don't do debt
Ashley LeBaron-Black, a family finance professor at Brigham Young University, doesn't like hearing that so many Americans plan to borrow money to go on summer trips.
"No," she said. "Don't do that to yourselves."
For LeBaron-Black, debt is a big "don't" — at least for trips.
"I think if people actually calculated how much money they will spend on something by the time it's all paid off, they would realize it's a bad idea," she said. "It's not worth it."
That's a philosophy that's worked well for Danielle Nokes, who lives with her husband and four children in Lehi.
"We never go into debt on a vacation," Nokes told KSL-TV.
But they still like to have fun each summer. In fact, this summer they've already made a list of things they want to do around Utah.
"I've actually never been to Lagoon," Nokes said, laughing. "I've lived here since college."
Many of her family's favorite activities involve exploring the area where they live, although that doesn't mean they don't travel. They recently went to San Francisco and drove up to see the redwoods.
"There's still the possibility like maybe we'll do like a short weekend drive to the Tetons or something close" later this summer, Nokes said.
But she tries to be purposeful with money and not spend dollars she doesn't have.
"I think if we didn't have the extra money for it, we would just take our time to save for it," said Nokes. "There's so many fun things you can do at home. Your kids will just remember spending time with you."
Tips for traveling on a budget
Many Americans do plan to travel this summer. Marisa Smurthwaite, who works at Morris Columbus in Salt Lake City, said while some travelers have backed off because of the economy, others are looking for ways to make it work.
"We're not going to just stop going on vacation because there's unsurety," Smurthwaite said.
There are ways to save money while traveling, she said:
- Use frequent flier miles or credit card points
- Find free things to do in the cities you visit
- Be willing to stay and eat at cheaper places
- Look around for flights
"You've got flights out of the Provo airport that are sometimes really great deals," Smurthwaite said. "If you're willing to do a little more work, take a little road trip — drive to Vegas or to LA and then fly from there — you can save yourself a lot of money on flights."
Whatever you do this summer, LeBaron-Black has the same advice she would share with her BYU students: be prudent and don't pay for a summer trip the way most Americans plan to, especially since some of them are still in debt trying to pay off last year's trips.
"It's just never a good idea," she said, "to go into consumer debt."
The NerdWallet study found that even though most Americans are using credit cards to pay for trips, they're also still taking steps to save. The most common, according to the study, are choosing a hotel based on price, using credit card points to pay for expenses and driving instead of flying.
