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Planning and Paying for a Senior Trip

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A rite of passage, a final vacation before adulthood, one last time to bond before college, a celebration for finishing high school, the senior trip is a very popular tradition. It’s gives family and friends the chance to have fun, make memories, and celebrate a major milestone of life.

Whether this is your very first senior trip, or your final one, it can be a lot to take on. Likely, your teen has a lot of expectations and hopes about the trip that you’ll want to meet. A simple short trip to Utah or a day at Bogus isn’t what they are looking for. They want something large; an adventure they’ll remember for the rest of their lives. Here are some ways to make sure their senior trip meets what they are looking for.
 

Talk with your Senior about the Trip
 

two black women talking on a couchCommunication is the first step in making sure what your teen wants and what you can do is in line with each other. If they are hoping for a month-long trip backpacking through Europe, but you can only afford a road trip to the Oregon coast, you need to talk.

Start the conversation by asking what they are hoping and expecting from a senior trip. This might be a simple concept like spending time with family and friends or having an adventure or it could be a detailed vision of what they are looking for. Take what they want seriously and try to boil it down to a few things they are very excited about.

Then, move the conversation to what is possible for you. Explain the restrictions for the trip that might make plans harder to accomplish. This could include a budget, time off from work, what you are comfortable with, and more. For example, if your teen wants to go on a spring trip to Florida with their friends and you are not ok with that, make sure it’s known early on.

From this conversation, and more in the future, you get a framework of what the senior trip can look like. You don’t need to get deep into details, but you can nail down the bullet points of what is and isn’t important to your senior.
 

Know Your Trip Budget
 

teenage boy writing in a notebookBefore you and your senior get excited about the trip, you need to look at your finances. Vacations are expensive, and if you are looking to make this one special, you should expect it to cost even more than normal. 

Look through your current savings and how much you can save before the trip. How much are you willing to spend on this vacation? What corners can you cut and luxuries can you skip to pay for the trip? 

Be honest with your soon to be an adult about these issues. Not only can it help them understand the vacation you end up taking, it’s a valuable lesson in adulthood. Sometimes, you have to take a less nice vacation in order to protect your savings.

Once you have a total amount for the vacation, you can start to hunt for deals and prices for the different destinations and activities you want to do. If you find that you can’t do a certain vacation within your budget, start looking at alternatives that are in your range.

Finally, if budget is a large barrier, encourage your teen to help with the expenses. They can get a part-time job, find ways to save money, or use some of their savings to help pay for it. This can help the trip be more satisfying knowing they were an adult and helped pay for it.
 

Finding Flights, Hotels, Activities, and More
 

With your budget locked in, you can start to get into the details of the trip. You can either encourage your child to be a part of this planning process or decide to take over and give them a fun surprise. 

With planning a vacation, there are a few common details you need to plan:

  • Where will you stay? (hotel, RV, hostel, Airbnb)
  • How will you get there? (flights, driving, train, boat)
  • What will you do there? (beach, sightseeing, experiences)
  • What will you eat? (hotel breakfast, restaurants, street food, groceries)

Planning out these details ahead of time can help focus your vacation and save money. If you are going somewhere on a trip where you can get around with public transport, you don’t need to rent a car. 

If you are looking to save money on many of these accommodations, Pioneer can help with our partnership with Go Away Today. Members can get discounts on flights, hotels and many major attractions through Go Away Today.
 

Who’s Going on the Trip?
 

teenagers smiling for a pictureSenior trips are often a first step into adulthood, and that should be understood and respected as their parents. This could include maybe not wanting younger siblings to come along, or taking a trip with just their friends.

Who is going on the trip should be a serious and adult conversation. If they want to go on a trip with just their friends, but you don’t feel comfortable with that, don’t just shut down the idea. Talk it through with them about your concerns and help them understand what is bothering you. Give them an opportunity to do the same and explain why they want to go on a trip with their friends. 

If you find yourself at an impasse on who is going on the senior trip, try to find a compromise. If they want a trip with just their friends, maybe suggest that a parent comes along to help them out as needed. If they want to get away from their younger siblings but that isn’t possible, instead offer to have time and activities on the trip they can enjoy without their siblings.

 

Saving Money for the Trip
 

It’s not easy paying for big vacations. You need to cut corners and costs where you can to make it happen. Find deals on flights, hotels, food, and everything else you can. If you have a Pioneer VISA credit card or a Rewards U checking account, you are earning Rewards points you can redeem to get gift cards to help with many expenses. Find ways to boost your income or cash in those reward points to save money.

You can also make some extra money during this time too. Do some gig work that can go straight to the vacation fund, sell some extra stuff you have around the house on Facebook Marketplace, or do a side hustle. You could also put your money with investments and savings. Pioneer offers Term Certificates with great rates that can earn you some extra cash both before and after your vacation. With six to seven month terms, you can get your investment with interest back right in time for the vacation.

Learn more about Term Certificates

Member Benefits
Term Certificates VISA Credit Card
Reward U Checking VISA Rewards

 

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