4 Ways to Prepare for Holiday Travel Now

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As the holidays grow nearer, you’ll want to do everything possible to get your travel plans sorted out in advance. Planning all the details of your travel well before the holidays can save you a lot of time and stress and will allow you to enjoy the season better. Here are four things to do now to prepare for holiday travel.

1. Book Travel for Nonpeak Days

Certain days around Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Eve are known to be especially bad for travel, as airfare is usually more expensive and crowds are heavier. The Wednesday before Thanksgiving is one of the worst days to travel, but you can possibly save time, money and hassle by arranging to leave the prior Monday. You can also cut travel costs by not flying out the weekend before Christmas or trying to return home the weekend after the holiday. Flying on Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s days can also save a lot of money.

2. Stretch Your Dollar

By finding ways to cut daily expenses, you’ll be able to stretch your dollar better and apply more money toward your holiday travel. The pre-holiday season is an excellent time of year to cancel unused subscriptions and consider finding cable TV, phone, and internet providers that offer better deals. Cutting costs on gas, groceries, and clothing can also help. In addition to saving money, you can try making some extra cash by listing unwanted items for sale online or selling any arts or crafts that you know how to make.

3. Get Necessary Auto Repairs

If your travel plans call for a road trip or you choose to drive your vehicle to the airport, it’s important to get all car repair work taken care of in advance so that you won’t have to deal with any unexpected breakdowns over the holidays. Any oil changes, tire rotations, or brake replacements that need to be performed should be handled by professional, experienced mechanics. It’s also a good idea to have an inspection of your vehicle performed to identify any underlying problems that should be addressed right away. This will ensure you don’t have to handle costly repairs or call a tow truck as you’re scrambling to get to a holiday gathering.

4. Make Sitter Arrangements

If you have any pets that need to be cared for while you’re away, you should try to find a pet sitter who will be available during the holiday season. Because many sitters will also be making plans, you want to line someone up in advance. You can also arrange to have a house sitter look after your property while you’re gone, and this can be an especially wise decision due to the fact that the number of home burglaries is sometimes known to spike during the holiday season.

Planning for holiday travel in advance can make life much easier for yourself and your family. Allowing yourself enough time to handle all the arrangements may also keep you from overlooking any important details. So take the time now to make preparations, and when the holidays arrive, you will find yourself much less stressed.

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Brooke Chaplan

Brooke Chaplan is a freelance writer and blogger. She lives and works out of her home in Los Lunas, New Mexico. She loves the outdoors and spends most of her time hiking, biking, and gardening.

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