Beat the Holiday Price Hike: Book Early and Save!

As we approach the Summer Holiday Season, there's an undeniable buzz in the air – the anticipation of holiday gatherings and the excitement of embarking on unforgettable adventures. However, amidst the holiday cheer, there's a looming concern that could dampen our spirits: rising holiday prices.

This year, the cost of holiday travel and accommodation is undeniably on the rise, fuelled by various factors including increased demand, inflation and delays with new aircraft deliveries.  “This is something we’re observing with a slight average increase in the size of holiday loans that members are applying for when compared to last year.” Comments Jade Rennix, ANSAC Loans Officer.  “We’ve been seeing a good few holiday loans in the region of €3,000 to €5,000 this year.  In some cases, the members have been saving into their shares for their holidays however they’re running into unexpected shortfalls as a result of the rises.”

While ANSAC is here for members needing a holiday loan and our 6.9% Welcome Loan or 7.9% Annual Loan are good options, as always we do promote thrift and offer a few suggestions on how to curtail the high prices. 

10 tips on curtailing the cost of your holiday:

1. Book early. While you may have missed the early bird summer deals, if you’re planning to travel later in the year now is the time to act to avoid being caught in the grip of soaring prices.   This applies to your extras too like airport parking & luggage – it's usually cheaper and less stressful to book these well in advance than on the day you travel.
2. Set up flight price alerts. If you’ve a particular destination in mind you can use the flight price alert tools on the likes of Skyscanner or Kayak to notify you if there is a drop in price.
3. Think about travelling mid-week and be flexible with your dates. Often mid-week flights and train fares are cheaper that those at the weekend.  
4. Educate yourself on what travel websites offer loyalty programmes. Some offer free nights' accommodation or discounted rates on hotel and car hire for example.
5. Explore the voucher websites like voucherpages.ie which currently has a discount for Irish Ferries for example. Again, this may be for the more flexible traveller who isn’t tied to a particular destination.
6. Plan your restaurants ahead of time. It can be a good idea to plan what restaurants you’ll frequent in advance and even have your bookings in place. That way you’ll know you’re going somewhere reasonable with good food.
7. Take out multi-trip rather than single trip travel insurance if you’re away more than once in the year. Also be sure to shop around for the best deal.
8. Do your research on accommodation in advance. Some of the cheaper places can get excellent reviews and provide for a very enjoyable stay.
9. Bring your own grub to the airport otherwise you’ll find yourself off to an expensive start, especially if you’ve a few mouths to feed. 
10. Avoid paying conversion fees when taking out cash or paying while away. Select the “pay in local currency” option wherever possible.

Wherever you do end up for your next holiday, let's hope it's one to remember – without breaking the bank or should we say Credit Union. Happy travels and happy holidays!

Please note you can view our main online loan calculator here: https://ansaccu.ie/

You can also view our full loan range here: https://ansaccu.ie/our-loans