Two Financial Things You Don't Want to Miss When Planning That Big Trip

A common goal many of our clients have is travel.  Sometimes it is the regularity of travel, sometimes it is a dream destination, and sometimes it is to take their family on a big trip to continue fostering relationships.  Whatever you dream of, it has been documented how rewarding experiences can be.  You can tell how our clients love to travel by the map of accomplished travel goals that Sandra spoke about.

My family was fortunate enough to have a recent trip to celebrate my grandmother, Pat Weil, in the Bahamas over the winter school break.  Twenty-nine of us spent time in the sun and fun.  It was a once in a lifetime experience that I will always cherish.  I was lucky not to be assigned any planning for the group but realized there were financial decisions I needed to make for my family of 4 before we left.  It is easy to get caught up in the impact of the flights, accommodations, entertainment, etc. Consider these two items before you leave to make sure you don’t have a surprise during or after your trip.

1. Emergency medical evacuation membership- An important thing to note is the word membership.  You can purchase insurance coverage, and it is usually less expensive, but if you have a complication, you may regret it.  With the membership we purchased through https://airmed.com/ , if any of the 4 of is hospitalized 150 miles from home they will provide all the necessary medical travel, equipment and personnel to transport us to the medical facility of our choice.  Important things to consider in the membership are:  Is there a co-pay? Is a move by your choice or does it have to be medically necessary? Do you have a choice concerning the specific facility in which to be transported? Do you get reimbursed or do they pay upfront? And finally, are you responsible for arranging travel details or is the membership company? 

2. Cell phone service- I use Verizon, but you must be careful and know the rules no matter who your carrier is.  Unless you are going to turn your phone off and not turn it back on until back in the states you could trigger some substantial fees if you aren’t careful.  At no cost, I added Travel Pass to both Susan and my plans.  With this feature any day that we sent or received a text or email abroad, we paid $10 for unlimited use on that phone.  If we don’t use our phones, we don’t get charged.  The alternative and default were $1.79 per minute, 50 cents per text sent, 5 cents per text received and $2.05 per MB of data. This would make incoming voice mail and texts very expensive if I accidentally receive them – let alone needed to make a call or send a  text message.

If you are planning a trip, I hope you have an incredible time!  Don’t get caught up in the itinerary details and have one of these unexpected, preventable expenses spoil your amazing memories.

-Marshall Rathmell-