Here’s how to plan a debt-free vacation

Whether you’re planning a trip to a country across the globe or packing the car for a weekend road trip to a local campground, you can have a debt-free vacation with some careful planning.

Start with a clear idea of your trip’s scope and create a realistic spending limit. Then get creative to trim costs along the way.

1. Save over time. Even saving $25 or $50 a month will help make your trip more affordable. Make sure the amount you’re setting aside will provide you with enough vacation cash.

2. Make a friendly budget: If you run the numbers and find you can’t swing that vacation without overspending, think about shelving the trip for a few months and saving more money.

3. Make the most of your credit cards: If you don’t have a travel credit card or a cashback card yet and your trip is six months or more away, consider looking into cards with a sign-up bonus that may cover flights or lodging.

4. Watch hotels like a hawk: Lodging is one of the most costly parts of a vacation. Shop strategically to lower your hotel costs, including monitoring prices and booking rooms during off-peak periods.

5. Use apps to f ind cheap flights: With the smartphone app Hopper, for example, you can enter the general parameters of your itinerary, and it will track prices over time and alert you when the cheapest flight is available. Google Flights provides a similar service. — Nerdwallet