Mommy Talk Show Candid Conversation with a TV Mom
June and July will be the months of road trips for our family. We just returned from Mississippi for our friend’s wedding. In July, I hope to meet one of my closest friends in Louisville, Kentucky since we haven’t seen each other in more than seven years. Our sons have never met and they’re the same age! To keep our family’s expenses down, my goal is to have debt-free travel. No credit cards. No “winging-it” with our bank’s debit card or credit cards. Thanks to VISA Clear Prepaid and Prepaid Visa® Rush Card for sponsoring this post so I can explain to you how the prepaid card works.
No one likes unexpected expenses, so I’m planning ahead to give our son a lesson on what he can spend on snacks and meals while we’re traveling. Although I usually pack a meal or two for the road trip, he’s used to getting a treat on the road. We’ll stop at a drug store to grab gummy bears or a fresh drink to stay hydrated. Children get bored on long car rides, so a short shopping trip can give everyone time to stretch and relax.
Driving round-trip to Jackson, Mississippi is approximately 700 miles. We also drove to see friends, family, attended the church wedding then headed to the reception. Our trip to Louisville, Kentucky is about the same distance. In total, we’ll be in the car more than 20 hours round trip. That’s a lot of snacking and drinking in the car that can really add up.
My husband has a horrible habit of misplacing his wallet in our home or on his way to work. Can you imagine if he lost it while we were on the road? To alleviate that stress I loaded cash onto the Prepaid Visa® Rush Card– even if he loses this, we’re covered under Visa’s Zero Liability1 fraud protection giving us extra security is he loses it. This way we’re less likely to use our credit cards and come home to unexpected bills. We can only spend what we have with the Prepaid Visa® Rush Card.
I ordered the Prepaid Visa® Rush Card online in a custom gold color. It took about seven days to arrive in the mail (so plan accordingly if you’re traveling). I added cash to it at the CVS in my neighborhood right at the checkout counter. I loaded $100 on the card just for meals and snack for our trips and with Rush’s flat monthly fee of $7.95, I know I’ll have the money I need for our trip. Then I’ll show our son along the way with the convenient Rush balance alerts, how much the balance is going down with each purchase, so he can determine if he’d like to keep spending or save up for a larger purchase along the way.
Talk back to me in the comments: How do you keep debt down when you’re traveling? Do you feel more comfortable carrying cash or a Prepaid Visa® Rush Card?
This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Visa Clear Prepaid and Prepaid Visa® Rush Card.
[1] Visa’s Zero Liability Policy covers U.S.-issued cards and does not apply to certain commercial card transactions, or any transactions not processed by Visa. You must notify your financial institution immediately of any unauthorized use. For specific restrictions, limitations and other details, please consult your issuer.
I’ve never considered a prepaid card, I typically just put the money in my savings . . . . . but when those unexpected emergencies come up I do find that I dabble in my savings a bit.
I was thinking of using a similar system to help us with gas/expenses on our way to Disney next summer. This maybe a great help!
I’ve never thought of a prepaid card for travel. Guess it’s the same mindset as using travelers checks. For us, we just budget really well, to specifics as to what we’ll eat each day and the activities we’ll participate in and stay within budget. It has worked well. We carry little cash tho when we’re traveling. This is def something to consider! Thanks for sharing!
-Natasha | http://www.lovelyyoublog.com
I have never thought of a prepaid debit card for travel, but think it is a wonderful idea! Thanks for posting this.
What a great idea – have never thought about using a prepaid card for traveling. Will definitely try this on our next trip!
I have not thought about using a pre-paid card for travel. I do not like to carry cash and only end up bringing a little bit. We mostly charge everything to our credit cards.
We just took a weeklong that free vacation to Florida. It feels so good to vacation and not have to come home to bills that need to be paid from an experience a month ago.
Love this system… my hubby and I tend to over spend quite a bit if we don’t have a set amount put aside… in a seperate place from the REST of the money!
Love this system… my hubby and I tend to over spend quite a bit if we don’t have a set amount put aside… in a separate place from the REST of the money!
That is a smart way to travel. We are heading out on a road trip on Saturday & should do this.
This is a great idea! It is SO easy to spend too much on vacation.
I should really take a prepaid card with us on vacation. I have a tendency to overspend.
We like to carry prepaid cards with us to use on gas while we’re traveling. They are safer than using your debit card at a gas station.
We take prepaid cards with us on vacation so we can buy gas with them. It is much safer than using your debit card at a gas station.
I think prepaid cards are great. It will totally keep you on a budget of your expenses.
How do you keep debt down when you’re traveling? We bring cash with us and I try to arrange visits ahead of time and use coupons if I can. I think I would feel comfortable using the Prepaid Rush card. It is probably better than carrying the cash.
This is such a good idea. I normally just use cash when I travel. I also try to stay at a place that has a kitchen so I don’t have to eat out.
I never considered a prepaid card. I’ll have to keep this in mind for next year’s big trip.
That definitely sounds handy for traveling. It would be nice to have one of these as a back-up plan.
What a great idea. I hadn’t thought about using a pre-paid card for travel, but this really does seem like a wonderful idea.
I think a prepaid card is a wonderful idea for travel. It is so much better than carrying cash around!
Prepaid cards definitely keep you within your travel budget! Such a great way to be smart about your finances
I do my best to make a budget and stick to it before traveling but often go over my limit. I can see a prepaid card being a great way to make sure extra spending is not an issue.
I love pre-paid cards when I travel. They’re a great way to keep tabs on things.
We actually carry some cash and our debit cards. I always try to carry as much cash as I would need to fill up my tank. This is a great idea though!
We actually carry some cash and our debit cards. I always try to carry as much cash as I would need to fill up my tank. This is a great idea though! Great post on Summer travel!
Debt free anything sounds great to me. I try to live debt free these days
We love having our budget all mapped out and we use our cards to do it too.
I try to plan ahead and have space available on our normal credit card. Not necessarily the best of ideas, but it never occurred to me to make sure it was completely available on a prepaid card. That’s something I’ll have to keep in mind for our next trip.
I’ve used prepaid cards for keeping souvenir purchases in check. I love the idea of using it for the entire trip. There’s nothing worse than the after-vacation bill opening.
A prepaid card is definitely a great idea for vacation. There’s no need to worry about whether a certain restaurant or gas station is in the area you’re headed. Visa is welcome almost everywhere.
Yes, it’s the only way to travel. I absolutely hate using my regular credit cards.
I love using prepaid Visa cards. They are great for travelling and shopping online. They make great gifts as well.
Your husband misplaces his wallet, I misplace my driver’s license. Crazy, right? But it’s good to take precautions financially, even if you’re not prone to a misplaced purse or wallet. 🙂
This is awesome! I love to travel, especially when it’s affordable.
I really like how you’re using it to teach your son about responsible spending. That’s really cool.
I know debt advice is to use cash whenever possible, but I don’t like to carry it, especially when traveling. I’d much rather get a prepaid card.
I have never thought of a prepaid debit card for travel, but its a genius idea! Thanks for this helpful post.
A prepaid debit card is a great idea! Definitely helps you stick to your budget.