AMARILLO, Texas (KAMR/KCIT) —Summer is only a few months away, and with it comes vacations and travel. Amarillo National Bank manager Adrian Meander said that although vacations are important, people should first set up a timeline and begin budgeting before they book any summer trip.

“For those who don’t know how to budget for vacation, you set a timeline you set a goal, you pick a destination. Once you pick your destination that helps you set the amount of budget that you need to travel for your summer vacation,” said Meander.

He added that completing all of these steps allows you to know how much you need to set aside and how long you have to save for it.

“A lot of times, travelers use their credit cards for their vacations to travel, I’d recommend mostly using your credit card for emergencies, for unexpected things while you’re traveling. For example, if you’re traveling by car, you may have car problems. If you’re traveling through airlines, sometimes your luggage is large, you need to buy clothes you need to buy things like that to make up for the unexpected expenses that happen,” said Meander.

Meander added that when traveling it’s best to carry small amounts of cash or a cash card.

“I just recommend any time that you’re traveling, making sure you stay safe with your money, stick to your budget. Let your local bank know that when you’re traveling. That way, if you’re using your credit card or your debit card, if things happen if they’re lost or stolen, contact your bank, we could shut it down right away. That way no more other fraud could happen,” said Meander.

Meander said that the best way to cut the cost of summer vacations is by researching your destination and narrowing down what activities you will be doing at that destination.