Summer Travel Guide: Tips for Rolling a Summer Vacation into Summer Relocation

Economic stimulus money has been released to states from the Obama Stimulus Plan package (ARRA) and some Americans have been fortunate enough to find new jobs and will relocate to a new area. Vice President Biden promises that the federal government will do more in the coming weeks to release additional economic stimulus money faster that will help create new jobs. While the bad economy and the jobless rate still dominate American life going into the summer equinox on June 21, we are among the lucky Americans who after losing jobs 5 months ago, are now looking forward to relocating to a new state after having found a job.

We did not plan to take a summer vacation since we were saving every penny just to pay bills and plan for summer relocation if needed. Now that we can plan for summer relocation, we have also found ways to roll a summer vacation into the summer relocation. Here are some useful tips for helping you enjoy a summer vacation while relocating to another job destination.

Have Summer Vacation Time While Relocating by Using A Moving Company

We contacted all the do-it-yourself moving truck companies to get costs and details for renting our own moving truck and moving supplies. We built a relocation budget with the cost of the truck rental, moving supplies, gasoline, and cost of paying some helpers load and unload the heavy items. Just for comparison, we also contacted three local moving companies to get costs based on moving with 4,000 pounds of stuff from a 2-bedroom 1,100 square foot apartment. Keep in mind, we do not have our own appliances, but the moving company quotes are based on weight. Moving companies, like most American businesses in this bad economy, are struggling and have some amazing special deals to get your business.

We were shocked to learn that our total costs for using a moving company were LESS than moving ourselves with a rental truck. Not only were the actual moving costs less, but also, one moving company offered to store our stuff for one free month while we found a place to live. They would then move our stuff to our new home at no extra charge! The only difference that would cost $300 more was towing one of the automobiles. Moving companies do not tow vehicles on the back of trucks, but they do subcontract with vehicle movers. The cost for a moving company to send my car to the summer relocation destination is $700. That is a few hundred dollars more than towing it myself or driving it myself. The trade-off is allowing us to relocate with one vehicle so we can have some summer vacation time along the way. It is worth the extra $400!

This may not be the case for your summer relocation budget since all the costs depend on the weight of your personal items and the distance between locations, but it is definitely worth researching so instead of you doing all the work, someone else can and you can enjoy some summer vacation time during your summer relocation.

Take Advantage of the Summer Vacation Fee-free Weekends in U.S. National Parks

There are a couple of hitches to this National Park deal, but we plan to combine a summer vacation into our summer relocation over one of the three weekends that the U.S. National Parks are offering fee-free weekends: Father's Day June 20-21, July 18-19, and August 15-16. Camping, RV space and other fees are not waived, and some National Parks do not charge admission anyway, but there are over 100 U.S. National Parks that are part of the summer vacation economic stimulus program. Still, we plan to camp at some U.S. National Parks for $10 a night to help roll a summer vacation into our summer relocation. Check out the U.S. National Park Service website for more information.

File Your Unemployment Benefits During Your Summer Relocation

Most states now offer a debit card that loads automatically with your unemployment benefits if you file and remain qualified for unemployment money each week. You can receive unemployment benefits while and after moving to another state as long as you still meet the qualifications of your original unemployment compensation state agency. You can file up until the day you start your new job. You can also file for unemployment benefits if you are doing part time work along the way to your new home. Make sure you have some way to access your state unemployment agency from the Internet to make it easier for you to file while you are traveling. These economic stimulus benefits will help you pay those relocation expenses so you can have a little extra fun and roll a summer vacation into summer relocation. Now, the first $2,400 of your unemployment benefits are tax free, so you want to get all the help you can during your summer relocation.

Join AAA or AARP for Special Summer Vacation and Summer Relocation Deals

If you are not already a member of AAA or AARP, you may want to pay the minimal membership fee and join to take advantage of special travel deals that will help roll your summer vacation into your summer relocation. These travel clubs are also useful for emergency road services, home repair services, and retail store discounts if you are on a limited budget while relocating. Both AAA and AARP can help you with pet friendly travel locations, summer vacation pet safety tips, and tips for summer travel with children. Check travel sites like Expedia, Travelocity, and Priceline for special deals on summer resorts, hotels and motels. Be sure to check these and other local area web sites along your relocation travel route for free summer festivals, state park information, local summer tour information, and local attraction information.

Check Crime Statistics in Local Areas and Check Your Insurance for Theft Coverage While Traveling

You may not think this is important while you plan your summer relocation trip, but in a bad economy, getting your personal stuff stolen during relocation is more common than you may think and could easily ruin your summer vacation. Two different families in the Salt Lake City area recently woke up in their hotel rooms to find their moving trucks and towed cars gone. Make sure you contact your renters or homeowners insurance company to verify what kind of coverage you have if this happens to you. Check the Neighborhood Scout web site to get local crime statistics for areas along your summer relocation travel route.

Sources:

Obama Stimulus Plan: State Results and IRS Implications You Might Not Know
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1798266/obama_stimulus_plan_state_results_and.html?cat=62

Biden Says Stimulus Package Will Pick Up Pace
http://www.boston.com/news/politics/politicalintelligence/2009/06/biden_says_stim.html

Summer Fee-free Weekends in U.S. National Parks
http://www.nps.gov/findapark/feefreeparks.htm

AAA
http://www.aaa.com/

AARP
http://www.aarp.org/

Expedia
http://www.expedia.com/

Travelocity
http://www.travelocity.com/

Priceline
http://www.priceline.com/

Neighborhood Scout
http://www.neighborhoodscout.com/wa/spokane/crime/