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The True Cost of a Vacation Is Downright Scary

A new poll shows how far we’ll go to go far away.

Jon Noble
Jon Noble
October 22, 2026 · 3 min read
Reviewed by Jacob Halverson, Director
The True Cost of a Vacation Is Downright Scary

How badly do you need a vacation?

Would you intentionally go into debt to get away from it all?

According to the just-released 2026 Summer Travel Habits survey of more than 1,000 U.S. adults, "8% [are] willing to go into debt and 7% [are] dipping into their savings and retirement funds."

That’s frightening because it’s unnecessary. There’s simply no reason to ruin your future to enjoy a week or two out of town. SavingsXL was built to make vacations affordable. The best way to illustrate that is to quote the Summer Travel Habits survey.

Saving money while having fun

While some travelers are willing to go broke to go away, the survey says some are simply vacationing less often: "Among Americans traveling less this year, nearly half (46%) say the reason is simple: They need to save money."

Instead of saving money by avoiding vacation, SavingsXL lets you save money while on vacation. For example, our hotel savings benefit offers you discount rooms at over 850,000 properties worldwide. Many include free cancellation, too.

Insuring your trip to ensure a good time

The survey also reports this:

As vacations become a priority for Americans, more travelers are protecting their investment. More than one-quarter (27%) purchased travel insurance for upcoming trips, while 19% who previously skipped trip protection say they’re changing their approach this summer.

The problems with travel insurance are well known: they’re intentionally complicated, it’s hard to tell if you get what you pay for, and they often don’t cover what you really need when you need it. SavingsXL turns that around by offering its members widespread protection in plain English:

  • Theft and hit-and-run protection — Up to $500 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of a person responsible for the theft of your covered vehicle, or for hit-and-run damage to your covered vehicle.
  • Lost luggage protection — If a carrier loses your luggage, we help ensure a fair and timely resolution of your claim.
  • Emergency cash protection — If your cash or credit cards are stolen while traveling 250 miles or more from home, you may receive a cash loan of up to $100 to cover immediate needs.
  • Emergency travel expense reimbursement — If your covered vehicle is disabled due to a traffic accident 250 miles or more from home, you may be reimbursed for emergency living expenses of up to $50 per day for three days while repairs are being made.

Road trip!

"Some travelers (13%) have even chosen road trips over flying to further save where they can," reports the Summer Travel Habits survey.

SavingsXL offers car rental discounts at more than 40,000 rental locations worldwide, with trusted providers and flexible booking options. There’s also free cancellation on most reservations up to 48 hours before pick-up.

Roadside assistance is a wonderful benefit anytime, but it’s crucial when you’re far from home in unfamiliar surroundings. Whether it’s a rental or your own vehicle, SavingsXL offers 24/7 roadside assistance for any vehicle you own, lease, or borrow — including towing, fuel delivery, battery jump-starts, flat tire service, and lockout assistance.

Last and most

Then there’s the SavingsXL telehealth benefit: 24/7 access to board-certified doctors by phone or video. Consultations for you and your family. Obviously, if you suffer a major medical crisis on vacation, you need to go to a hospital. But many times, you just need to ask a doctor a question. On vacation, why worry about a minor accident or illness when you can get the expert reassurance you need?

Finally, one last result from the Summer Travel Habits survey:

18% are cutting back on everyday spending to make travel possible. Dining out (55%), clothing/beauty (41%), nightlife/alcohol (31%) and little treat culture (31%) are some of the expenses they’re pressing pause on to pad their travel funds.

That’s too bad, because SavingsXL offers discounts on groceries, sports and event tickets, national merchants, and even magazine subscriptions. You can set aside money for a vacation without having to sacrifice at home.

Start saving with SavingsXL

One membership, 18 benefits. Most members save $1,300–$2,300 a year on the things they already buy.

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Site Disclaimer: All trademarks, logos, and brand names are the property of their respective owners. SavingsXL is a discount and saving curating Site that gives consumers access to discount products and services through a subscription plan. The discounts and savings are not provided by SavingsXL, rather all savings are provided by various independent third party service providers. Access to the SavingsXL's subscription plan is provided through SavingsXL's fulfillment provider. You understand and agrees that SavingsXL subscription plan fees cover the costs SavingsXL for curating the web and bringing the consumer with service and product discounts. You understand that other savings offers may exist that are not included in the various subscription plans provided by SavingsXL, or that the offers presented to you under any of our subscriptions may be provided elsewhere. You agree that savings benefits may change from time to time, or may be subject to availability by independent service providers. You must be a US consumer to use SavingsXL's site and Subscription Plan.

Discount Dental, Pharmacy and Vision Benefits Disclosure. This plan is NOT insurance. This plan is not a qualified health plan under the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Some services may be covered by a qualified health plan under the ACA. This plan does not meet the minimum creditable coverage requirements under M.G.L. c. 111M and 956 CMR 5.00. This is not a Medicare prescription drug plan. The plan provides discounts at certain health care providers of medical services. The plan does not make payments directly to the providers of medical services. The plan member is obligated to pay for all health care services but will receive a discount from those health care providers who have contracted with the discount plan organization. The range of discounts will vary depending on the provider type and services provided. The discount plan organization is Gallagher Affinity Insurance Services, Inc., at 2850 W. Golf Road, Rolling Meadows, IL 60008, 1-888-868-6199. To view a list of participating providers visit www.findbestbenefits.com and enter Promo Code 576710. You have the right to cancel this plan within 30 days of the effective date for a full refund of fees paid. Such refunds are issued within 30 days of cancellation. This discount plan disclosure is required by our plan administrator, Gallagher Affinity Insurance Services, Inc., and describes their own plan terms — you don't pay Gallagher separately for this benefit, as it's included in your SavingsXL membership fee. The 30-day cancellation and refund right above applies to Gallagher's discount plan terms only, not to your SavingsXL membership; SavingsXL membership fees are billed and can be canceled separately, anytime, under SavingsXL's own no-contract terms. You may elect, at your own cost, to modify or change this service directly with the provider, in which case their additional terms and conditions would apply.

*Potential savings based on regular use of the program's benefits. Actual savings depend on which benefits you use and how often — shopping, grocery, and entertainment savings in particular add up with frequent use. Some members save less. Benefits must be used to realize savings.