SmartyPig

To Grandmother\’s house we go? It feels as though the majority of us have just unpacked our suitcases from summer travels. The thought of taking a trip for the holidays most likely hasn\’t crossed our minds. But before you know it, Thanksgiving will be here and soon after, the holidays. Problem is, the idea of discount travel – thanks to unstable gas prices – is now firmly in the rearview mirror.

Popping up across the web are sites like TripIt and Dopplr to help you plan and share your trip with friends and others from your area, sites like Trazzler to help you find the perfect trip based on your interests close to where you live and even GasBuddy, which finds the most inexpensive fuel, based on your location. And while these are all good ideas for hitting the road, what you really need is a way to get you where you\’re going in a financially sound way.

Putting your trip to Grandma\’s house on plastic will have the Big Bad Wolf in a mailman\’s clothing dropping big bad credit card bills in your mailbox for months. But if you use SmartyPig and create a goal for gas or plane tickets and maybe even your gifts, you\’ll have the next five months to make a dent in your holiday bottom line before it bottoms out – all while earning one of the most competitive interest rates in the country and cash boosts of up to 5% from America\’s top retailers and travel companies.

For many, spending the holidays with those you love most is a cherished occasion, an event that\’s anticipated for months. And when you save up with SmartyPig instead of racking up huge credit card bills, getting there can again be half the fun.