Debt Reduction Advice | Debt Reduction Advice

The summer is here and while some of us are busy with bad credit repair, others are thinking about going on vacation and trying to figure out, perhaps for the first time, how to do that without a credit card. Fear not, though. Here are a few tips will let you relax, even after the bad credit repair service has taken away all your credit cards:

Use Traveler’s Checks

Before credit cards and ATMs became popular (and before anyone ever heard of trying to repair bad credit history), American Express was offering traveler’s checks which were and still are accepted worldwide. The checks are signed by you at the time of purchase, and then they are meant to be signed again in the presence of the person you are handing the check to. The signatures can then be compared and the check thus honored. While traveler’s checks aren’t as popular today as they once were, they can still be purchased from banks, AAA offices, and a variety of check cashing places. None of these places will care one bit that you are busy trying to repair bad credit score numbers.

Use your Bank Debit Card or a Prepaid Debit Card

If you still have your bank debit card and you have money in the account, you can pretty much use it the way you would use a regular credit card. Unfortunately, however, we find that some people who are trying to repair bad credit will also have their bank accounts closed or frozen if any action has been taken against them. In those cases, many stores now sell “prepaid” Visa or Mastercard debit cards which can be used the exact same way that a regular credit card is used. You should be able to purchase airline tickets and pay for food with them. However, be aware that you may be stuck with public transportation as most rental agencies will require at least a debit card in your actual name.

Stay with Friends of Couch Surf

If you are working with someone who will help repair bad credit, there is a good chance that money is tight at home. You can save a bundle, and you won’t have to worry about how it will affect your efforts to repair your bad credit because couch surfing is strictly a “pay it forward” kind of place where your only payment is supposed to be that you’re a conscientious guest and that you open your own home sometime to someone else, perhaps even someone else undergoing bad credit repair.