SoFi Blog

If you’re already over the cold winter weather there’s some good news on the horizon: Spring break is almost here. Each year, millions of people pack their bags to head to sunnier, warmer places and live out their vacation dreams. You might think spring break is just for college kids, but guess what?

Not all travelers are 21-years-old and hoping to go to Daytona Beach in April. There are plenty of reasons to travel over spring break. You might be a teacher—whether that’s an elementary school teacher or a college professor—and you can only travel around school breaks. Or maybe you have kids in middle school, and you can only take a vacation during the children’s spring break.

Whatever your reason is for prioritizing a trip this spring, you should know that traveling doesn’t have to mean emptying your wallet. Here are nine places where you can do spring break on a budget.

People often think of a personal loan as being a lifeline for emergencies. Be it an unexpected trip to the hospital, a leaking roof that needs to be replaced as soon as possible, or that squealing sound your brakes are making before a long road trip, personal loans can certainly come in handy when you need them.

But can you use a personal loan for everything? What people don’t know is that personal loans are so much more than an emergency backup plan.

“Retail therapy” is a tongue-in-cheek phrase people often casually toss about, referring to the good feeling that can arise through shopping, a feeling that is often (but not always) short-lived. (This isn’t, it should be noted, an actual form of therapy!)

Sometimes, people pursue shopping therapy when they need to cheer themselves up, whether after a romantic breakup, a bout with the flu, or a tough day at the office. Other times, this kind of pseudo-therapy is used to celebrate a special occasion, perhaps a promotion at work or an engagement announcement.

This post will explore the psychology behind shopping for pleasure, versus shopping strictly for what you need. We’ll delve into ways in which retail therapy can be harmless and may be a release, along with some potentially negative impacts.

We’ll share tips on creating a budget that helps allow room for purchases that make you smile, as well as ways to free up your cash flow, and a strategy aimed to help dig yourself out of credit card debt that can arise with over-enthusiastic spending.

Millions of Americans are facing the realities of living with debt, as it continues to rise with record-breaking speed. High education costs, home loans, and rising credit card debt mean that most young families are juggling kids, career, and debt. For many, that balancing act quickly becomes overwhelming, with stress about bills and financial health eating away at their overall quality of life.

As debt rates rise, so do concerns about how debt and financial anxiety may impact mental and physical health. Feeling panicky about getting another bill in the mail and lightheaded when you see your account balance drop after your monthly student loan payment aren’t just symptoms of being a millennial, they may actually be symptoms of debt.

Research shows that your balance owed can negatively impact your sense of well-being, potentially causing a variety of emotional and physical issues. The bottom line is that the more stressed you are about debt and finances, the worse you’re probably going to feel overall, both physically and mentally.

If you have a passion for pimping your ride—whether that’s a car, truck, motorcycle, ATV or boat—then you already know how having a super-charged garage to work on, store or display your amazing vehicles would be ideal. Or, maybe it’s your dream to have a professional-level DIY workshop or garage for like-minded friends to enjoy.

Maybe the place where you park just needs a basic remodel or maybe you need to do more significant upgrading. Or, maybe your already-cool garage needs a brand-new look. Whatever your situation, possibilities are endless, doable by a creative person like you.

From shelving to flooring to lifts and more, creating a garage space that’s exactly right for your unique vision takes planning, and this post will take you from garage room ideas to finished product. Ideas to consider include how you’ll heat your garage, whether air conditioning makes sense, your water needs, preferences for garage lighting and more.

Discover what aspect of your garage remodel can provide close to a 100% return on investment, tips for working with professional remodelers, and ways to finance your project.