Lay-buy travel: A new, affordable and versatile way to pay for your next vacation.

Saving money to achieve a long-term goal, such as placing a down payment on a house or putting cash away to fund your child’s university fees, are understandably higher up on the average Joe’s priority list than saving for a holiday. The 20th-century psychologist Abraham Maslow, best known for his theory about the hierarchy of needs that motivate human behaviour, would likely agree.

 

Maslow theorized that people try to fulfil an advanced need once a basic need has been satisfied, but this is not always the case. Spending and saving habits vary across generations, and those susceptible to the powerful contemporary motivator known as FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) when it comes to, for example, travel could fall into a debt trap.

 

“Purchasing pricey items or experiences on a whim could lead to dire financial implications, so it’s unwise to fork out a large sum in the absence of proper planning and budgeting,” warns Vera Nagtegaal, the Executive Head of Hippo.co.za, a website offering a range of travel options including flights, car rental, holiday accommodation and travel packages.

 

“What if you could pay for your entire holiday in interest-free instalments, without breaking the bank?” Nagtegaal asks.

 

This is the premise behind the new lay-buy travel offering, which allows would-be travellers to secure the holiday of their dreams in a few simple steps online. The functionality enables consumers to adequately plan and budget for their vacation by locking-in early-bird deals up to 24 months in advance, she adds.

 

Nagtegaal says this is a consumer-friendly product, which lets people compare a wide range of local and international holiday packages or choose a custom package at an affordable rate and pay monthly premiums up until their desired travel date.

 

“The ever-increasing cost of living is making it difficult for South Africans to save money. In fact, data shows that household savings to disposable income stood at 0.2% per month in the fourth quarter of last year,” says Nagtegaal.

 

The good news is that with the introduction of lay-buy travel, you don’t have to choose between saving for a rainy day or going on holiday, Nagtegaal explains. “Consumers don’t have to create unnecessary debt either because you can pay a small portion of your selected holiday package upfront with zero interest.”

 

“Lay-buy travel is an experiential product that is affordable and versatile,” Nagtegaal adds.

 

“It allows you to compare and choose from a range of travel packages. You can then contribute to a package whenever you want or get outside help from friends and family. For example, guests attending a destination wedding can contribute to the special event; or they can contribute towards paying for a newly-wed couple’s honeymoon instead of buying a traditional gift,” Nagtegaal explains.

 

“We are always looking for smarter, cost-efficient offerings for our clients. As an online business, we look to solutions that alleviate hassle and can save consumers time and money,” says Nagtegaal.

 

The new comparison offering builds on Hippo.co.za’s existing travel portfolio, which will soon be broadened to include more than 200 000 local and international hotels.


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