The Fourth of July is up there with Halloween as one of my favorite holidays. I love it so much that I have a Thomas Rebek water-color of the Boston Esplanade hanging in my bedroom. The weather is usually perfect, you often get a four day weekend of freedom from work, and the food… doesn’t everyone love barbecues?

There is only one problem, it can get expensive. As WCCO TV reports, food, fireworks, and travel are going to be more expensive this year. Everyone knows about the food and the travel expenses, but I was surprised to learn that fireworks are up 30%. I think you should skip the fireworks and leave it to the city. No only are they illegal in many states - why would you pay 30% for the privilege of losing a finger?

How can you lower the cost of the Fourth of July and still have fun? It helps to get creative. Here are a few tips:

Look to the Community
I noticed that a neighboring town is having a full day of activities starting at 8AM and carrying through to the 9:30PM fireworks. Activities are family friendly and this one includes a pancake breakfast, parades, dog shows, four concerts, and of course a barbecue. I’m sure the barbecue and pancake breakfast are going to cost a nominal fee, but they are for good charities. Chances are you live near a community that has similar activities.

Throw a Pot-Luck Barbeque
My mother always said that many hands make light work. When it comes to the Fourth of July, many wallets make for a cheap party. Get a bunch of friends and throw a party. Everyone should bring something. If you get enough people, each person can take advantage of bulk purchases at warehouse stores such as Costco. You can save a lot of money by buying 40 hamburgers at one time. If you are looking for some cheap foods, here is a great list of frugal Fourth foods (say that five times fast). As a final tip: Don’t get stuck as the guy who has to buy the beer if invited.

Try not to Travel, but…
If your plans involve traveling and it’s too late to change your plans, you can at least look to travel cheaper. Look for some ways to save on fuel. While on the road, keep your eyes open for cheap eats along the way. I recommend Taco Bell’s Fresco Menu - for around a dollar you can get a choice of a few options that are high in protein and low in fat. Lastly, please don’t add to any credit card debt to celebrate the Fourth of July. Credit cards can charge more than 20% interest, which compounds extremely fast.

You can skimp on a number of things; just don’t skimp on the fun.

Photo Credit: 1

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Lazy Man has been a lender at Prosper since February 2006. He is the author of the personal finance blog, Lazy Man and Money (where he wonders Is MonaVie a Scam?) and the health and fitness blog, Lazy Man and Health (extolling the virtues of Beer as a Healthy Drink).

If you’re considering taking a vacation this year, it may be a smarter idea to get a personal loan than rely on high interest rate credit cards. Rising gas prices have made travel almost prohibitive and you can easily run up a huge bill just filling your tank. Summer is the time to kick back and relax, not worry about how much you’re going to have to spend just to have fun.

A lot of people make the mistake of using their credit cards to pay for their vacations, not realizing how much interest they’ll be paying over the long term. When you join Prosper, you’ll be getting access to a new type of personal loan, one where you set the interest rates. If you’re credit is solid, p2p lending is the latest way to gain access to unsecured loans with great interest rates.

The entire process of using Prosper is incredibly easy and won’t take more than a few minutes. You’ll find that it is much easier than going to the bank. With today’s economic crises, getting a personal loan from a bank for your next vacation can be incredibly complicated, and few banks are willing to offer unsecured loans at this time.

If you’re ready to take that vacation, but you’re running out of options when it comes to funding it, p2p lending may just be the answer you’re looking for. With access to lenders all over the United States that are looking to provide you with great terms and a reasonable amount of time to pay back the loan. Suddenly, going on a vacation doesn’t seem that stressful or expensive.

Don’t let high gas prices keep you home this summer. There are many options available to you that will save you time and money. Instead of falling back on your credit cards and relying on them for your next vacation, consider going with a p2p lender with a great track record.

Prosper has much to offer for travelers and getting a personal loan is very easy. Once you set up your request, you’ll receive bids from lenders that would like to offer you a loan. It’s up to you to pick the terms you want to pay. You’re completely in control and will have many options available for personal unsecured loans at great rates. P2P lending is quickly becoming the wave of the future.

In the past, many people taking a vacation had to rely on their credit cards for their expenses. Everything from airfare to souvenirs goes on your card and pretty soon, you’re feeling the pain of those high interest rates. As more consumers become concerned about keeping their rates low and minimizing their debt, taking a vacation has been pushed to the background. However, there are many new ways that you can easily finance your next vacation without having to worry about high interest rates. If you’re looking for a personal loan from the bank, chances are they are going to want to have it secured with collateral. This is a process that many consumers would like to avoid, but unsecured loans have been waning in popularity with banks.

A new form of lending is now available that is called p2p lending, or peer to peer. This is a brand new type of financing that is available for those with good credit. Whether you are looking for a personal loan, an unsecured loan, or you just need some money to take that next vacation, a p2p loan may be the right answer for you.

The process of getting a personal loan from Prosper is incredibly easy. Once you’ve set up your account, you post your loan request, the amount and the interest rate you’re willing to pay. Lenders will bid on your request, and you’ll get to pick the one that has the best terms. If you need a larger amount, you may even have several lenders that are willing to go in with each other to meet your needs.

It’s important to blow off steam and many of us rely on our yearly vacations to kick back and have fun. However, with rising gas prices, travel options have been scaled back and many people are deciding to stay home. With a personal loan from p2p lenders, you’ll have the freedom to take that vacation you need without having to worry about paying high interest rates, or dealing with loan terms that are not to your liking.

The entire process of getting a p2p loan is actually quite quick. For those taking a vacation on the spur of the moment, or for those that may need to get money quickly for an unexpected emergency, these fast online loans make quite a difference. Traditional lending can take weeks to close, where as these p2p loans move much more quickly. This allows consumers the freedom to get a quick decision instead of having to wait weeks to hear back from the bank. This has greatly simplified and streamlined the process of getting a new loan.

Personal loans have been revolutionized thanks to the concept of p2p lending and Prosper is the leader when it comes to providing the best access to lenders from around the country. Don’t skip your vacation this year! Go with an easier way to finance it and go have fun.

As gas prices continue their march towards and beyond $4 a gallon, many Americans have been left wondering what to do about their annual vacation. It’s a tradition in this country to take a vacation during the summer or fall and recharge our batteries. However, this year, it has become so costly to go anywhere that many people are torn between relying on high interest credit cards to pay for their trip, or just staying home.

Thankfully, there are a few new options when it comes to financing your vacation. Instead of charging up your credit card and biting the bullet when it comes time to make those high interest payments, p2p lending offers a viable alternative. This is a new type of financing that is somewhat similar to going to the bank for an unsecured loan, but the process is much easier.

When you set up an account on a p2p lending site, you’ll be asked to submit your loan request. You’ll have the option of selecting how much interest you’d like to pay and what terms you’d like to have with your personal loan. Once that request goes live, p2p lenders will bid on that request, hoping to get your business.

That is a far cry from trying to get a loan at a bank right now. Many banks have moved away from offering unsecured loans, and the ones that do have made the entire process quite difficult and lengthy. The housing crisis and the economic crunch have made banks very wary and the availability of personal loans, particularly for something like a vacation, has waned considerably.

P2P lending is a great answer to this problem. Unlike a bank loan or your credit card, consumers have the freedom to set their own interest rate range and pick the terms that are most beneficial. Those with good credit will be able to get very low interest rates on their person loans and there is no need to worry about providing collateral.

With this type of financing, the consumer is in control and can pick the lender that offers the best deal. Much like a bank, you’ll have a set amount of time (3 years) to pay back that personal loan and you’ll make regular monthly payments. Unlike a bank, you have a lot more freedom when it comes to figuring out those terms. There is a lot of freedom when it comes to getting a fast personal loan on Prosper. The consumer is in control of how much they are willing to pay and this can mean significant savings.

In addition to these benefits, the whole process is streamlined, which means that consumers no longer have to wait for weeks on hand for a bank’s decision. In many cases, the entire process can take just a few days when you’re dealing with a p2p loan. This is a great option to get financing for their vacation.