By Rebekah Hall, University of Arkansas Division of AgricultureLITTLE ROCK — With higher fuel and food costs, many families may be feeling stressed by vacation plans this summer.“There is a broad pressure to do something special during the summer, and it can be overwhelming,” said Brittney Schrick, extension associate professor and family life specialist for the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture. “People who are in middle- and high-income areas, school districts, communities or jobs are going to feel more of that pressure.”Schrick said parents who spend a lot of time on social media are also subject to extra pressure.“Research shows that people who are high-volume users of social media tend to have more of this social comparison mentality and tend to be less content with their own lives and less confident in what they can bring to the table,” Schrick said. “They tend to think more about what they don’t have, as opposed to what they do have. Social media can make this worse.”Rising Travel CostsWith high gas prices and increased food costs, what was once an affordable trip has become unfeasible for many families.According to the Travel Price Index, travel prices in April 2026 rose at more than twice the rate of overall inflation, with motor fuel prices rising 29.1 percent year over year and airline fares rising 20.7 percent compared with April of last year.“Doing a road trip used to be a cost-effective alternative for going somewhere far, or with a large family,” Schrick said. “You could drive for the cost of one or two plane tickets. Now, the cost of driving is potentially going to limit people from going.”Schrick said that missing out on vacation can be “disappointing and frustrating,” and that it can be tempting to take on additional debt.“It can feel really heavy, especially for parents who already may be struggling to meet regul...
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