How to Build a Travel Budget & Take The Trip of Your Dreams
A good budget can make or break your trip. It’s not always fun to think about, and it requires a bit of planning, but it shouldn’t be a very stressful process. Below are a few categories that are important to include in your travel budget and - in cases where it’s possible - how to save a bit of money.
Before your trip…
PASSPORTS & VISAS
If you don’t have a passport, you’ll need to get one. In the US, the cost for a new adult passport is $165, more if you’d like expedited service. Visa costs vary from country to country, so be sure to check your destination and see what the costs, if any, are.
Ways to save: Unfortunately, none.
VACCINATIONS & TESTING KITS
Vaccination costs will again vary depending on where you’re headed and what shots you need to get. This budget line is also where you’ll want to put any medications you may need to take while you’re on the road, like antimalarials.
Currently, the US requires that all travelers returning to the US submit a negative COVID-19 test within 24 hours of their flight. These tests must be observed by a health professional, who will then issue a health certificate. At-home kits with telehealth are pricey, but convenient and allow you to do the test at your lodging without having to hunt down a clinic, or wait in line at the airport. This is the one I’ve used, and it worked great!
Ways to save: Generally speaking, getting tested at the airport before departure, or going to an in-country travel clinic for your COVID test will be cheaper, but it can also be a huge inconvenience. It’s up to you to determine whether or not convenience is worth the cost of an at-home testing kit.
TRAVEL INSURANCE
I can’t stress it enough - get travel insurance! Hopefully you won’t need it, but if you do it can be a life-saver. I like to use Squaremouth to compare policies.
Ways to save: Squaremouth makes it easy to compare pricing from various companies. However, this is one place where I wouldn’t skimp. Make sure you have coverage for the things you need.
LUGGAGE/CLOTHING/TRAVEL GEAR
I’ve found that no matter how much I travel, there’s always something that I need to purchase before my trip, whether it’s a replacement for something I already own, or a new piece of gear to solve a problem I’ve encountered on past trips.
Ways to save: Try to buy only what you truly need. It’s easy to let this category balloon out of control!
On the road….
ACCOMMODATIONS
Accommodations are often the largest part of the budget. Make sure that you’re accounting for everything here. For example, if you know you like to dip into hotel minibars, include that in your budget. And don’t forget to create a budget line to tip the nice folks who come and tidy your room every day.
Ways to save: There are a ton of ways to save in this category, ranging from using AirBnb rather than traditional hotels, to housesitting in exchange for free housing. Explore all of your options to see where you can shave your budget.
FOOD
This will be another big expense, but it’s often easier to shave down costs in this category than in accommodations. Plan out how many meals you plan to eat, then add in a little more for snacks, treats, and things like bottled water.
Ways to save: Stay at an AirBnb or VRBO and cook at your rental. If you’re curious about a higher-end restaurant, have lunch there instead of dinner. If the weather is nice, go to a grocery store to buy supplies for picnics, rather than eat at a sit-down restaurant. Limit your alcohol intake.
TRANSPORTATION
Try to think through what transportation you may need once you get to your destination. Will you need to rent a car? Or will you rely on public transportation? Be sure to add this into your budget, and pad it a bit in the event of any unexpected needs that may arise (i.e. you get caught in a bad rainstorm and decide to take a taxi back to your hotel).
Ways to save: Consider using public transportation rather than taxis or Uber. If you’re renting a car, bundling you rental with your hotel and flights can often save you some money.
ACTIVITIES
Will you be taking tours? Visiting museums? Think about the things you really want to see and do while you’re on your trip, and add those to the budget!
Ways to save: Many cities offer free walking tours, so do some research. Many places also offer bundles of their most popular tourist attractions that can cost less than if you were to purchase tickets separately for each. You can also do a search for the activity you want to do and add “discount code” after the search term to see what comes up.
TIPPING
Not all countries have a tipping culture, so it’s worth it to do some research. But even in places that don’t traditionally tip at, say, restaurants, I leave something for the staff that tidied my hotel room each day.
Ways to save: This is an area where you should be as generous as possible.
SOUVENIRS
If you’re the type that likes to shop for items to bring back home, set a budget for this. Don’t forget to include any gifts you may want to bring back for friends, family, and co-workers.
Ways to save: For smaller gifts, I really love going to a local grocery store when I’m traveling! Not only is it fascinating to see what products are available in other places, you can also pick up nice food gifts at a fraction of the cost you’d find in a “tourist” shop.
INCIDENTALS
There are always going to be a few surprises when you travel, so it’s a good idea to make a budget line of a couple hundred dollars to cover unexpected expenses.
Ways to save: None. Better to be prepared than to regret it later!
hi there, I’m angi the founder of roam & gather. My mission is to curate joy-centered, small group journeys that are relaxed, intimate, and rooted in culture, community and slowness.
Roam & Gather is a small travel company offering soul-nourishing, curated travel experiences that help connect people with global communities, like-minded travelers and themselves.
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