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There’s no doubt about it, taking a big trip is usually expensive. Whether you’re flying long haul to a paradise destination or backpacking around Europe, there are lots of costs involved. However, you don’t have to spend a fortune to have the best time. The key is to set a budget that you can afford and stick to it.
Here are some top tips for how to budget for a big trip.
Set an initial budget
First thing’s first, you need to set an initial budget for your trip. Decide how much you’d like to spend for your trip as a whole including spending money, flights and accommodation. Be sure to set an amount that is achievable and won’t put you into debt. It also needs to be enough to ensure that you’ll have an amazing time.
You also need to take into account your destination. Some places are just more expensive than others. For example, Thailand and Bali are notoriously cheap once you get there whereas countries like Iceland and Norway are very expensive.
Once you’ve done this, you can start to look at all the individual elements of your trip and work these into your budget. Click here for some tips on how you can stick to your budget.
Costs for flights
To budget for your flights, have a look at rough costs when you start to research your trip.
To find the cheapest flight for your trip, check out flight comparison sites like Skyscanner. On here you can set up alerts for when the prices for your flights go down. Also try signing up to emails like Jack’s Flight Club which highlight the best deals each week.
Be flexible with dates if you can. Often flights on certain days of the week or certain times of the month are cheaper so you can save money here.
Accommodation costs
Set a budget for your accommodation. If you’re moving from place to place during your trip then budget for your accommodation per night. This budget may change from area to area. For example, if you’re staying in a city, accommodation costs are usually higher than in more rural areas.
Try online travel agents like Booking.com and sort the search within your price range.
To keep costs down, try a hostel, rather than a hotel. Hostels are especially great if you’re travelling alone as you get to meet lots of new people. If you don’t fancy staying in a dorm room then lots of hostels have private rooms too. They’re just like hotel rooms but a little more basic.
To save a little extra money on your trip then check cash back sites like Topcashback to see if you can get any cash back on your accommodation booking.
Budget for meals each day
Split your spending money for the trip down by day and plan out what you are prepared to spend on meals. Remember that you’ll need breakfast, lunch and dinner and don’t forget to add some in for drinks throughout the day.
Research the average cost of food in your destination to help you set your budget and have a look at any restaurants that you definitely don’t want to miss while you’re there.
If you save money on one day, you can always roll this over to the next.
Set an activity budget
One of the most important aspects of your trip to consider is the activities. After all, here’s where you’ll have the most fun! Decide on what activities you want to do the most and work backwards from here. Try to stay as flexible as you can – you may change your mind once you’re there.
Locally run tours are often cheaper than ones run by travel agencies. The money you spend on local tours is often used in the local community too so it is more sustainable. Local guides will know the area best too, so it’s win-win!
Try free activities in the area too. One of my favourite things to do on a city break is to take a free walking tour (like this Venice one). It’s a great way to get to know your way around the city. You just pay the guide what you think the tour is worth at the end.
Hiking is also a great free activity, if you want to do something more outdoors. Just Google hiking in the area for routes or pick up a map.
