6 simple steps to make your travel budget go further
We’ve all got jet-setting friends who always seem to be off on a new trip around the world. At times it feels as though they’re on holidays forever, and goodness knows how the pay for it all.
But we think if you broke it down, you’d find there’s not a huge difference between your finances and what they’re working with. They might just be a little better at the planning side of things. We’ve put together six tips for planning and budgeting your next trip. By incorporating some of these ideas into your trip planning, you will find your holidays will last longer than ever!
Go at the right time of year
Often with tourists locations there’s a peak season to visit. More tourists will be travelling to the destination and as a result prices for everything from hotels to airfares and even the meal at your restaurant can be significantly higher.
For this reason, it’s important to do your research when planning your trip and if you can be flexible go at a time where there won’t be too many tourists.
Pay attention to the exchange rates
When you’re figuring out exactly where you want to go it is definitely worth keeping an eye on the local exchange rage and understanding how our dollar is performing.
You may find that if our dollar isn’t facing too strongly against a particular currency it may be worth considering alternate plans that will give you a little more bang for your buck when you’re headed overseas.
Figure out how much you’re going to spend before you leave
If you set an upper limit on the amount you want to spend before you leave, odds are you will be able to find it easier to reign in your spending. Get a pen and pad out and make some estimations as to how much everything is going to cost before you set your plans in stone.
By doing this, it will probably also be easy to identify areas in which you can actually save some money.
Figure out a daily budget and stick to it
Have a frank discussion with yourself about what this trip is and what you actually want to achieve out of it. Is it going to be a cheap jaunt through South East Asia or a luxurious exploration of Europe?
By figuring out what your daily budget is and how much money you can afford to spend on a daily basis you will be well placed to make sure your spending doesn’t get out of hand while overseas.
Research and explore alternate routes
If you’ve been budgeting your trip out and you’ve started to come to the conclusion that this one might be a little bit out of your price range, don’t be afraid to do a little bit of extra research and explore some alternatives.
You’ll probably find there are some alternative trips that are available that won’t cost you nearly as much to embark upon and give you plenty of loose change to enjoy.
Make sure you have enough money to be flexible
That being said, it’s important to have a good time when you’re away on your trip and in the end of the day money is just money.
What’s more important is having an amazing experience while you’re away, so when you’re budgeting your trip out make sure you include enough money to be flexible in your trip and be taken by any whims that might catch your fancy while abroad.
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