Photo by Christine Roy on Unsplash
Planning a vacation can be a lot of fun, with a bit of stress mixed in, as well. After all, vacations can be expensive. How much will the vacation cost, when can you travel, and will you be able to afford it are all considerations.
Fortunately, when you research and budget accordingly, vacation planning doesn’t have to overwhelm you or put you into debt. By doing a bit of research and planning, you’ll have more control over your choices and where to direct your funds for an enjoyable vacation.
Here are seven steps to plan a vacation while staying on budget.
1. Clarify Your Trip Budget and Your Saving Timeframe
First things first, you want to clarify how much you can budget for your vacation, as well as how long it will take you to save that amount of money. This step is critical and will impact the rest of your vacation planning, from where you will go and what you will do while there to when you’ll be able to travel.
When budgeting, plan for all costs, from travel and lodging to meals, souvenirs, events you’ll attend, and any other expenses you might incur. Consider the following potential expenses:
- Airfare
- Lodging
- Car rental
- Rideshares and taxis
- Gas
- Parking
- Passport fees
- Tolls
- Restaurants
- Groceries
- Snacks
- Shopping
- Entertainment
- Tours
- Souvenirs
- Theme parks
- Water rentals (and other types of rentals)
Once you know your budget, decide how long it will take you to save that amount of money so you don’t have to use credit cards and go into debt during your vacation.
2. Begin Saving
It’s no fun to continue accruing interest costs and paying for your vacation after it’s over. So, with your budget and timeframe to save determined, it’s time to begin putting the money away into a savings account.
3. Decide Where You’d Like to Travel
Now that you have a budget planned, you can begin making a list of the places of where you’d like to travel and begin researching how much it might cost to travel to those locations. To ensure you cover the bases, ask yourself questions like:
- What is the average cost of lodging in the location?
- What would we like to do for entertainment while there?
- What free options are available for fun and entertainment?
- How much are airfare and other forms of transportation to get to and from the destination?
- Will I need to hire a travel agent, or can I plan the trip myself?
- Do you need travel insurance?
There are many destinations that offer free and low-cost tours and entertainment options, so you don’t need to feel like you must spend a ton of money to make your trip fun and worthwhile. Do an online search for your specific destination options, or take a look at this resource provided by Ramsey Solutions to trigger ideas: 10 Cheapest Places to Travel.
4. Research the Best Flights and Lodging Options
Airfare and lodging are generally the two most expensive vacation costs you’ll have. When searching for airfare, you’ll find that the dates and days of the week that you plan to travel will impact prices. Play around with travel dates to determine which timeframes will allow you to get the best pricing. Many online sites offer low-fare calendars so that you can view the cost of airfare to and from a destination for each day of the week and month.
In terms of lodging, booking a hotel or condo is one way to go. You can also consider sites like Vrbo and Airbnb to get great deals on housing accommodations for your stay. Many online sites also offer package deals when you book airfare and lodging together.
5. Search for Deals
When you’re booking your vacation on your own without a travel agent, there are many sites you can use that offer deals and discounts on airfare, lodging, car rentals, entertainment, and more. As mentioned previously, many sites will offer a discount when you bundle and purchase your airfare and lodging together. This is also true when booking a rental car with your hotel or airfare. Some sites to review pricing and discounted options include:
- Travelocity
- Expedia
- Kayak
- Priceline
- Groupon Getaways
- Google Flight
- TripAdvisor
6. Plan Your Itinerary
Consider all you’d like to do while at your destination and make a list. From there, prioritize what you most want to do that fits within your budget and schedule it out to ensure you fit it in during your vacation. And, if you need to book anything in advance, you’ll be able to take care of that early, as well, to ensure you don’t miss out.
7. Book Your Trip
And finally, it’s time to book your flight, lodging, car rental, and whatever else you might need to book. Consider purchasing trip protection insurance if you’re booking far in advance.
While the thrill of instant gratification from waiting last minute to book your plans and figuring out how to pay for it later might feel good initially, it’s short-lived and can lead to unnecessary stress. That unnecessary stress, along with the acquired debt, can make your trip less fun and enjoyable. Conversely, using the seven tips above can help you avoid overspending and going into debt for your vacation, so you can enjoy it during, as well as the memories after.
Ronda Suder, MS, MA, MEd
With a background in HR, finance, communications, and mental health counseling, Ronda has 15+ years of experience writing for a variety of mediums and industries. As a writer, career advisor, and wellness advocate, she supports people and businesses in achieving their goals through the art of writing, storytelling, and consulting.