Want to Forget About Money While on Vacation? Three Budgeting Tips to Help You Plan in Advance
When you’re dreaming of your upcoming vacation, worrying about money every time you pay for a meal is probably not what you have in mind. But even if you have the best intentions to relax while you’re on holiday, money worries can creep in if you haven’t prepared adequately for the financial side of things. Here are my three budgeting tips.
Preparing doesn’t mean getting a head start on worrying. Rather, try these tips to get your travel budget in order well ahead of time. (Who knows, you might even be able to afford those new wireless headphones for your flight…) and if you need to Send money to the Philippines ahead of time then you will need to be sensible about when and how you should do this to ensure the best outcome for you and your travels.
Grab a Bargain
Getting a great deal on your biggest expenses, like flights and hotels, could mean that the overall cost of your vacation is significantly lower than expected. Whether you grab an american airlines senior citizen discount or spot an advanced hotel deal advertised in a travel newsletter, grabbing those flights and accommodation deals when they come up could make a significant impact on your budget.
While scanning the web for travel deals can be time-consuming, securing a great deal on your flights or accommodation could potentially knock hundreds of dollars of your expected total. Once you’re at your destination, those savings could make the difference between having to count every cent and being able to enjoy your vacation without quibbling over a few dollars here and there. Another Margarita on the beach, anyone?
Research Cost of Living
Whether you’re heading to Portugal or Peru, nothing spoils a relaxing vacation like the feeling that you’re being charged inflated prices because you’re a tourist. While feeling like you have been ripped off is often an indication that you are in fact being taken advantage of, it’s useful to remember that this feeling can also be a result of having an unrealistic sense of what everything should cost in your destination country. A key part of planning a vacation budget should be getting your hands on accurate information about the cost of living in the place you’re going to visit. This includes everything from accommodation to transport and food.
Budget for the Language Barrier
Bear in mind that sometimes ‘touristy’ prices are actually fair. For example, if you’re going somewhere where most people don’t speak English, you may be expected to pay more for a hotel room at a hotel that has bilingual staff, or a taxi ride that has an English-speaking driver. Hospitality staff members’ language is a skill that they have had to acquire, often at great cost, and it’s right that they would charge for the enhanced service offered to tourists.
If you’re visiting a place where English is not widely spoken, you may also need to hire a guide or a translator to help you on your travels, especially if there are cultural attractions or historical sites of particular interest to you. It’s best to plan for this expense in advance to avoid throwing your budget off once you arrive.
Your vacation should be a time to kick back and forget about the concerns of the real world. These tips will help you keep that big real-world concern (money) far away while you’re on holiday.
12 Comments
Mary Gardner
These are great tips for a budget friendly vacation. I spend quite a bit of time researching the area and cost of living before we travel.
Diane K. Brimmer
I really like the information you have given. It helps to plan ahead so that there are no added major surprises in your vacation. Thanks for sharing this informative post.
Rosie
This is good information, as hopefully, someday, I’ll be able to go on a nice vacation. I want to know how to be prepared so it will be a good time!
Tamra Phelps
I’d be glad to do the research as long as I get a vacation. When all ‘this’ that I’m going through right now is done, I need a vacation.
Shannon
Thanks for all these great tips! I will use them on my vacation.
Kate Sarsfield
In many ways I’m lucky as I travel solo. As long as I stay in relatively safe areas then I can go when or where I want!
Rosie
This is good info. I have assumed they would take one look and figure out you are an American tourist, and don’t have a clue, so pay triple or more.
Diane K. Brimmer
I am commenting on here again because I have commented on everything else. It is some really good ideas on where to start saving and planning on your trip. By planning a head of time you can save yourself a lot of money and cute the last minute expenses that you would be charged. Also planning to go when it is not a high tourist time at the destination.
Kate Sarsfield
Another Margarita on the beach, anyone? Oh, yes please, Connie!
Crystal K
All sound advice…and who doesn’t want to forget about money on vacation?!
Diane K. Brimmer
Excellent advice! My daughter, her husband and three kids just flew out to see her sister and the got a great deal on flights. They ended up paying 609.00 for 5 tickets round trip. When we went about 12 years ago we rented a house with 6 bedrooms for 10 days. We split the cost into 5 and it was really quite cheap. We had a pool, our own room, 4 bathrooms,Kitchen to cook in, washer and dryer. Oh and to boot we were within distance of Disney. Got to watch their fireworks from the front yard.
Tamra Phelps
I never thought of some of these things. It sounds like good advice to me.