Have you been saving up for the trip of a lifetime? If you are going for a month, 6 months or a year, you need to always manage your budget well. Have your budget clearly planned out before you go in order to turn your dream trip into reality.
Plan Your Dream Trip
Research the amount of money you will need for your full trip. The key to a successful travel budget is in the planning so take the time to plan your trip well. Research the areas you want to go and make a list of all the things you want to see and activities you want to do. Take into account the countries you want to go, what you want to do, what you want to see, transportation, food, accommodation etc. Once you have a clear plan in your head. Add up the approximate cost of your dream trip.
Research
Once you know the approximate cost of the trip, add a little extra for any emergency. The next step is to split the full amount into a monthly, weekly and daily budget. Try to think about how much you will need to spend each day. Some locations might not be as expensive as others so be sure to take this into account in your daily budgets. Be as honest as possible when you are doing this. Think of your meals, trips, tours, entrance fees etc. Try to stick to your daily budget as much as possible during your trip.
Be Smart
Look online for any deals for trips or tours. Research tours before you go and book them in advance for better deals. We love the tours offered by Adventures here at OnTheQT and they are great if you are thinking of solo travel.
Think of alternative transportations
It’s very easy to book a flight for long journeys but think of alternative transportation too such as trains or cars if possible for you trip. Sometimes alternative transportation might work out more reasonable. Research the price difference before you make your purchase. Also by renting a car or taking a train journey, you will be able to relax and enjoy the views looking our the window. Places you would have never seen otherwise.
Food
Sometimes early bird menus or cocktails hours give you good value for your money. Allowing you to have a great experience and keep within your budget. Also try not to fall into the tourist trap of eating in the main tourist areas as it will be more expensive. Try to see where the locals eat as you will more then likely get better value for your money and you will have a more local experience.
Keep track of your budget
Always keep an eye on your accounts during your trip with online banking. Make sure you aren’t going through your savings too quickly as you need it to last the full trip. You can also go a step further and get a pre paid card. This is a card where you can put a certain amount of money into it which means you can’t spend more then that and it will help you keep to your budget. An Post and other companies do these cards and they are a great way of making sure you don’t spend over your budget plan.
