Planning a trip is a huge ordeal. There are always unexpected purchases that pop up at the worst possible moments. You can establish a budget and plan your outfits months in advance, but to be honest, there’s a lot of work beyond that, and it’s the kind of not so fun work you need to do for a successful trip. In the attempt to simplify, here’s a guide for trip planning and the fiasco that sometimes comes with it.
Know Your Budget
Decide on a total dollar amount that makes the most logical sense for your travel plans. Are you going to be setting aside a percentage of your paycheck every week for the adventure or are you already saved-up and ready to go? In either case, knowing the dollar amount will give you a starting point to divide up your expenses. Create a list of all of the expected purchases you’ll be making and jot them down into their own separate categories. You’ll want to think about food, shopping, flights, rental cars, and any other anticipated costs associated with your trip. Having these essentials spelled out will keep you from worrying about where exactly your money is going as you go through your trip. If your budget only calls for a cheap but fun family vacation, go the unconventional route with RV traveling.
Save Even More
Like we said earlier, there are always unexpected costs associated with traveling. Do what you can to make a little extra so that you’re prepared when these surprises arise. Unsubscribing from your TV streaming services, cutting back on coffees to go, and breaking up with your gym membership, are easy ways to generate cash reserves for when the time comes. You can even find ways to save automatically using TrueBill. Nervous you might waste all your money on the wrong destination choice? Find out what travel experts have to say about it on Oyster before you splurge on your vacation. You can also gain more peace of mind by looking into travel and vacation insurance just in case everything comes crashing down.
No More Restaurants
Until travel day, make a commitment to eat your meals at home. You’ll save more money buying basic groceries than you will by going to that sushi place you love. You can really cut down on costs by being strategic with your grocery purchases. Consider curries and casseroles as easy staples that allow you to reuse ingredients and minimize the need to purchase extra food. Be smart and buy bulk rice, a bag of potatoes, and bouillon cubes instead of soup stalk. There’s no need to slurp up bowl after bowl of ramen noodles but think about how your ingredients can sustain you for more than one meal. Speaking of sustainability, extend these efforts to your traveling with this helpful guide on travel sustainability.
Research Like Crazy
Especially if you’re going to a place you’ve never been before, be sure to do your research and find out what the weather will be like on a general basis. Are there any important phrases you should be learning in another language? Get them down so you don’t spend an hour asking a stranger where the nearest gas station is.
Get Excited About Your Trip
It’s a major contradiction to stress over the idea of taking a vacation. Even though planning is tedious and time-consuming, remember to stay excited about the adventure that awaits you. You’ll be more motivated to get all the planning work done if you keep your eye on the prize. Until travel day arrives, stay in-the-know and read up on your destination of choice, regularly. Staying informed is a great way to better prepare for your trip and stay excited about the journey ahead.
With the right steps in place, planning a trip doesn’t have to become a major headache. Take your time working out the details so that you can actually relax and feel ready to go.