3 Tips for Budgeting for Your Vacation

Take the vacation you really want to go on. Start planning now for next year’s and you’ll be so happy you did.

Vacations are not clearly priced. Even if you buy some packaged deal, there’s always some cost that’s not accounted for. Here’s some tips on how to plan for next years vacation.

1. Dream Big and Set a Goal
If you start planning for next year’s vacation now, you can more than likely afford to dream big. Where’s somewhere you really want to go that would be way high up on your bucket list? Once you’ve decided on that, you can start to assess the costs and start saving appropriately. Plus, some amazing places book out a year in advance so starting now may mean you’ll get “the good spot.”

2. Research
Start thinking about where you want to go and how much it will costs. See what kind of deals you can find. Go offseason if you can. See if booking flights and hotels and cabins now saves you some money. If not, it will at least save your place. Contact travel agencies and online resources as well to see what’s out there. Also know that there are other places to stay than hotels that are cheaper and potentially more adventurous. A lot of state parks have charming cabins with lights, electricity and heat. Amenities almost as good as a hotel with way more adventure and half the price.

3. Account for The “Hidden” Costs
There’s so much to account for than airfare, hotel room rates and food. If you’re planning well, make sure you think through all the costs like museum admissions, state park fees, hotel service tips, toll booths, parking, baggage fees (for everyone, they add up), taxes (hotels in some cities can have several taxes that increase costs and accumulate over several lights), and you’ll want to calculate how many meals you’ll eat and how many of them will be going out. You’ll also want to plan for souvenirs and tchotchkes that you come across. Yes, you can plan for impulse purchases.