Who doesn’t love traveling or going on vacations? But when you calculate how expensive it can be, you’ll decide against it. But the fun and peaceful experience of vacation is something you need. You need a break from work and reality, even if you are not a trust fund baby. And to do this, you need to budget properly.
If you make your budget, you can travel anywhere and have the best experience. You can explore local culture, make new friends, try delicious meals, and visit new places without going broke. But how do you do this? Read on to find out how to budget for a 1-week trip anywhere you go.
A Step-by-Step Budget Travel Plan for A Week
1. Saving Strategies Before Your Trip
Planning your one-week travel budget starts even before you travel because there are some things you’ll have to buy first. You’ll need travel vaccinations, a visa, a backpack, packing cubes, reusable water bottles, and prescribed medications. All these are added to your travel budget. You also need to have an emergency fund for unexpected events.
If you need to quickly book a flight out of the country or you were in an accident, you’ll need the money to spend. The main thing is that you can’t spend this money on just anything unless it’s an emergency. This money should be added to your travel budget like a backup plan, cos most times you won’t have any use for it.
You’ll also need to budget for everything you’ll still be paying for back at home. From your subscriptions to your insurance and mortgage payment. This money should be kept in a separate account from your travel budget. Also, remove money for when you come back home, cos after your vacation, you’ll need to relax before you start working again.
2. Research Your Destination
If you want to start budgeting for your trip, then you need to know where you’re going and do your research about the place. Your destination will be a huge deciding factor in how your budgeting will go. For example, a trip to Asia or Africa will be cheaper than a trip to Australia or Europe. So, first, start by making a list of places you would like to go to.
Then start your research. You can read travel blogs, search on Google, scroll through Instagram posts, or watch YouTube vlogs to help your research. Note how much the ticket will cost, how much hotels charge, the price of local food, and the exchange rate of their currency to yours. Once you’ve gotten all this, you can now look for ways to save costs.
To do this, you can check the flight tickets on off-peak travel dates or explore discount sites to find affordable activities and accommodation. This research will take a lot of time, so don’t rush it. If you’ve decided on your country, you can then make an estimated guess of how much you’ll likely spend in a day. Your daily cost will depend on the standard of hotels you want to stay in, the activities you’d like to do, and the food you’ll want to try out.
3. Set a Budget Travel Goal
Since you’ve done your research and have chosen the destination, you’re most likely to afford without going broke, then it’s time to set your travel budget. With all the information you’ve collected so far, it will be easier for you to calculate how much you’ll need for transport, feeding, accommodation, and fun activities.
So add everything up, including the discounted rates and prices, and this will total to all the money you’ll need for your trip. This is the point where you ask yourself, “Is this price okay for me?” If the figure is realistic and manageable for you, then you can move on, but if not, go back to the first step and start making adjustments. You might need to check for more discounted deals or stay away from luxurious hotels, restaurants, and activities.
4. Budget Major Travel Expenses
Transportation
Now, you’ve got the cost of your 1-week trip, but you’ll still need to budget some money for each travel expense. And the first one is on your transportation, which includes the flight to and from, and transportation within your destination.
If you check on sites like Google Flights, Skyscanner, or Kayak, it will be easier to find cheap flights as long as you’re flexible with your travel dates. You should also set price alerts so you can get notifications when prices become even lower. And if you choose to travel on a weekday or off-season, the flight prices will be cheaper.
The next main part of your transport budget is taxis and rentals to move around during your vacation. You can try to cut costs by using trams, buses, subways, cable cars, or ferries instead. In most places, these are way cheaper than using cabs or taxis. And with Google Maps, it will be easy for you to plan and document your journey.
Accommodation
No matter your destination, you’ll find a wide range of accommodations, from luxurious hotels to budget hostels. Hostels are the cheapest form of accommodation, and they usually come in a dormitory style, with several beds in a room and a large cafeteria. But for privacy, you can go for private rooms with en-suite bathrooms or smaller hostels with fewer beds.
If your budget is a bit higher for a bit of class, then you can go stay in a guesthouse instead. You won’t get the pool, fancy restaurants, spa, or gym in hotels, but you’ll get more privacy than staying in hostels. You could also consider staying in Airbnb, although it can be expensive, it means staying in a private home.
This means saving more money cos the restaurants, bars, and attractions around here will be local and cheaper, plus you can even make home-cooked meals. And if you want to cut costs, you can book a single room instead of an entire apartment. You can explore Couchsurfing to find cheaper accommodations to budget even better.
Food & Drinks
If you want a cheap budget for this 1-week trip, then you should skip eating in restaurants, especially all the fancy types. It’s better if you buy meals at supermarkets or even cook your meals. Most hostels, Airbnbs, and guesthouses have a kitchen and fridge where you can make and store your meals.
Most countries have local food markets, which you can visit to get fresher and cheaper food items. Several cities are known for their delicious street food and food trucks that are cheaper than cafes or restaurants. You just have to leave the tourist path and explore more local options.
But what if you want to visit a restaurant to have a fine dining experience? How do you add it to your budget? First, do some research on budget-friendly restaurants in your location. Check on Google, Trip Advisor, and Yelp, and compare the prices and reviews. And if you’re already in the city, then ask any friendly local to get their favorite cheap restaurants.
Activities & Tours
It’s way cheaper for you if you visit attractions and landmarks that are free, like churches, castles, and ruins. And if you want to visit museums or galleries, you can check for the days when visiting is free. This will help you manage your budget properly. With so many free tours, including walking tours by locals, you can make new friends, attend new events, and explore new places.
Suggested Reads- Top 13 Most Walkable Cities In The World (Explore)
You can also just wander around exploring nature and taking pictures of anything that grabs your attention. You can have a picnic in a park, go hiking, play games in an arcade, go bicycle riding, or go shopping for souvenirs in the local market. Exploring nature is always free, so if you’re alone, you can go on a solitary stroll to beaches, rivers, and waterfalls.
But if you’re planning to explore many cities during your 1-week trip, then you may need to get a city tourism card. For example, if you’re planning to visit Dubai, Venice, and Copenhagen, this card will help you manage your budget better. With it, you’ll get free or sometimes discounted entry to attractions and even public transport.
5. Track Your Daily Travel Spend
You don’t need to note down how much you spend every day, but it will help you know if you’re going beyond your budget. So, it’s just better to track your daily spending. You can do this using Google Sheets, Excel, or other travel spending apps. Just put the country you’re going to, for example, you’re going to Budapest. Put down the total budget amount you had calculated earlier, and put down the dates for every day you’ll spend there.
So each time you buy something, even if it’s candy, make sure you add the price. At the end of the day, you can calculate how much you’ve spent and how much of your budget remains. Some days you can splurge, while on other days you may not get anything, but it doesn’t matter. As long as you’re daily average matches the daily budget you allocated, then you’re good to go.
3 Budget Travel Tips You Must Keep in Mind
It might have been quite boring making your budget for this trip, but finally, you’re getting close to having your 1-week vacation. So, here are some tips to help you keep track of your travel budget:
- Travel During the Off-Peak Season
Make thorough research to make sure you only travel during the off-peak season, this will ensure you skip the tourist crowds and still save your money. Also, consider local festivals and events, as this might make things more expensive. Make your research using travel blogs, tourism sites, and forums like Reddit to find the best time to travel.
- Use Travel Rewards and Loyalty Programs
Most travel sites like Booking.com have loyalty programs where you can get rewards. These rewards can get you free breakfast, free cancellation, and discounts on flight and hotel bookings.
- Pack Light
You can save money on baggage fees at the airport if you pack light and smart. You can use packing cubes to arrange and compress your luggage. You’re just staying for a week, so pack outfits that can be worn with each other to create multiple outfits.
Conclusion
Wheww! It’s been a whole lot of calculations and budgeting, but finally, you’re ready for your trip. As easy as it is to be swept off in the joy of the vacation, you still need to stick to your budget so you don’t get stranded during your vacation. That is the most horrible thing that can happen to anyone.
But if you follow this step-by-step budget travel plan in 2 months, you’ll be ready for your vacation, and you won’t get stranded. Don’t forget to follow the saving tips before, during, and after your travel in this guide. Go on and have a safe and fun trip.
