Creating a realistic travel budget is challenging. At least for me.
I keep trying to plan a weekend getaway for around $500, but I have to be honest with myself. It ain’t happening. Traveling in the U.S. is expensive. I keep comparing my travel experience in Costa Rica to traveling in the U.S., but they are so different because the cost of living varies.
I am making this post as a reminder of things to include when determining how much you need to save for your trip. This is will help you have a worry-free vacation because everything is covered even the things you don’t normally think about.
Expenses to account for when creating a travel budget:
Flight
Plane tickets are not cheap depending on where you are traveling. With the plane ticket, it is best to overestimate what your plane ticket will cost so you don’t struggle later with coming up with funds. That would be the worst thing to happen if you are planning the trip with friends and family. And you definitely don’t want to have to use your credit card if you can not pay the balance.
Note: Using your credit card to pay for your flight is a good idea for the cashback or points you can receive if you can pay the balance in full. Also, certain cards provide protection for your flights and luggage in case something happens. However, don’t put any purchases on your credit card you can not afford to pay it off.
Hotel and Accommodations
You need to determine where you are staying. If you are staying with a friend, a AirBnb, or a hotel. All of them have very different price points so it is super important to nail down this cost. If you are traveling with other people it is super important to figure who all is going and what the split cost is.
Food (3 meals a day* 25= 75 a day ) Brunch, Lunch, Dinner
Food is one of the best parts of traveling to new places. Depending on how many times you eat out and the type of restaurants that you are eating at will affect how much you spend on your trip.
Excursion and Activities
The excursions and activities are the bread and butter of your trip. You want to make sure that you set aside all the money you need so you can take advantage of all the activities you want without worry from scuba diving, going to the spa, or ziplining.
Clothes
When we travel, we have to step out looking right. We got to get some new bathing suits, shoes, and clothes. The photos for the ‘gram have to look absolutely stunning.
Make sure to include clothes in your budget, so you can buy the items you want without breaking the bank.
Uber/Lyft to airport and from airport
This is a very underestimated expense that we forget about (or I forget about). I know for me getting an Uber/Lyft one way cost about $30. That is about $60 both ways. In total, that is $60 right there.
Include this.
Uber/Lyft around the city or rental car
This amount can rack up pretty quickly especially if you are visiting a big city. The good thing is the more people on the trip, the less you will spend on Lyft/Uber or the rental car.
It is good to account for all these expenses so that you can go on your trip well-prepared. You won’t have to stress leading up to the trip or after the trip about how you are going to cover the expenses because you did the work to prepare.