Affordable vacation strategy
What are your tricks? I just looked at the internet for any new ideas I haven't yet considered and it didn't yield much new useful info. I'm just looking for any new ideas I haven't yet conside...
Forum Discussion
I agree with the above.
I worked out a budget for my travels as follows:
Food - I base it on my work's reimbursements ($6 breakfast, $12 lunch, $26 dinner, and $6 incidental) and multiply it by the number of days;
Mileage - with a rental car, I always rounded the expected miles driven up to the next 100th mile (so, if 359 miles, I round up to 400 miles) and calculate at 10mph and $5 per gallon) - RV will be calculated at 5mph and $7 per gallon;
Activities - I add up the known costs for the expenses I know I want to do and then round up to the nearest 100th and add another $100;
Shopping/Other - I budget $10 per day for souvenirs, etc.
Lodging, etc. are budgeted at the actual costs.
My trick is that because I budgeted for more than my actual costs will likely be, I will always have enough money available (without pulling out the credit cards) for the trip. If my actual expenses are less than I budgeted by the 2nd to last day in a location, I can scoot back to that store or other activity and splurge without cutting short the rest of the trip.
This sounds like a lot to do, but it really only takes a few minutes each evening before bed to reconcile. And it prevents my worst experience from ever happening again - running out of money halfway through the trip. Thank goodness my airfare and hotel were prepaid or I would have been on the street.
I worked out a budget for my travels as follows:
Food - I base it on my work's reimbursements ($6 breakfast, $12 lunch, $26 dinner, and $6 incidental) and multiply it by the number of days;
Mileage - with a rental car, I always rounded the expected miles driven up to the next 100th mile (so, if 359 miles, I round up to 400 miles) and calculate at 10mph and $5 per gallon) - RV will be calculated at 5mph and $7 per gallon;
Activities - I add up the known costs for the expenses I know I want to do and then round up to the nearest 100th and add another $100;
Shopping/Other - I budget $10 per day for souvenirs, etc.
Lodging, etc. are budgeted at the actual costs.
My trick is that because I budgeted for more than my actual costs will likely be, I will always have enough money available (without pulling out the credit cards) for the trip. If my actual expenses are less than I budgeted by the 2nd to last day in a location, I can scoot back to that store or other activity and splurge without cutting short the rest of the trip.
This sounds like a lot to do, but it really only takes a few minutes each evening before bed to reconcile. And it prevents my worst experience from ever happening again - running out of money halfway through the trip. Thank goodness my airfare and hotel were prepaid or I would have been on the street.
