Did you know that just planning a vacation can actually make you happier. By planning your vacation ahead of time you:
- Give yourself excitement about the upcoming trip. You can anticipate the fun and memories you will have with family or friends.
- Prevent the stress of vacation expenses, by allowing time to save ahead and spreading out the cost.
- Plan work or family time so that you can more easily take the time off – almost half of Americans don’t take the all the leave time that they are offered. Don’t be one of those! You need to take days off so you can recharge your batteries.
When you start your vacation planning, make sure that setting a budget is one of the first things you do. Set a maximum budget and keep in mind your family budget. While thinking about where you will go, have family/friend meetings so that everyone has input. Keep in mind the things that each of you enjoy – history buff, beach or nature lover, or sports or shopping enthusiast. Is there an area you can visit that has things for everyone?
As you plan for your vacation, especially your budget, here are some of the things to have on your list:
- Travel – both to and from your location, and how you will get around when you are there.
- Accommodations – hotel, resort, stay with family, or vacation rental.
- Food and drinks – All inclusive, packed food on the go (driving), dining–in and dining-out (condo), eat out all the time (international hotel) etc.
- Entertainment – tickets, shows, games, or tours.
- Equipment or apparel – do you need special equipment (ski trip), a new suitcase, or travel charger for electronic devices? Pre-trip expenses can be a big portion of your total trip costs
- Gifts and souvenirs – do you need to set a budget for each person? Sometimes this area can get out of control.
- Pet or house sitter – do you need to pay someone to take care of pets you can’t take with you?
As you are working on your trip budget, figure out how much you need to save per week/month to have enough for your adventure. An example – your trip should cost $3000 – you have already saved $1250, you are counting on $200 (that you don’t need to save) you would typically spend for food anyway (groceries and a few meals out), so you need to save $1550 over the next 4 months. Can you save $387 per month? Could you work an overtime shift to make a little extra money or have a garage sale to raise some? Keep in mind that some of your expenses might have to be paid ahead of your trip – tour or plane tickets or lodging deposits.
If you would like to use an online travel budget worksheet – try this one from doughroller.net. America Saves also great planning sources that you may want to check out as well. If you want to hear some of the vacation saving tips that our team has to share, check out our recent webinar posted here.
We can’t wait to hear about your amazing, and hopefully debt free vacations.
Writers: OSU Extension, Family and Consumer Science Educators, Melissa Rupp, Tammy Jones, and Lisa Barlage.
Reviewer: Ryan Kline, Family and Consumer Sciences Educator, Ross County.
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