With our stressful lives, we all make plans of travelling to a nearby gateway or taking a long trip across the country or overseas. But what do you do when you are hit by financial hurdles? Figuring out the trip expenditure is one of the hardest parts. Taking a trip can leave a hole in your pocket if it’s not properly planned. It is important to plan your trip so you don’t run out of money while on the road.
Having said as far as travel expenses are concerned there are many companies offering smart travel solutions. ‘
Here are a few basic rules of thumb that everyone should keep in mind before planning to set off your journey:
#1 Know how much money you need for your trip
First things first, you need to figure out the total cost of travelling to the destination and how much money you actually need to save. The basic expenses related to travelling include transport, accommodation, and food. You can then know how much money you need to keep aside to afford your dream trip.
#2 Create a travel budget– Fund your next trip
Build a monthly saving goal before you travel. Budgeting is not as daunting as it sounds. Once you know the amount you need for the trip and how much to save, it gives you an idea about how to travel on a budget and save more. One money-saving strategy is to do research on flight and hotel bookings since they account for a large chunk of travel budget. So researching helps you seize the best deals and also lets you know when it’s a good time to travel.
#3 Start saving or open a dedicated fund for travel goals
Most of us park our hard-earned money in various investment instruments. But if you are someone who craves travelling frequently, be it one annual overseas tour or trips across the country, it is imperative for you to start a dedicated travel fund. The money should be deposited based on the type and duration of the trip. This will help you fund your travel goals.
#4 Eliminate unnecessary expenditure – Fund your next trip
Cutting down on unnecessary expenditure is another important tip. Money-management is a learned skill and tracking expenses is an important part in cutting down expenses. The amount that you save on a fancy coffee, eating out, Netflix subscription and material things will add up for your travel fund.
#4 Take up a second job aside from your day job
Money doesn’t grow on trees. Alongside your day job, you can take up side projects so that it creates additional income that can be used for travelling purposes. If you are planning a long duration trip, say more than 2 weeks, you can take up part-time jobs upon reaching your destination like bartending, cashier etc. Also, the dot com world offers plenty of online jobs (like writing, graphic designing, photography) that you can take up no matter where you are located.
There are plenty of travel portals on the web where you can make your travel bookings. Most of them also utilise complex algorithms which allow you to track the fluctuating prices and lets you know when you should be booking. The ideal time to book tickets is 2-3 months in advance before the travel date.
Travelling can no doubt be expensive, but with plenty of hard work, commitment and sacrifice anyone can fulfil their wanderlust dreams.
Bio:
Viraj Gawde is a Content Writer + Digital Marketer. He currently works at Mihuru, an India-based travel finance platform. In his downtime, he loves creating art (photography is his forte), gaming and supporting FC Barcelona.
