A travel blog about adventure and culture

Traveler´s Buddy

  • HOME
  • TRAVEL 101
  • TRAVEL JOURNAL
  • DESTINATIONS
    • Africa
    • America
    • Asia
    • Europe
  • TRAVELBUZZ
  • MORE
    • Write for Traveler’s Buddy
    • Work with me
      • Media content
      • Video Content
      • Photography and Video content
    • Contact me
    • About me
    • MediaKit
Danakil depression camel caravan
Featured post
Featured post
Sunday, 18 December 2016 / Published in Travel 101

Sticking to Your Travel Budget – It’s easy but requires some self-control

“I make sure to determine how much the daily expenses should be and set my budget around that amount”

by: Maricor Bunal

When it comes to travel planning, I can’t really deny the fact that I will have to deal with money issues at some point. Even if I had huge amounts of money to spend, I would still look for the most effective way of doing so and try to minimize unnecessary costs. And obviously that gets even more important when my budget is limited.

Travel books lonely planet

Sticking to a budget when traveling can be really tough, but over years of both long-term and weekend travelling, I gathered a few tips and developed some practical habits that helped me keeping my expenses in check. Allow me to share some of them with you.

As far as possible, I deal with the major expenses during the planning stage. What does that include? These are the flights, tours and accommodations, especially when I’m on a short-term trip. Working on them beforehand gives me ample time to assess the available options and choose the best deals for me. Moreover, with such expenditures out of the picture, I won’t have to worry about setting aside money for them while I’m actually on the vacation.

Unlike hotel bookings, I want to keep my options open when it comes to food and culinary adventures. But I make sure to determine how much the daily expenses for meals should be and set my budget around that amount. I usually do this by checking out websites which provide statistics on a city’s cost of living, and sometimes, if I’m lucky, I befriend a local and ask for a rough cost estimate on daily meals. You don’t have to be tough on yourself though. At least in my case, whenever I spend a little more on food on one day because I have lunch and dinner in two nice restaurants, I just try to compensate the cost by opting for cheap (but still yummy) food the next day.

Insider Tip: www.priceoftravel.com/ let you check the prices of some goods in almost every city worldwide.

I usually plan my day-to-day activities when I’m on a short-term trip, and thus, I have a rough estimate of how much I will be spending each day. So before I head out of the hotel for an adventure, I normally take just enough cash in my wallet that I can truly stick to my budget. If I had more time, I would even separate them in different handy envelopes specifically for pre-determined expenses such as museum entry fees.

Passport and foreign money

Of course, I keep another set of cash with me, but hidden somewhere, so I can’t easily access it, such as in the secret pockets of my bag or clothing. This stash is for those times when you need to pay for unexpected expenses or during emergency situations.  It may sound dark, but I also do this just in case I get into a stick up or (clumsy as I am) loose some of my cash. The point is, you avoid any impulsive purchase but at the same time, you have the peace of mind that you still have some cash to spare should the need arise.

Developing these money habits wasn’t easy at first, but with conscious efforts throughout the years, following them somehow becomes second nature to me when I’m traveling.

  • Tweet
Tagged under: budget planning, budget traveling, credit cards, how much travel, information article, long term traveling, money while traveling, save money abroad, short term traveling, sticking to budget, travel 101, travel tips, travel tricks

What you can read next

A girls guide to traveling the world: 7 Handy tips for looking after yourself as a girl traveling alone
10 ways to save money for your travels
10 steps for finding the cheapest flight ticket

See my work for Lonely Planet

Juan Martinez - Lonely Planet Berlin

See more of my work

Juan Martinez BBC Travel - Deutsche Welle

Follow me on Instagram

Instagram Juan Martinez Travelers Buddy

Follow me on facebook

facebook banner travelersbuddy

See my videos on YouTube

youtube channel Travelersbuddy

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE

  • Your Definitive Packing List for a Year (or more…)Your Definitive Packing List for a Year (or more…)
  • Road trip in Curaçao – Discovering a different side of the ABC islandsRoad trip in Curaçao – Discovering a different side of the ABC islands
  • How Finnish food connects culture and natureHow Finnish food connects culture and nature
  • How to plan a trip to Akagera National Park in RwandaHow to plan a trip to Akagera National Park in Rwanda
  • How to meet people while traveling aloneHow to meet people while traveling alone
  • Rappelling Colombia’s secret waterfallsRappelling Colombia’s secret waterfalls
  • 18 photographs showing the world from a bird´s eyes18 photographs showing the world from a bird´s eyes
  • A road trip in Oman is backpackers´ best kept secretA road trip in Oman is backpackers´ best kept secret
  • 48 tips you need to know for backpacking around Europe48 tips you need to know for backpacking around Europe
  • Marveling Abuna Yemata Guh, Ethiopia’s church in the skyMarveling Abuna Yemata Guh, Ethiopia’s church in the sky

RECENT POSTS

  • Tiwai Island in Sierra Leone

    How to travel from Guinea to Sierra Leone by ferry

    Travelling from Guinea to Sierra Leone by ferry...
  • aerial view of Guyana rivers

    Preserving Guyana’s Pristine Landscapes: A never-ending challenge

    Guyana is a good example of how wildlife protec...
  • Exploring Acklins and Crooked Islands – The Bahamas' Hidden Paradise

    Exploring Acklins and Crooked Islands – The Bahamas’ Hidden Paradise

    If there is a place where it is possible to com...
  • These are the best local activities to do in Nassau

    These are the best local activities to do in Nassau

    Say goodbye to swimming with the dolphins and v...
  • Deutschlandticket getaway - how to get a Deutschlandticket

    The Deutschlandticket – A train ticket for unlimited travel in Germany

    After the success of the 9 Euro ticket, a succe...
  • How to do some island-hopping in the Bahamas by mailboat

    How to do some island-hopping in the Bahamas by mailboat

    Did you know that you can travel around the Bah...
  • All you need to know to plan a visit to the Palace of Versailles

    All you need to know to plan a visit to the Palace of Versailles

    From tickets to the best times to visit, here i...
  • The art of slow travelling in the Bahamas

    The art of slow travelling in the Bahamas

    In the Bahamas, there is a way of transport for...

WRITE YOUR STORY

We accept guest posts from bloggers, journalists or travel enthusiast about anything what motivated you to travel and experience new things

CONTACT ME HERE

WORK WITH ME

Last year we worked with over 10 different tourism boards from all over the globe. Learn more how we can work together and present how awesome your destination is

CONTACT ME HERE

COME AND SAY HI

Don't be shy and just drop us an email. It´s free

CONTACT ME HERE
Travelers Buddy Mountains Footer
  • Home
  • Travel journal
  • About me
  • Contact me
  • Write for Traveler’s Buddy
  • Imprint
  • More about Traveler´s Buddy
  • Travel journal
  • Home
  • About me
  • Work with me
  • Write for Traveler’s Buddy
  • Contact me
  • GET SOCIAL

www.thetravelersbuddy.com© 2021. All rights reserved

TOP