What goes into a travel budget?

A good budget is like a warm apple pie. It makes you feel all safe and warm, but it takes a few ingredients to get to the finished product. Having a holiday budget also means you’ll be able to have more apple pie and not feel guilty apart from the excess holiday calories but they don’t really count anyway, right?

Everybody’s budget is different, but this will give you an idea of the things to think about when planning your holiday expenses:

Flights and transport costs

Flights are the big expense for most travellers, especially if you’re heading to Europe or the USA. If you’re planning on moving around during your holiday (disregard if you’re planning on spending 2 weeks parked in an overwater bungalow in Tahiti) chances are you’re going to need to splash the cash on public transport, airport transfers and the odd Uber or taxi.

Food

Ah food, one of the best parts of travelling overseas and a worthy and important part of any travel budget. Food is probably the hardest part to budget precisely for on the account of everyone’s tastes being different, the vast difference between prices between places on the ground and the variation of cost of living between different countries.

Activities

Are you planning on bungee jumping in NZ, spree shopping in Paris, hiking the Inca trail, hot air ballooning in Cappadocia, scuba diving in Fiji, checking out Stonehenge or any other activity that isn’t free? Make a list of your must do’s, have a Google and add all these costs up too.

Pre-departure expenses

Probably the easiest piece of the budget puzzle to forget because it’s the least fun aspect of your holiday. Who gives a hoot about immunisations, visas and travel insurance? You, that’s who. If you can’t afford travel insurance, you can’t afford to travel. Check out Smart Traveller for handy tips on what’s required for entry into the country of your dreams.