How to Plan the Perfect Trip on a STRICT Budget

As you know, we LOVE to travel (thus starting this website). But the reality is traveling can be expensive if you don’t plan for it. It is possible to travel multiple times a year as long as you plan it out. You can have an exciting vacation, all on a budget. So, are you wondering how we are able to do it? Here is how to plan your perfect trip on a strict budget.

1. Set a Realistic Budget:

Before you start planning anything, you will need to start a realistic budget that considers all expenses, including transportation, accommodation, food, activities, and souvenirs. Our biggest travel budgeting advice is to set a monetary amount and stick to it. Once you have your budget amount, you can begin planning your trip.

Don’t worry about purchasing a budget tracker / app. We simply use google docs to track our budget and brainstorm ideas for our trip.

2. Research the Best Dates to Travel To Your Desired Destination:

Once you have your budget in place, begin researching the best times to travel to your destination of choice at a reasonable cost. For instance, traveling during off-peak seasons or on weekdays is a great way to purchase cheaper flights and hotels compared to peak seasons. We find that traveling after the holidays can be more affordable, but may require you to take more time off of work.

3. Start Planning Months in Advance to Hunt for Deals and Discounts:

The earlier you can plan for your trip, the better chance you have to save on travel expenses. Keep an eye out for deals and discounts on flights, hotels, and activities. Our two biggest tips is to (1) check on flights and hotels using “incognito” mode on your browser. As you know, the web is constantly tracking what you look at online and how often you look at it. This also means that they may not always show a lower rate when you are reviewing prices. By using “incognito” mode in your browser, you can check these sites without it tracking your cookies. And (2), make sure to join rewards programs and newsletters for special deals. We have joined multiple airlines, hotels, rental cars, and activity rewards programs that will give us special rates and discounts, as well as points towards other benefits such as free stays and upgrades. 

4. Opt for Affordable Flights and Accommodation:

Now that you have your budget, researched the best times to travel and signed up for rewards programs, it’s time for you to start booking your flights and accommodations. There are many affordable flight and accommodation options to secure your travel. We always start with a search on sites like expedia.com to get an idea of what flights and accommodations cost for our itinerary. From there, we will visit airline and hotel sites to see if there are any special rates being offered. For flights, make sure to sign up for their email list to stay informed on potential flight specials to your desired location. For accommodations, you may want to consider somewhere other than a hotel, such as hostels, guesthouses, Airbnb, or camping. The more you can book in advice will help you secure lower rates.

5. Be Aware of the Extra Fees

We know this is a cliche, but READ THE FINE PRINT. Did you know that many hotels may charge you resort fees? These can range anywhere from $25 to $95/day depending on the hotel you reserve and location. Also, you could have to pay to park depending on the hotel. For example, hotels located in a larger cities, city centers or popular beach location may charge parking fees compared to a more rural destination. If you are using one of the budget-friendly airlines (i.e. Spirit and Frontier), you will have to pay extra if you want to choose a particular seat. Those additional costs can quickly add up if you’re traveling with someone and want to ensure you can sit together. Additionally, baggage fees are much higher than larger airlines as you may have to pay for both checked and carry-on luggage. In some cases, you could end up paying the same amount, in total, as you would have on a larger airline. Make sure to keep an eye-out for these hidden fees because they will add up and cut into your budget.

6. Transportation:

Research to see the best way to get around your destination and make sure this is a part of your budget. For some destinations, it will be necessary for you to rent a car. Make sure to shop around on sites like carrentals.com and priceline.com. If you are a part of a loyalty program, you can save money and avoid long lines when picking up your car. However, there are other options to get around depending on your destination. Uber/Lyfts are great for quick trips around the city. For larger cities, look into public transportation options as they are typically cheaper than Ubers and Lyfts. Shari’s favorite app is Citymapper, which allows you to plug in any major city around the world to find the cheapest transportation options. We used this a lot during our trip to London and Paris to help navigate the subways.

7. Plan Your Meals:

Most of the time, you don’t think about meals until it’s time to eat when you’re on vacation. However, if you planning a trip on a strict budget, taking the time to plan out your meals will help to save money. First, research restaurants before your trip to review the menu beforehand and make a reservations in case it’s a popular restaurant to secure your spot in advance. We tend to make reservations on OpenTable for at least the first night’s meal in advance so that it’s one less thing to think about after a day of traveling. Second, look for happy hours and daily specials for low cost meal options. We did this a lot during our trip to Hawaii to save money on meals. Lastly, consider shopping at the local grocery store to get quick easy-to-go meals. We love to do this for breakfast and snacks.

8. Prioritize Activities:

We know that if it’s your first time in your desired destination, you will want to do everything on your wish list. We suggest you pick 2-4 “must do” activities and prioritize those first. For all the other activities, research free or low-cost options and attractions. You will be surprised to discover so many cheap activities, such as free walking tours, like we did in London or free shows, like the hula shows on the beach in Hawaii.

9. Monitor Your Spending:

Make sure to track your spending before and during the trip. If you are on a tight budget, the goal is to have fun without going over. There are tracking apps you could use or for us, simply keep track of your spending in the notes app on your phone or an excel spreadsheet.

10. Save Throughout the Year:

There is never a bad time to start saving for your next trip. If you are serious about traveling more, we suggest opening a savings account dedicated to travel expenses and contribute to it regularly. This way, you will have a ‘nest egg’ available for when you are ready to go.

You can have the best and most perfect vacation, all on a strict budget. We can promise you this because we do it every trip. We hope you use these tips to plan your next, perfect trip.

Make sure to read our other article “Best Travel Tips to Explore Kauai, Hawaii in 48 Hours on a Budget.”