“How do you plan trips? And how do you afford it?” Two questions readers often ask me. Well, I’ve got an answer for you. Here is how to plan a year of travel on a budget!
I’ve been fortunate enough to travel, not because I decided to quit my job to be a traveling nomad but because my husband I were blessed with the opportunity to live in Germany through work. You can read more on that topic here.
Sure, quitting work to travel sounds like a dream but unless you have a lottery stockpile of money in the attic to pay for bills, it’s probably not realistic. Que: A balloon, deflating in the air and slowly drifting down with all your travel dreams. Cheer up my dear; I am here to tell you it can still be done. Yay!
Here’s the thing, the way you and I afford travel, is very different from guru travel bloggers. The difference is, we have to create a realistic action plan because you know, we got bills and sh*t.
Now, traveling on a budget doesn’t mean you have to give up Starbucks coffee, opt-out of avocado toast, or accumulate debt (gulp), though. It means you gotta get it together. Yes, planning is key. And, it is the most critical step when it comes to traveling on a budget because we want the best bang for our buck.
Preparation and a bit of research save us money and make us feel good. So, let’s get started.
HOW TO PLAN TRAVEL
- Calculate a yearly budget.
- Decide how many trips to take in one year.
- Narrow down to the type of trip, local (within the state), out of state and out of the country.
- Create a budget for each trip.
- Schedule trips on the calendar.
- Begin the planning stage. Local trips require less time to prepare. Longer, more elaborate trips require a more extended planning period.
- Allocate budgets, within the trip itself.
All the tips listed in this post are exactly what I use and how I book my travel. Because I love checklist, I use one for planning trips that I created. If you’re a PJ insider, you probably already have my handy dandy FREE Travel Plan Checklist printable. If you don’t have it yet, grab your free printable below.
ACTION PLAN
Calculate a yearly budget. An annual budget does not have to be exact in the beginning; it can be a guesstimation. Take a hard look at other living expenses. Based on your findings, you should be able to create a reasonable travel budget.
Let’s say, for example, your family can spare $5,000 a year for travel, after taking care of living expenses, clothing, and that cup of Starbucks coffee (*wink). Prioritizing costs is essential in this step because it gives you perspective on what is truly important and gives you an estimated budget, specifically for travel.
The number of trips you take in one year is solely up to you, your preferences, and how often you CAN do it. Notice the word “can” is in all caps. Realistically speaking, if you are like most people and have a job, you have a set number of vacations days per year. A-ha! There lies the catch. Well, it’s not really a catch, it’s life.
So let’s say you’re given two weeks of vacation time a year. If you want to take three trips that year, then you’ll have to dive up those two weeks by three. Now, you may want to give yourself a few days of “what if something happens and I need a day off.”
Narrow down to the type of trip. When you have ten vacation days to travel, make the most of them by narrowing down to eight. Leave a few for emergencies. Then according to the days you have, plan how many trips you would like to take. Traveling out of the country like Paris, France or Playa Del Carmen, Mexico may take a longer time frame, as opposed to traveling within the country. Cecil and I enjoy going to New Orleans, but we from Texas so that is a short(ish) drive for us.
Keep in mind you can always schedule vacation days mixed with the weekends to make the vacation last a bit longer.
Perhaps you can plan weekend trips to local areas near you. Plan your trips according to category like local, out of state, or out of the country.
The photo below: Cecil and I, in Paris, France, walking to see the Notre Dame Cathedral.
Schedule trips on the calendar. There is something special about putting vacations on a calendar. Seeing the trip written down, not only motivates us but commits us to make it happen. Scheduling trips a year in advance does give us a purpose to fulfill.
If travel is something you want to do more often, I recommend planning a year in advance. Even if it means writing down a general note in May: “Mexico vacation.” A reminder for when you open up your calendar a few weeks later.
Now, everything is subject to change of course; those vacation plans are not set in stone. Adjust a calendar schedule based on needs, emergencies, and pretty much life happening.
The photo below: My daily to-do and gratitude journal.
Create a budget for each trip. Just like the note above, I recommend doing this a year in advance. It does not have to be incredibly detailed. A general budget of how much it may cost can help give you an idea of how much to begin saving.
Taking this step will give you a target to aim at and an idea of how dedicated to saving money you need to be throughout the year.
Begin the planning stage. The planning stage is where the magic happens. I usually begin my planning state for about three months in advance. Meaning, I narrow down exactly when we want to travel, how we want to get there, what general area we want to stay at, and how much everything may cost me.
I’ll give you an example. In December, I may have a general note saying “Ski in Switzerland.” Three months prior, in October, I will narrow down which town exactly. So, I’ll write down “Road trip to ski in St. Moritz,” on December 10th through the 15th. Then, I’ll write down the budget for it, $1,200, and circle it. After that, I begin my research.
My planning begins with a hotel, and transportation (flying/driving). If we are flying, then all we have to worry about is packing. But if we are driving then it’s a roadtrip. And that’s a whole different ball game.
Once the trip is really in the books, and together we are are all in, Cecil and I both request off.
The photo below: Cecil and I, skiing for the first time.
Assign specific budgets for the trip itself. After getting into the details of the trips you’re taking, keep digging deeper. This time, assign smaller budgets for lodging, transportation, food, spending money for souvenirs, shopping, and whatever else you’d like to buy.
Finally, assign a small about of money to the “what if” budget; a small emergency travel fund intended to help if you get in a pinch.
I’ll give you another example. Let’s use the skiing trip I mentioned earlier. I’ll take my checklist, which you can download here, and write down $500 – Lodging, $150 – Ski equipment, $200 – Food, $200 – Ski passes, $75 – Souvenirs, and $75 – “What if.”
On the last day if we haven’t used the last bit of “what if” I buy more souvenirs if I want. Breaking it down gives me an idea of where the money is going.
If you’re taking three trips that year, then you can expect to spend about $200 per vacation, which means $600 for all three. Keep in mind, this budget is a guestimation. Depending on where you’re going, you may need to allocate more money for food or whatever it is you’re doing.
Whether you’re looking to add more stamps to your passport, see more beautiful places, meet new people, or experience a new culture, I hope my travel tips help you reach those goals, and on a budget. Again, my suggestions are precisely how I plan my travels, and they’ve worked well for me because they are realistic and completely attainable.
I want to give you a real insight into what it is like to travel and how you can do it too. If you can travel and see the posibilities of the world, go for it! It will open up a new world of curiosity and gratitude. And that’s what it’s all about.
Feel free to check out some travel guides I’ve put together here. Maybe, those will help too or you’ll discover new places to add to your travel plan for the year. Either way, these travel guides are intended to only help.
If you found this post helpful, please share it with a friend you who loves travel as much as you do via Facebook, Pinterest, or whatever social media channel you feel comfortable using.
Thank you so much for reading!
With love and gratitude,
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