How To Travel Without Worry: 5 Tips to Make a Travel Budget

September 27, 2001

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Travelling is fun. Augustine once said, “The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page.” Travelling has become a lifestyle. A decade ago, travelling was just for the rich and top businesspeople. But now, travelling is more liked by young adults from all economic classes.

Travelling is fun Photo by: freepik

The world has been opening up their doors to everyone, with an exception of countries of war. They have come up with so many creative ideas to make the travelling affordable for everyone. But even if travelling is cheaper now, you still need to plan it to make sure you are not out of money in the middle of someone’s country. Well, that is if you are not outrageously rich.

These are 5 tips to help you make a travel budget that will not bust your wallet and still get you the most out of your travelling.

1. Know Your Transportation

One of the most significant expenses in travelling is transportation. Either you travel by planes, trains or cars, it is still quite expensive. These are questions you must ask yourself:

How fast do you want to get there? Faster or more relax and enjoy the trip? When choosing a slower transportation, for example taking a bus preferable to a train, consider the expenses incurred along the way. Bus trip may need you to buy food along the way because the hours are longer. A bus trip when crossing countries can also be longer due to checkpoints at every border.
Is the airport of your destination located outside the city or inside the city? Now airports are built within a distance from your destination. Kualanamu is located 40 kilometers from the capital city of Medan. The new international airport in Kertajati is located 60 kilometers from Cirebon and 100 kilometers from Bandung. It means that you will need transportation to and from the airport, and it can be expensive.
Do you want to stay at one place or do you want to get around outside the walking distance? Don’t forget to look for local transportation. Even if it is not too expensive, but it can be substantial for your wallet. The bullet train fare in Japan, for example, can cost up to IDR1.8 million for a single trip.
Are you travelling solo or in group? If you are going in groups, consider whether the transportation costs would be higher or lower if taken individually or in group. Airport train to and from Soekarno Hatta costs about IDR70,000 and cab fare costs about IDR200,000, depending on your destination area. So, if you are solo traveler, it is much cheaper going by train. But if you are a group of 4, just take a cab.

2. Choose Your Accommodation

Accommodation is also a major part of the budget. It can even larger if you choose for something unique or very comfy. Consider these when you are travelling:

How long will you be staying? If you are intending to stay for a long time at a destination, then considering staying in an apartment. Apartments tend to have kitchens, washing machines and almost anything you need for a long stay. Choose hotel if you are only for a short stay.
How many people are you travelling with? The larger you group is, consider the apartment that can house more. Especially if you are young and don’t mind to share beds with group members. Apartments usually comes with cooking facilities and utensils. Cooking by yourself can save you quite a lot of money especially if you are in for the long ride. But if you are going there for a special occasion, of course you don’t want to spend your time in the kitchen.
When will you arrive? Sometimes you will arrive later than 10 pm or you are not sure the exact time of your arrival. If so, be ready to have 1-night stay at the hotel because online rental apartments are not big on late check-ins and may costs you extra.
What is your preferred locations? If you intend to explore the heart of a city, then you should look for central locations. It would be more expensive, but it saves you from transportation costs as almost all your travelling destinations may just be reached by walking.
Will you be driving or will you use more of public transportation? If you are driving, find accommodation has parking facilities. Otherwise, find one that is located near a public transportation facility.

3. Food and Beverages (F&B)

Keeping your tummy full is very important to make a memorable trip. It means that you have to know beforehand these things:

Do you have food restriction? If you observe a certain religion that forbid you eating certain food, then you must be prepared to bring your own food. Check out the destination country and their staple. If they eat a lot of food that you cannot eat, be prepared to bring more from home.
Do you have food preference? Well, Indonesians are known to not be able to eat without a single grain of rice. So, if you are in that category, be prepared to have your own preferred food.
Can you afford to eat out all the time? If no, find accommodation that allows you to cook. But remember, if you are not for a long stay, buying spices that are usually ready in your pantry for the first time can be expensive too.
Do you want to check out the special culinary of the area? If yes, find out the price first, because sometimes it can be very expensive.

4. Be a Traveler not a Tourist

By being a traveler means that you are looking for an experience, either cultural or culinary. So make sure that you have research the place, or otherwise you would miss a date for a special event. Check out tour packages and find that include experience.

Buying tour packages can increase the probability of including more of the destination, but maybe less of an adventure. So it is for you to consider.

5. Use Apps to Make a Travel Budget

There are a lot of apps to help you make a travel budget, and you should utilize it. Stick to your budget unless there is something really special comes up. Even then, you have to make sure you can afford it. You don’t want to be stranded in other country without money. Use Apps to Make a Travel Budget Photo by: freepik