Welcome back to my vacation planning series. Yesterday in Tips for Family Vacation Planning, Part 1: Deciding Where to Go, we looked at a few things to think about when deciding on the right destination for your family vacation. Today, it’s all about making sure we budget well for the trip.

Budgeting plays a vital role in making your vacation less stressful because you have a better idea of how much money your trip will cost and how much cash you should take with you.

Here is how I budget for my trips:

As with any budget, set up the categories in which you will be spending. I have listed below several to help get you started. In addition, I’ve included my Vacation Planning: Budgeting Chart for you to download if you wish.

The first three really don’t need much explanation; they are pretty straight forward, and you know how much they will cost before you leave home. However, don’t forget to write them down in your budget because they are part of your trip costs.

• Hotel- Remember to check and see if there is are additional charges for high speed internet, valet parking, or other guests services that might be of interest to you.
• Airline Tickets (if flying)
• Car Rental (if applicable)
• Gas - If you are taking a road trip try to determine an approximate number of miles you will be driving so you can get an idea of how many fill ups you might have on your trip - going, coming and at your destination.
• Attractions, Amusement Parks & Entertainment- Most large attractions and parks can be found on-line, and you can usually find ticket prices on their websites, or by calling. Sometimes there are additional costs once you get into the gate, so double check and see if those costs are also listed. In addition, some places require a fee to park your car, so allow a little extra for that.
• Meals & Snacks- This may be a little tricky. However, by determining whether you are going to eat fast food at lunch and at a nice restaurant for dinner, for example, will help you make an educated guess. Also, don’t forget to check and see if the hotel where you are staying provides a continental breakfast, a breakfast that will be added to your hotel bill, or no breakfast at all. Remember, too, that in most amusement parks, food is available, but it is usually very expensive.
• Souvenirs- I find that the best way to handle souvenirs is to set a dollar amount for each person and stick to it.
• Extra Cash for Emergency- You never know when an emergency is going to arise and you need cash to cover it. Put aside a little extra cash for emergencies, but try not to touch it for anything else on your trip.

Of course, there is no way anyone can budget to the dollar every expense for their trip. Nevertheless, if you compile a list of any expenses that you can foresee, even if some are only estimates, it will help give a better idea of how much your trip will cost and how much you should take along. Happy budgeting!

The next part in this series is Tips for Family Vacation Planning, Part 3: Don’t forget to take… In this segment, I will be listing a few things that you might not think about taking on your trip, but might wish that you had. You’ll also find a packing checklist available for you to download and print.

This post is linked to We Are THAT Family for Works for Me Wednesday.

Related posts:

1. Tips for Family Vacation Planning: Introduction Are you ready for that super fun great vacation with your family? I mean, are your really ready? Well, I’m...
2. Tips for Family Vacation Planning, Part 4: Playing it Safe Are you finally packed and ready to go on that long awaited and much needed vacation? I hope that yesterday's...
3. Tips for Family Vacation Planning, Part 3: Don’t forget to take… On Wednesday, we took a look at budgeting for a vacation in Tips for Vacation Planning, Part 2: Budgeting, so...

Posted on April 28th, 2009 in Kids and Family | 8 Comments

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8 Comments

• Kirsty says:

  April 29, 2009 at 12:06 am

  This gets a bookmark! Thank you-awesome and timely information that I definitely need and will use
  Kirsty’s last blog post..Making Procrastination Work For You

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• Phoebe @ Cents to Get Debt Free says:

  April 29, 2009 at 7:15 am

  What a great post! Definitely bookmarking this for this summer. Thanks!
  Phoebe @ Cents to Get Debt Free’s last blog post..Healthy Free Snacks

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• Amanda says:

  April 29, 2009 at 9:50 am

  How great!!

  I am here because someone has nominated you for an Awesome Blog 2009 Award! Stop by and see what category somone thought you rocked!

  http://awesomestblogs2009.blogspot.com/

  God bless-
  Amanda

  Amanda’s last blog post..Anyone Need Some Free HP Products??

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• Jenny says:

  April 29, 2009 at 11:18 am

  Great post. I have vacation budget set up in excel for our yearly Branson vacation. It really helps to know if advance how much everything will be.

  Jenny’s last blog post..Works For Me Wednesday: Singing & Learning

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• Amanda says:

  April 29, 2009 at 11:31 am

  @Kirsty @ Phoebe - I’m glad you found this information useful to you.

  @Jenny - I can’t imagine going on vacation without some kind of budget plan. I would probably end up either spending way too much or running out of money before finishing the trip.

  Reply
• Abbie says:

  April 29, 2009 at 1:11 pm

  I love this post, and this download. I planned a family trip to Aruba a few years ago and I was amazed at how much passports and papers cost. (I was newly married and had to get a passport with my married name, and I had a 10 mo-old who also needed a passport.) I think we actually needed to get them expidited and I spent something like $250 on fees, pics, and postage. Good thing they are good for 5 years if you are a child and 10 years if you are an adult! Thanks for these tips! I can’t wait for part-3!

  Abbie’s last blog post..Baby Feeding Log - Updated!

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  • Amanda says:

    April 29, 2009 at 1:26 pm

    Wow! Sounds like you jumped through a lot of hoops for that trip. I sure hope you had a great one.

    And yes, please come back for Parts 3 and 4. Part 3 will be on Friday and Part 4 will be on Saturday.

    Reply
• Tracey says:

  April 30, 2009 at 8:31 pm

  Great tips! This should come in handy for planning our family trip in June. Really like your site!

  Reply

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