Tips for Setting Your Vacation Budget

The importance of creating an accurate budget for your upcoming vacation cannot be stressed enough. There’s nothing worse than getting excited about a vacation or activity, only to realize that you actually can’t afford it. Read on for some helpful tips on how to plan your budget vacation:
 
Set a Meal Allowance
Food can easily become one of the biggest expenses of your trip, especially if you eat out often. Because of this, it’s important to set a daily spending limit for food, with perhaps one or two “cheat nights” when you can treat yourself.  A great way to save on food is to shop at local grocery stores and cook your meals in your suite. Similarly, a sandwich and a bag of chips is a great lunch for the beach, with no need to spend $15 on a meal at the beach-side bar.
 
Research Off-Season Prices
All vacation destinations have an “off-season,” during which they see fewer tourists and slash their prices to reflect the low demand. This is the optimum time to travel on a budget, as it allows you to do more with the money you have. For temperate climates such as the Caribbean and southern United States, this is usually spring through fall, although it varies for other destinations. Check with your travel agent to see when your dream vacation spot usually cuts its prices.
 
Start Saving Right Away
You might be surprised how quickly simple lifestyle changes can boost your vacation savings. For example, if you usually go out to eat for your lunch breaks at work, you could save big by packing a sandwich instead. Other great tips include making your own coffee in the morning, using more coupons on groceries, and driving less to save on gas. As you save, you can get a better idea of how much money you will have to work with.
 
The travel agents at Brentwood Travel of St. Louis are experts at budget travel. We always offer a variety of great deals to help you find the perfect vacation destination at a price you can afford. Call us at (314) 439-5700 to set up a consultation today.

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