Let’s be real. Travelling is expensive, no matter where you go. To go on a trip, means you have to save your money. This is easier said than done as college can be very expensive. Students have to pay for groceries, school supplies, books, rent, utilities, and much more! With so much to pay for, many cannot even think about paying to go somewhere… but I am here to tell you it is possible!
Planning a vacation needs to start well in advance. Unless you already have money saved in the bank, you cannot just get up and go on a vacation. You should start planning your vacation a couple months ahead of time as you will need to research how much things are going to cost. For a typical vacation, you should plan to pay for travel to the destination, lodging, food, travel once you get to the destination, souvenirs, and extra experiences. I recommend creating a spreadsheet of expected expenses. For example, below you will find a list I created for a trip I went on over the Summer.
“Tentative costs:
Flight, round trip: $1041.25
Flight, London - Bilboa: $89
Hostel: $100
Train, London - Brighton: $34
Estimated Taxi: $50
Bilbao Airbnb 2 nights: $51.20
Train, Bilboa - Pamplona $20
Train, Pamplona - San Sebastion: $15
Train, Pamplona - Barcelona: $20-$30
Airbnb Barcelona 3 nights: $100 per person
TOTAL ESTIMATE WITHOUT SPENDING MONEY: $1,556
ESTIMATED COST OF FOOD: $300”
One thing that I had not accounted for was miscellaneous spending money. I highly recommend bringing an extra $200 - $500 for spending. You never know if you will need this money, but that is exactly why you should bring it. You never know if there is a last minute experience you want to participate in, unexpected medical expense, or even if you see a sweatshirt you want. You will want some cushion money just in case!
While in school, you can do many things to save. Like I said, you will need to start very early. Once planning begins, you will need to be very conscious of what you are buying and when. You can always do things to save money; such as, buy the “Great Value” Wal-Mart brand. You do not need to buy the $5 yogurt brand when there is a $0.75 option. Also, create a Food Lion MVP account. This can take off quite a bit when checking out, as well as many deals on most items! When in stores, ask for student discounts. Stores and restaurants typically have student discounts, you just have to ask! Additionally, I recommend taking full advantage of your college meal plan. You already bought the meal plan, you do not need to go out to eat every day! Create an online savings plan. Go onto your bank account and designate money specifically for your trip.
Thank you for reading my blog again. Please come back on Monday for when I talk about how to plan for the trip!
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