10 simple steps to calculate your travel expenses

There is no magic. To know what your travel expenses will be, you need to put your laziness aside and do the math. Whether in a notebook or in an excel spreadsheet, making this calculation is essential so that you don't have any unpleasant surprises during the trip or after returning home. Many people who still don't know where to go and already have money saved, start from the opposite principle, that is, they define an itinerary according to the available budget. If that's not your case, or if you want to take that trip you've always dreamed of but don't know how much you'll spend, in this post you'll find ten simple tips to calculate all the expenses of your trip

1- Airfare

You can consider in this item other types of tickets, after all, we do not always travel by plane. It could be the bus ticket or fuel and tolls if you drive. Calculating this cost early on in your budget is critical for two reasons: ⇒ This is usually where you will spend most of your money. And many times, when you discover this value, you end up having to change destinations due to the high cost. ⇒ Along with the purchase of tickets comes the definition of departure and return dates, and knowing how much time you will spend traveling is essential to calculate other expenses. Suggested websites for airfare search: Kayak, Skyscanner, Momondo and MaxMilhas.You can consider in this item other types of tickets, after all, we do not always travel by plane. It could be the bus ticket or fuel and tolls if you drive. Calculating this cost early on in your budget is critical for two reasons: ⇒ This is usually where you will spend most of your money. And many times, when you discover this value, you end up having to change destinations due to the high cost. ⇒ Along with the purchase of tickets comes the definition of departure and return dates, and knowing how much time you will spend traveling is essential to calculate other expenses. Suggested websites for airfare search: Kayak, Skyscanner, Momondo and MaxMilhas.

2- Travel insurance

Is your trip international? Don't even think about leaving home without insurance. Many people think this is an unnecessary expense, but believe me, it can save your life and your pocket out there. In addition, in many countries it is necessary to present proof that you have travel insurance at the time of immigration. For the most part, these countries still stipulate a minimum policy value. Also read: Travel insurance, everything you need to know

3- Visa, vaccinations and passport issuance

Visa, Depending on the place you chose to travel, this is another expense that you will have before you even leave home. If you are Brazilian and intend to go to countries that are part of Mercosur, the good news is that the RG, in good condition and issued no more than ten years ago, is enough to enter these countries. Vaccines are needed for specific places. Most of them are provided free of charge, as is the case of the Yellow Fever Vaccine – one of the most demanded. In other cases, you will have to pay some money. Outside Mercosur countries, having a passport is a mandatory item. The fee for issuing a new Brazilian passport is R$ 257.25, valid for ten years. In addition, countries like the United States, Canada, Australia and some others, require a tourist visa. In that case you will also have to pay a separate amount.

4- Accommodation

If you are not yet a Couchsurfig fan, this will be another item of great value in your expenses. For those who travel alone and don't mind sharing a room with strangers, hostel dormitories are a great opportunity to not spend too much. I've even listed five reasons for you to stay in a hostel in this post. Now, if you insist on a private room or a more sophisticated hotel, your expenses will be higher. There's no secret here, to find out how much you'll spend on hosting, just search, search and search some more. I usually use sites like Trip Advisor and Booking to find out what the city's options are. Although the cheapest places are usually not there, these sites give us a great reference about the best neighborhoods to stay. In addition, they have an evaluation system made by people who have already stayed at this place, which helps a lot when choosing. Also read: 5 tips for choosing your hosting

5- Food

Do you plan to cook while traveling? Do you want to know the most famous restaurants in the region? Or is any street food that gives you more than enough energy? Take these factors into account when determining your food expenses. Check if your accommodation has any meals included or if you will have to eat out every time. As with the previous item, this expense can change considerably depending on your travel style. Apart from the main meals, remember to include the values ​​of small snacks that you will have during the day and even water bottles. Another thing, food at the airport and in places close to tourist attractions are usually quite expensive, consider this if you intend to eat in any of them. To determine your spending on food, the best thing to do is look at travel blogs or ask people you know who have visited the place what the average cost of each item is.

6- Transport

Okay, you're in the city you've always dreamed of visiting. Now it's time to find out how you're going to get through it. Public transportation? Taxi? Walking? Bicycle? There are several alternatives and again it depends on your style and what you want to know. Before traveling, it is necessary to discover all the options available in the city so that you can correctly calculate your expenses. One item that often surprises a lot of people is the price of the taxi ride from the airport to the hotel. Yes, this will be very expensive. If you are not willing to take all your bags by bus/metro from the airport to where you will be staying, don't forget to book a good amount of money for this transfer.

7- Entreteniment

After defining your travel itinerary and figuring out what to do in each city, it's time to research how much it will cost. Consider in this item museum tickets, theater, guided tours, park entrances, hiking or any other activity you want to do and that incurs a cost. Once again travel blogs are a great place to do this research. For many activities it is also possible to find official websites that have a price list for foreigners, residents, students, seniors or any other category available. Check if there is a specific day of the week when the attraction is free or cheaper. Also read: How to plan a trip on your own?

8- Night outings

It all starts with an innocent beer at the hostel bar. The next day you wake up with a hangover like that and discover that you don't even have money for a popsicle. This has happened to me, and the worst, more than once. If you're not in the habit of drinking or going out to clubs and bars, you probably won't have a problem with that. But if by chance you identified with the above situation, be smart. This is one of the most difficult expenses to control, especially after the third tequila shot. Exactly the one that makes you think you got rich and start buying drinks for everyone who appears in front of you. Define very well how much you can spend on this type of fun and be very true to that value

9- Shopping

Going somewhere where shopping is cheaper? Looking to buy some souvenirs for friends and family? No matter how small the amount, don't forget to include it in your budget. In this item you can also consider small losses you will have with exchange rate and even amounts charged for withdrawals abroad. Everything has to be on the tip of the pencil.

10- Reserve for extra expenses

Lost your passport? Did your cell phone charger stop working just the first day? Did the slipper strap break? Well, unforeseen events happen and it is essential to be prepared for them. Always leave an amount set aside for possible emergencies and unexpected expenses. Often you won't need to use this money, but as the saying goes "Insurance is dead of old age".

#video #producciónaudiovisual #autoproducirse #producciónpropia