Our thoughts are starting to turn away from winter and think about summer plans. You may be thinking about traveling this summer, things are starting to open around the world and like me, you may be feeling a little cooped up.
Now is the time to start thinking about what your budget might be for a spring or summer get away. Right now, US flight bookings have gone up 600 percent from last month. Boosting that number is the lower price for domestic travel, right now the price for domestic travel in summer 2022 is 53 percent lower than in 2019.
Traveling overseas is now an option for many countries and prices are lower to try and attract tourists back. Make sure if you plan on traveling overseas that you are checking the Covid-19 travel requirements.
Developing a budget for travel no matter where you are going, needs to have a few key items. Not only budgeting for where you will be staying and eating but also transportation, fun excursions, and souvenirs to bring home. Many people say it’s the experiences they have that are more important than the things they bring home. Make sure you add a little extra padding into the budget for things that might come up.
Things to think about, do you want to rent a house or stay in a hotel? Renting a house gives you more privacy and the chance to all be together in one place, but you will be doing all the cooking and cleaning. Staying in a hotel might give you the option of hotel staff who can help plan the excursions, and even know of some discounts that you can use. It is all a personal choice just think about what you want from a vacation and what would be the best choice for you.
Planning a vacation should be a family affair. Get everyone together and talk about where they want to go and what are some of the things they want to do. Giving kids a chance to make choices and talk through how much different excursions will cost. Let them know what the budget is and let them help pick out what they want to do within the budget. This is a great learning opportunity about how much things cost and making choices based on a dollar limit.
If going away is not in the budget, you can still have fun planning a staycation. Putting money back into our local communities is very important right now. Explore your area and support local businesses, try new restaurants, and explore small shops in town. I always like to search for things in my town, and I always find places I haven’t been to. You never know- you might have the world’s largest ball of string right in your backyard.