Managing the Expenses of Weekend Vacations
It isn’t always easy to make sure that you have everything for a vacation, even a small weekend trip. There’s the list of everything that has to be taken along: there’s the allowing for fuel, car maintenance, food, and a small emergency fund. It can be quite hectic, and the plan can actually take a lot more than is always anticipated. Here are a few things that should (almost) always be included in any weekend trip. Make sure to budget in advance for each item that you have to pay for, so there are no problems down the road!
- Fuel. This is the most obvious if you are taking a car trip. If you know your car’s mileage, then you are likely to be able to budget this fairly accurately. Also make sure that the car’s maintenance, such as oil change, transmission fluid, etc. is all up to date. And check your tires before you go out onto the highway! Don’t forget to check the spare.
- Food. This can get more costly depending on where you’re going and what you’re doing. Eating in restaurants is always more expensive. A tip is to pack a cooler and put whatever you can in there, that way food expenses are minimized and the money can be better used elsewhere. Make sure to plan every meal, and include a few extra snacks; you never know. And don’t forget about drinks!
- Changes of Clothes. These are something that men are more likely to forget than women. Is that a gender or cultural thing? Think of every event and place you want to visit, as well as the number of days. Make sure you have the right number and style of outfits. This is a great boon to already have what you need. If you’re going rafting or swimming, bring appropriate clothing. Same for dining out. And take an extra change of casual clothes, just in case. If you have to buy anything for the trip, plan it well in advance, that way you can make sure to spend less by getting it at a sale.
- First Aid Kit. While this isn’t mandatory, and hopefully you will never have to use it, having a first aid kit is a good idea. You just never know. There are lots of small kits available just to store in a car. And sometimes these are on sale. Maybe even just have a look at the items in a kit and put together your own. You never know, it might be cheaper that way.
- Entertainment Money. Is that the whole point of the trip? Unless it’s a family visit (or maybe because) you will need to plan and budget the entertainment events for the trip. Make sure to allow sufficient funds for this, or plan the events around how much you can realistically afford to spend. This is one area that a lot of people go overboard, so being aware of it and the budget ahead of time is the best way to avoid going overboard. This is called actively managing your budget.
A tip for entertainment is to take along some games. Even a ball or Frisbee can make a lot of time pass and be great entertainment! Take some cards. Take a couple board games. Take some horse shoes or lawn darts. Whatever games you and those you are with will enjoy. Brainstorm to see what everyone can do in the few hours of downtime that you might have. You might be surprised at what inexpensive ideas there are.
