Research Your Trip

One of the biggest expenses on vacation is transportation.

Make sure you have enough money to get where you want to go AND to get home! If you picked a destination that requires air travel, use airline websites or travel comparison sites to compare flight prices.

Airlines charge different rates for similar flights.

Check out different airline sites and compare travel dates.

Some sites specialize in comparing the cost of flights with different airlines.

Check out some of these sites to compare costs.

Some of these sites also offer discounts when you book a flight and a hotel room at the same time.

Play around with sites like these to see if you can lower the cost of your trip.

Find one or multiple flights to reach your destination.

You could add the cost of several flights using a sum formula.

Or, you may find one round-trip ticket and enter it once on your spreadsheet.

Maybe you don't want to fly--or it's too expensive for your budget.

You can also choose to drive.

If you drive, you will need to pay for gasoline.

Investigate the current cost of gas in the city you plan to visit.

Use a map to estimate the number of miles you will travel to your destination.

Then, calculate an approximate cost for gas mileage by multiplying the number of miles you will drive to and from your destination, times the cost of gas per mile.

For example, if gas is 2 dollars per gallon and your car gets around 30 miles to the gallon, you'll pay about 7 cents for each mile you drive.

If your destination is 300 miles away, multiply 7 cents times 300 to find an approximate cost for gas.

Don't forget to budget for your return trip, too! Multiply the gas cost by two to budget for your initial and return trips.

Another way to save money on travel is to split the cost with a group by taking a bus or a train.

Options like these can save you money because you split fuel costs with others.

Lots of buses and trains offer Wi-Fi and there are restrooms on board.

Best of all, you don't have to drive! In addition to getting to your destination and back home, you will also need money for transportation once you get to a place.

Unless you're planning to stay within walking distance of your hotel, restaurants, and activities for your entire vacation, you will need to budget for transportation costs during your trip, too.

If you drive to different locations while on your trip, you might need to budget more money for gasoline.

Or, take public transportation.

Some buses, trains, streetcars, or metros sell daily or weekly tickets.

Find information about these options on city websites or search the internet for the city and "transportation options." Enter a transportation pass as a one-time cost in your budget.

Try to account for all of the costs you would have on your trip.

Try to minimize your costs as much as possible, perhaps by trying another option.

Researching as many of these costs before your trip will help you make the best choices.

It can also save you money! Now It's Your Turn: Research the costs necessary to travel to and from your destination, as well as transportation while you're there.

Budget for transportation costs in your spreadsheet.

Lodging is another category that can eat up a lot of your budget.

Fortunately, you have lots of options for where to stay.

Hotels are the most popular form of lodging, but they can also be the most expensive.

Some hotels include breakfast and even dinner.

Others offer shuttles from airports or bus stations.

Booking at one of these places can help you keep your costs down in the "food" and "transportation" categories.

But it's only helpful if you will be at the hotel when those meals are served! Hotels also have other standard amenities.

Many have swimming pools and fitness centers.

Most provide televisions, internet access, and toiletries.

But there is a tradeoff.

While hotels might include more amenities, they are often more expensive than other lodging options.

To save money, you might be able to sacrifice some of these extras.

Research other lodging options like hostels, bed and breakfasts, extended stay condominiums, and couchsurfing.

Hostels are popular in Europe and other areas throughout the world, but there are some in the United States, too.

In hostels, you stay in dorm-like rooms with other travelers and share commons areas and bathrooms.

If you are a social person, a hostel might be a good choice for you.

You can meet other travelers easily and you might make lots of friends.

But hostels offer less privacy and can sometimes be noisy.

You will have to take your belongings with you when you leave the hostel or rent a storage space while you're out for the day.

Hospitality websites specialize in linking travelers like you with hosts, or property owners who rent out their living spaces.

Accommodations on these websites vary widely.

Depending on your budget and location, you might be able to stay on someone's couch or air mattress.

But you might also be able to rent a private room, apartment, or house.

You could even stay on a boat or in a castle, tree house, or igloo! Wow! Hosts set the price of each rental, and prices vary widely.

But don't be afraid to explore some crazy but really cool options! If you enjoy the outdoors and have the equipment, you might want to camp on your trip.

Lots of state parks and camping sites have bathrooms and showers, so you don't have to totally rough it on your vacation.

And of course, if you have friends or family in an area, you could save a lot by staying with them.

But you might want to budget some money to buy them dinner or a gift as a thank-you! Think about how much time you plan to spend at your lodging site.

If you only need a place to sleep, you might be able to choose a less luxurious option.

That leaves you more money to spend on activities, meals, or souvenirs.

But if you want to relax in your room a lot or have a unique lodging experience, it might be worth it to spend more.

When researching lodging options, weigh the importance of predictability, amenities, and security against the cost and uniqueness of other options.

Find an option that works for you and your budget.

Now It's Your Turn: Research the costs of lodging during your vacation.

Add lodging costs to your vacation budget spreadsheet.

One of the most exciting parts about planning a trip is.....

the FOOD! You could taste specialties like Chicago deep dish pizza, Boston clam chowder, New Orleans gumbo, or Maine lobster.

Search the internet for your trip location and "Where do the locals eat?" or "Best restaurants in" the city you will visit.

To help estimate costs, you could use a customer review website or look at menus from interesting restaurants.

But restaurants can get pricey quickly, especially if you add in soft drinks and tips.

To save money on local foods, have a larger meal at lunch instead of dinner.

Many restaurants reduce their prices at lunchtime.

Food trucks are also a popular option for lunch in many cities.

Although they can be more expensive than a convenience store or fast food, you can eat fresh, local cuisine on the go, without the formality or price of a sit-down restaurant.

If you enjoy having a nice restaurant dinner to wind down after a day of sightseeing, consider spending less on breakfast and lunch.

That way, you can splurge on dinner! Your hotel might come with a free breakfast.

That could save you ten dollars or more a day! You could eat fast food for lunch.

Or, you could pack a sandwich and buy cold drinks at a convenience store.

Research the great restaurants and other food options in your vacation location.

Then, balance heavy, more expensive meals with cheaper, lighter fare.

Now It's Your Turn: Research food costs for your vacation.

Add food costs to your vacation budget spreadsheet.

Activities and entertainment are often the best and most memorable experiences of traveling.

Once you have decided on a place to visit, determine what you want to do there.

Costs vary widely depending on what you want to do.

But there are ways to have awesome experiences even on a tight budget.

State, national, and local parks, beaches, and museums are often free or inexpensive to visit.

You can really stretch your budget by visiting these kinds of sites.

If you plan to sightsee in spread-out areas, make sure to budget for transportation costs.

This will affect whether you rent a car, take taxis, or buy a bus or metro pass.

Prioritize the activities you are most excited about in your budget.

You probably chose your location because there was something specific you wanted to do there.

Do you want to go to a popular amusement park?

See a Broadway play?

Tour a national park?

Hit the beaches?

Budget for these expenses first, to make sure you have the money to do what you really want to do.

You could even add a ratings scale to your spreadsheet using data validation.

Or, you could label each activity "Must Do," "Might Be Interesting," or "If I Have Free Time." If you aren't sure what to do, search the internet.

Type in your location and "Things to Do," "Walking Tours," or "Attractions." Or, visit the city's Convention and Visitors Bureau.

Or check out blogs and travel guides for your location.

You might want to save up for one big event on your vacation, like a baseball game, where you will really splurge.

You might want to get box seats, eat expensive ballpark food, and buy souvenirs.

But keep in mind that your experience can be just as enjoyable if you sit in cheaper seats, eat before the game, bring some water, and take lots of pictures! Your experience does not have to be expensive to be fun and memorable! If you plan to go shopping or buy souvenirs on your trip, make sure to add these costs to your budget as well.

You might not yet know what you will buy, but think about what kind of shopper you are.

If you love to shop, budget more in this category.

If you don't really care about souvenirs or shopping, allow less.

Giving yourself even a small allowance for souvenirs, shopping, and even extra snacks will help you stick to your budget.

Now It's Your Turn: Research activities for your vacation.

Add the costs of activities to your budget spreadsheet.

This video will review basic and advanced spreadsheet formulas for calculating expenditures.

To calculate multiple occurrences of the same cost, enter the calculation directly into the cell.

For example, if your hotel costs 95 dollars a night and you plan to stay for 4 nights, type "equals 95 asterisk 4." To add all the values in a column, use a Sum formula.

For example, to add the costs for your entire trip, select an empty cell.

Type "equals, SUM" and select the cells with costs.

Press Enter to calculate the result.

To calculate category totals, create a space in your spreadsheet for categories.

List Transportation, Lodging, Food, and Activities in separate rows.

Under the total for the first category name, type "equals SUMIF." Select all of the cells in the category column, or type the cell range if there are lots of cells.

Then, type a comma and select the cell with the criteria, or category name.

Add another comma and select the cells, or type the cell range, in which you listed the costs.

Make sure to separate the range, criteria, and sum range with commas.

Press Enter, and the function automatically adds all the items in this category.

Copy the formula to the other categories, using absolute cell references where needed to indicate values that do not change.

Change the cell format to "currency" to reflect dollars and cents wherever necessary.

When you finish calculating all your expenses, add a chart to help visualize your spending.

Select the table you created with the category names and totals.

Then, insert the chart.

If you are still confused about these formulas, try to figure out the problem yourself.

Return to previous activities in this unit.

Or, search the internet for more advice.

If you have time, make your spreadsheet more personal by adding images, links, fill colors, font styles, and other visuals.

If you can't figure out how to add these features, use the "Help" tab, ask a neighbor, or search the internet for more instructions.

Now It's Your Turn: Calculate your expenses as you research them.

Keep track of how much you are spending for each item in your spreadsheet.

Add a sum formula that adds all the values in the Costs column.

Calculate category totals for transportation, lodging, food and souvenirs.

Add other elements to your spreadsheet like data validation lists, heading colors, or images.