Vacationing on a Budget? Avoid This One Travel Habit that’s Bad for Your Wallet
You can set airfare alerts and AirBNB your heart out. But a “budget” vacation can get financially out of hand fast if you’re not careful about how much you spend.
Don’t Think of Shopping as an Activity
When you plan an afternoon at the shops the same way you might plan a museum visit or a day at the beach, you’re shopping just for the sake of shopping. And it’s the worst thing you can do if you’re trying to save money while traveling. When you think of shopping as a leisure activity, you’re more likely to over-spend (likely on things you didn’t really need or want anyway).
I’m not saying you can’t buy anything on vacation, but I am suggesting that you be more focused about your travel spending. It’s fun to walk through markets, shops and high streets, but if you need to keep your trip budget tight, here’s another plan…
Instead, Make a List of What You Need
Before you leave, make a list of things you’d like to buy on your vacation. It might be something unique to that region, or something that’s cheaper to buy wherever you’re going. Or it just might be something you know you want to bring back with you to remember the trip, like some to-be-determined piece of artwork.
The point is to make your shopping pointed and planned out and avoid unnecessary spending.
Do you like to shop on vacation? How do you keep your travel budget on track?