Travel is an essential experience; you get to live in another culture for a short span of time. It doesn’t matter if you planned a shopping trip, a sightseeing trip or just a laid-back beach holiday. The important thing is that it opens your eyes to another point of view, that of the citizens of the country you’re visiting.

Next to the experience of it, another key factor is the amount of money you have at your disposal to make your holiday a great one. We prepared a little guide for you to help you along the way.

Select Your Destination

The destination is the starting point. If you’re holidaying around the region, you may not have to spend so much. If you’re going further ashore, costs could add up. If you think brining the whole family to Italy could cost you your entire year’s salary, then maybe it’s time to reconsider somewhere less expensive. But, if you’re thinking of doing a backpacking trip around Italy, staying at hostel and such, it might be doable. So consider carefully your destination. The rule of thumb is you shouldn’t have to spend more than two months’ salary on a holiday.

Choose Your Accommodations Wisely

In Europe countries, a three-star hotel will give you very decent accommodations. Even hostels are clean and well maintained, if you choose the right one. Go online and read reviews of the places you intend to stay in. In Asian countries, particularly the less developed, you may want to spend a bit more on four- or five-star hotels, as the lesser rated ones may not be so ideal. But the rates in these countries would  be cheaper, so it all balances out. Again, read guide books and reviews for bargains and undiscovered gems. Another option would be homestays, which is sometimes cheaper and usually includes full board, so it cuts down on your food bill.

Plan Your Budget

Now that hotels and air tickets are taken care of, start thinking about how much you will need to spend. Most people put aside a portion of their monthly salary for a holiday. A reasonable amount would be a quarter of your salary every month. Some people also save their annual bonus for a holiday, so you might want to think about that. It’s a practical way of saving a lump sum in a short time. Besides, bonuses are earned after a year of hard work, so it’s perfect to go into the holiday kitty, because you’re rewarding yourself with a holiday!

Look For Discounts

Find out about special passes for ground travel. In countries like Japan and most parts of Europe, where train travel is extensive, you can get weekly or monthly passes that will be far cheaper than daily tickets.  Get these online and you get further discounts. Again you have to pay the full price in advance, but consider it spreading your costs over time. This way, you won’t be saddled with a huge bill in the months leading up to the holiday. If you’re sightseeing, find out about museum passes, which offer unlimited entries to museums in a city. This will end up saving you a lot of money.

Book In Advance

Once you have made up your mind, book your flights, accommodations and ground transportations, if any. Most hotels let you book up to six months in advance, and airlines take bookings a year in advance. You will be alble to save up to half the ticket price if you do this, especially if you plan to travel during peak times. You will have to cough up with the full amount for online bookings, but treat this as forced savings. You’ve already paid for your tickets and hotels, so you can concentrate on saving for the other stuff, like shopping, eating and sightseeing.

Be Ruthless!

Be strict with your money. If you usually spend RM10 for a cup of coffee, consider giving that up for a while. Impulse purchases at the mall? Stop them. In fact, stop going to the malls for a while, this will stop your bank account from depleting. Instead, use your weekends to get fit for your holiday. If you’re going to the beach, it’s time to tone up that body. If you’re going to be walking a lot on your sightseeing holiday, it wouldn’t hurt to build up your fitness level. Use this time to read up on your destination. Find out places you can visit and things you can do. You’ll be surprised how much information you can glean from guide books, travel blogs and the internet.