Planning your annual trip with your favourite girl gang? This blog post will shed some light on how to plan your girl’s trip without burning a hole in your pocket.
Let’s say you’ve known your girlfriends for decades and they’re your go-to people for everything. And since you enjoy being with them so much, you also love holidaying with them. So, every year you look forward to that time when you girls plan a trip and it’s just you girls.
Every girl’s trip is perfect when done with your favourite girls. Unending brunches + mimosas, simply chilling by the ocean, exploring a new place on foot or just endless shopping! Who doesn’t love that?
A girl’s only getaway is by far the best thing to do with your girlfriends. However, if you’re not financially savvy you could end up overspending and come back with a huge Credit Card bill.
Or if you’re struggling financially you may not have the heart to decline this annual customary trip. So, when you’re on a tiny budget, it may seem like a bad idea to do this trip. But we’ll tell you how to plan a girl’s trip with a scanty budget so that you can achieve both – a good time and a short Credit Card bill!
Additional Reading: How To Travel The Pocket-Friendly Way
All you need is some planning and a pen and paper to jot down what we’re about to tell you next. To make this simpler we have broadly classified the holiday planning into 4 aspects- budget creation, travel, accommodation, and food.
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Creating a budget
Before you go ahead and book those air tickets on a whim you may want to sit down and take a look at your finances. An ideal way to start planning for a trip is by first accessing how much money you have in your Savings Account.
If you haven’t saved up for this trip from the beginning of the year then you may be in some trouble. Running around during the eleventh hour is not advisable, especially when it comes to money.
So it’s best to write down all potential expenses and compare the funds you have. When you create a budget you must consider expenses like these:
- Flight tickets
- Accommodation
- Food
- Shopping
- Ad-hoc/miscellaneous/entertainment
- Accidents or emergencies
Assigning an amount to each of these sub categories will help you arrive at the final budget that you require. Based on that you can move forward and plan your trip.
Additional Reading: Popular Credit Cards For Shopping, Travel And More
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Travel
Your air fare, in all probability, will make up a major chunk of your holiday expenditure. Undoubtedly, it doesn’t come cheap when you’re making a booking at the last minute.
But, to stay on track with your budget, you need to ensure that you book your tickets in advance so you can get the best and cheapest price possible.
A great way to deal with this situation is to pick a destination that has the most affordable price on air fares. Whether you’re travelling domestic or international, it will make sense to choose a location based on how expensive or cheap the flight tickets are.
Additional Reading: A Vacation Spot For Every Budget
- Remember the rule of thumb – never ever buy a plane ticket that you cannot afford.
- With tonnes of low-budget airlines these days you can always get a good deal on booking flights.
- If you’re planning an international trip, ensure you have booked your flight tickets at least 4 – 5 months in advance.
- Don’t travel during peak season. Peak season or the holidays are the worst times to travel because everything is overpriced and you may not be left with many choices during this time.
- Sign up on various booking airline aggregator sites to be the first to know about discounts and other offers.
- Always compare prices on different sites before you book your tickets.
- Don’t pick a destination that requires you to rent a car. Instead, choose a destination where you commute easily with public transportation or on foot.
BB Tip – We too have tonnes of Travel Credit Cards that you can compare on our website.
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Accommodation
With so many affordable options these days you don’t have to settle for a place that charges a bomb just for its aesthetics! When you book your stay keep in mind that you only need a place to keep your belongings safe, a place to shower and sleep. Considering that you may not use your room the entire day, it makes sense to opt for a place that isn’t too pricey.
- Look for places that have bed and breakfast options. This way you don’t have to go scouting for a meal in the morning.
- Alternatively, see if you can get a half-board package at the hotel that includes breakfast and one big meal (maybe lunch or dinner). This way you will have tonnes of options to choose from from the hotel buffet for a fixed price.
- If you’re not a big fan of staying at hotels, then you can very well opt to stay at an Airbnb. With Airbnb, you can rent out an entire apartment or villa that has a kitchenette. So, you girls have the choice to whip up a small meal or snack whenever you feel like. You can also get in touch with your host and make sure you get all your doubts clarified on how well equipped your Airbnb home is.
- Keep your options open with hostels. If your girl gang isn’t too snooty about where you stay during a short trip then a hostel or dorm would also make for a perfect place.
- Have friends abroad who wouldn’t mind putting up with you guys for a few days? Well, staying with a friend is also a great way to cut down your expenses. But be nice and offer to pay them by either stocking up their fridge or helping them clean up after.
Additional Reading: Travel Budgeting 101
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Food
You are bound to spend a lot of money on food in a new location, mostly because you wouldn’t know what to eat or where to go to get the best. And it is easy to get carried away if you’re in the habit of constantly munching on something the entire day. Plus a night out with the girls means a lot of food and drinks.
- As mentioned earlier, see if you can get an all-inclusive meal package with the hotel you’re staying at.
- You can do research on the “must- do” things and places to eat at and then pick and choose the ones that comply with your itinerary and most importantly your budget.
- Go local. Figure out where the locals prefer dining and more often than not you’re bound to get some tasty food at great prices than the overrated “touristy” spots.
- Make a mental note of your budget for everyday meals and try not to exceed it.
- If things get too expensive or if you’ve overshot your food budget then you can always come back to your Airbnb and make something that is ‘ready to cook’.
- Try to carry a healthy snack or a fruit with you from the local market or grocery store so that you don’t spend too much on your munchies during the day.
Additional Reading: Here’s How You Can Travel To Europe On A Frugal Budget
Setting a budget for a girl’s trip shouldn’t dampen the fun and make you scrounge. With these few tips, you can still have loads of fun in the sun with your beloved girls. And while you’re at it, be sure to check out some of our super amazing travel Credit Cards.