5 Tips for Keeping Your Travel Budget on Track

Last updated on 24 September 2025

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Ever booked a trip, packed your bag, and then stared at your bank account, wondering … did I actually do my budgeting well enough for this trip? Yep, we’ve all been there. Travel is amazing, and I absolutely love it, but it’s so easy to go from ‘yay travel’ to ‘oh my gosh my bank account’. I found this to be true when I was booking my Contiki trip.

I literally wrote down everything I could think of when I was deciding on whether to drop a lot of money on that trip, and had a spreadsheet set up and everything. It made my decisions so much easier!

The good news, though (for you and me both!), is that there are plenty of things we can do so that we can plan our travel budget and actually stick to it when we’re overseas, gallivanting around the world.

Here are some tips I’ve found to be helpful when I’ve been budgeting for travel.

Plan your travel budget before you leave

This might sound obvious, but hear me out: most of us think we have a budget, then impulsively spend our way through Paris or Athens. (Oops.)

Look at what your bank account is looking like and start by breaking your budget into categories: flights, accommodation, food, activities, souvenirs etc. Whatever else you need to add to feel a little bit in control of your travel budget.

Bonus points if you leave a tiny buffer for “just in case” moments (because yes, that street-side gelato will call your name – many times … a day … in Italy). There were a bunch of hidden costs when it came to our Contiki (you can read more about those here), so I definitely should have budgeted a little more (or a lot more) for that big trip.

Try to track as you go

Tracking your spending daily might feel obsessive, but it actually frees up your brain for enjoying the trip. Use a simple spreadsheet, a budgeting app, or even a tiny notebook in your bag. Ooor, just make sure you’re really paying attention to your banking app if you’re using one.

Notice where you overspend – maybe it’s morning coffee, Uber rides (this got us a little bit in Europe!), or souvenirs that seemed like a “good deal” at the time. Just logging it makes you more intentional and aware of what you’re spending while you’re overseas. Especially with those money conversions!

 👉🏻I love using Wise (formerly TransferWise) for this, and have used Wise for my travel budget and spending overseas in about 18 countries now. You can see where you’ve spent your money (whether you’re using a digital card on your phone or a physical card), and make sure you’re sticking to your budget.

Avoid currency fees where you can

This one’s huge and will make such a difference to your travel budget. Banks, credit cards, and airport currency exchanges love sneaky fees, and they add up way too fast. I used to lose money on trips just on conversion nonsense. Argh!

If you’re getting cash out, remember that there will be fees if you do that in your own country (especially if you’ve left it to the last minute and are getting out cash at the airport! They’ll really getcha!). If you get out cash in the country you’re visiting just with your own bank card, you’ll also get slammed with fees.

The best way I’ve discovered to avoid as many fees is to have a card with you that is in the currency of that country. For example, as a New Zealander visiting England, I want to be able to go to the ATM and get out pounds but not pay for those pounds in New Zealand dollars. I want to use pounds, on a bank card I have already converted money into.

This is where Wise has been SO helpful. I can do the conversion from NZD to GBP just once, and then use my Wise card in England and not be hit with those fees every time I PayWave or swipe. Genius!

Use cash smartly

Cash is becoming less and less needed in Western countries, and actually, while we were encouraged to have cash while in Europe, most of the countries we visited took cards at the cashier. Buuuuut carrying some local cash is smart, especially if you find you suddenly need it for things like taxis, tips, and little street snacks from vendors who might not have card payments set up.

But hauling around large sums is risky. To keep to your travel budget, you’ll need to remember what you’re spending in cash and what you’re spending on your card. Cash is still money, even if we think it’s free (haha girlmaths).

If ATMs are easy enough to find, carry some cash, but not so much that if something should happen (it’s stolen or you lose your bag etc), then you’re not severely put out. Remember that you can use ATMs to get out more cash if you need to.

When my friend and I went to Australia in 2025, I didn’t even get any cash out. We literally didn’t need it at all. But if I did find myself needing some cash (like for a market, for example!), then I could have used my Wise card at the ATM, no worries at all.

Prioritise experiences over just more stuff

If you’re struggling to plan your travel budget for things other than the essentials (transport, food, accommodation) for your next trip, I like to think of divvying up my money into mostly experiences rather than just another souvenir. I’ve found I’d rather spend money on memories, not random bits and bobs I’ll forget a week after I land back home.

I’d rather spluge a little on a tour of the Colosseum than a tacky street-side something-something, ya know?

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Travelling can be expensive, it can. But if you’ve got a bit of a travel budget sorted before you board the flight, hopefully you’ll be able to have an enjoyable holiday without coming home to a drained bank account.

Plan ahead, track your spending, avoid fees, carry cash smartly, and invest in experiences that actually matter. And honestly, having a card like Wise helped me out so so much, highly recommend.

You can get a free transfer (up to $900nzd) or a free physical bank card if you sign up with this referral link.

I’d love to know how you go about budgeting for travel! Let me know in the comments!