Who doesn’t love holidays?! We definitely do! Planning a trip can be tricky when you don’t know where to start or are a little strapped for cash. But what if we told you how you could make it work? Keep reading for some tips on how to keep your budget in check, while getting your travel fix

Do your research

It’s easy to underestimate the cost of travel, especially if you’re going to a new destination. To work backwards and get an idea on how much your ideal trip will cost, start with the big ticket items such as flights and accommodation. Next, keep an eye on the exchange rate and what kind of spending card you should take with you. Most banks offer a travel money card which are super simple to use and usually have a decent exchange rate, but we recommend looking into what works best for you.

Pre-book and save

The more you pre-book, the more you could save! Transport, accommodation, entertainment…these are often a lot cheaper when you purchase them in advance. Plus, you could save a small fortune with early bird discounts, or special offers. Just make sure you’re committed to those dates as pre-paid tickets can often be difficult to change.

Set a spending limit

Setting yourself a spending limit might mean having to choose between breakfast at Tiffany’s or a picnic on the hill, sorry! Think about it, you don’t want to blow all of your spending money living large in the early days of your trip. For instance, if you want to eat at a nice restaurant for lunch, balance it out with a cheap and easy dinner to stay on track with your daily budget. To get into the nitty gritty, we recommend breaking daily spending limits into categories such as, transport, food and play.

Have a plan for when you get back home

It’s easy to forget about your usual expenses while you’re having too much fun! But coming home to no money in your account may leave you in a sticky situation as - we hate to break it to you - there’s still bills to be paid. It can take some time to get back into the groove of things, which is why it’s just as important to make sure your account still has enough cash to get you through after you land. Good news is,  you can use your trusty sidekick, MyPayNow (duh) for a payday advance for the pesky bill you forgot about 😉.