“Travel is the only thing you buy that makes you richer.” Author Unknown.
If you’ve been hanging around here long enough, you know how big I am about traveling! I’m a firm believer that everyone can travel. HERE you will find a previous post covering that more in detail.
Ok so we all pretty much agree we need traveling in our life right? Well let’s get to planning! Below you will find everything you need to keep you organized when planning your trip. Just print out the freebies, or save them on your phone and edit there!
Travel Destination Options
First things first, where do you want to go? Jot down a couple of different destinations and make sure to also list what are the things you most want to see while you’re there. This will help with filling out our next list.
For example, for our trip to Hawaii, we knew we wanted to attend a luau, visit Pearl Harbor, and do some sort of water activity.
Budget- Before Trip
I know budgets can be intimidating but they are essential! You will notice there are 3 different budget templates. Each one is for a different stage in your traveling plans.
For this stage, we want to think about what expenses you have before you go on your trip. Say you are booking a trip to Vegas in August, then this is the spot where you would list your expenses following up to that date. For example, making sure you have your rent money secured, bills are up to date, shopping money for things you might need on your trip, etc.
Budget- During Trip
This is where you will have to really sit down and think about how much you will be spending while being out on your trip. How much are you allocating for airfare, lodging, food, entertainment, etc. Make sure to also have an amount allotted for unforeseen events that may come up.
Budget- After Trip
Not many people think about money after their trip, but it’s definitely important. The last thing you want to come home to is a stack of bills and worry about how you’re gonna pay them. Planning ahead will make things easier and help you ease back in to your routine back home.
Places to Stay
Ok, now that we have the budget part out of the way, we can start thinking of the fun stuff. Take some time to research and list a couple of different places you want to stay perhaps a hotel, or maybe this time your family wants to try an Airbnb!
Remember to stay within the budgets you listed above. Other things to consider when deciding on a place is amenities, reviews, and the location. Is it near other places you will be visiting? If not, what transportation options are available? Will you still be within budget?
Activities
I think this is my most favorite part! The activities! Pinterest will be your best friend for this section. It is full of other people’s itineraries and recommendations. List the activities you’d like to explore and double check to see if it agrees with your budget.
Even though planning is great, keep in mind you still have to be flexible as the weather, becoming sick, excursion schedules, and many other things can all change last minute.
Packing List
There’s no worse feeling than boarding your plane and remembering you forgot to pack your flat iron! Below you can jot down your packing essentials. When you’re getting ready to come back home, you can use the same list to make sure you don’t leave anything behind at the hotel!
House Sitter Info
We don’t officially hire a house sitter, it is usually just my mom or my sister that drop by to check up on our house, but the list below is definitely a huge help as it holds all the important info regarding your home.
If you have cameras or any other security devices, make sure to also write those down!
Final Thoughts
I left a lot of blank spaces so you can add more to these lists. If you’d like one that is completely blank, let me know and I’ll get it over to you!
I really hope these lists help you organize your trip a little better. Like I mentioned before, planning is great, but still remember that this is a vacation after all so be flexible and enjoy!
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