You’ve spent your day tugging suitcases from the attic, arranging for a neighbor to look after your home and pets, and making sure the kids are caught up with school— it’s time to go on vacation! But have you considered the cost of gas, tolls and dining out along the way? How will expenses be divided among the parties traveling?
Vacation expenses can be calculated before and during your trip using a few helpful websites and apps:
TravelMath – From finding hotels and cities near airports to calculating the cost of driving versus flying, TravelMath is an all-in-one tool that can calculate nearly every cost for your next trip. The web site (also an app) offers 21 different types of calculations, including currency, time difference, and direct flights versus non-direct flights. The site also has a college and universities search tool, so you and the kids (A.K.A prospective grads) can explore options.
Splitwise – No one wants to argue over who is paying for what during vacations, especially among family. Wouldn’t you much rather know who owes who? The Splitwise web site lets you keep track of how much your cousin spent on gas and how much your brother spent on dinner, so you can all make sure the vacation is fair and fun. It’s also completely free to use and also available as an app.
GasBuddy – This tool is for road travelers who simply want to know the cost of driving to their destination. Enter your destination, along with the year, make and model of your car, and GasBuddy will provide the distance, total trip cost and amount of fuel to be used.
Practical Money Skills Travel Calculator – A simple budgeting tool, the Practical Money Skills Travel Calculator is a fast and easy way to add up the estimated cost of hotels, meals, activities and any other vacation expense you want to consider. When you’re finished entering the estimated costs, scroll to the bottom of the page and hit “calculate.” Then you can decide what to cut from or add to your upcoming trip.
