Traveling is becoming increasingly common in Brazil. According to Ministério do Turismo, about 60 million Brazilians have the habit of traveling around the country, whether for business or pleasure.

A common concern for all travelers is how to control budget while traveling. No matter how much you try to save money looking for hotel’s discounts, economic tickets and tours, it is very common to exceed budget while traveling.

If you are planning to travel, but are afraid to spend more than you can, Rede Rio has prepared this article with tips to help you take control and stay on budget while traveling.

6 tips to help you stay on budget while traveling

It may seem difficult, but to manage your budget while traveling may be easier than you think. If you take caution and, most importantly, stay true to the proposed spending goal, you can get to know amazing places and enjoy a lot without emptying your bank account.

1- Set a spending limit

The first step to manage your money while traveling is to establish a budget. It may seem obvious, but many people do not plan or do not know exactly how much they can spend and this does not lead to financial control. So, before you even buy travel tickets, calculate to see exactly how much you can spend without harming your financial life. Maybe this is not the best time for you to travel, maybe there is something more urgent to be bought and so it is wiser to wait a little while to enjoy the trip without worrying about what is to come. But if everything is all right with your finances and you know that this is the right time, plan how much you can spend and stick to it.

2- Break budget into categories

After setting budget, break it into categories. Separate how much will be used for food, as well as for transportation, shopping, museum tickets, and so on. Also save some money for emergencies. Based on this budget, you can choose the restaurants where to eat, what places to visit, the amount of clothes to take and beware of other expenses that may appear. Do your best to stay on that budget and, above all, try not to use the money reserved for a category with something else. These small changes can be very detrimental to stay on budget while traveling.

3- Create a daily expense record

Organization is critical to stay on budget while traveling. So, create a daily expense record, detailing how much and what you plan to spend your money on each day you are traveling. Separating an amount to be spent per day will ease your control over what you buy and thus it will be easier not to exceed the total budget previously established. In this daily record, all expenses must be included: the amount spent on transportation, coffee, cake, shopping or restaurants. That way you can also plan tours and make your trip much more fruitful and organized.

4- Compensate extra expenses

If you spent more than planned for the day, make up for it in the next day. It is very important to stick to the amount that was stipulated as budget while traveling, so your expenses do not go out of control. If you need to spend a little more than you anticipated that day, reorganize next day expenses to stay on budget. Excessive expenses, if not compensated, can end up turning into a snowball. It will make you reach the end of your trip without being able to enjoy everything you planned because you will not have enougth money.

5- Check and save receipts

Every trader has a legal obligation to provide receipts of goods he sells. These receipts can be your greatest allies when it comes to controlling your budget while traveling. Ask for receipts everytime you buy something. In addition to ensure your rights, it is also a guarantee against defects and improperly charged amounts, theses receips will help you to know exactly what you spent your money on and will show how much you can save.

6- Use Expense Tracking Apps

There are many apps that can help you stay on budget while traveling. One of them is Trail Wallet. With this app you can set your daily spending goal, track everything you’ve bought and spent that day, find out the average expense of your trip, detail your expenses by categories and more. It will help you stick to your budget and not exceed the spending limits set when you planned your trip.

7- Look for alternative tours and means of transportation

Get to know the city where you are going to in order to find places to visit for free or at a low costs. In Rio de Janeiro, for example, it is possible to visit several museums, historic buildings and parks, spending nothing or almost nothing. This is a very effective way to save money and control your budget while traveling, without losing the fun.

Also try to use public means of transport as much as possible. Why spend 20 reais on a taxi ride if you can go to the same place by spending only 4 reais on a bus ticket? Being inside how transport works and what will happen in the city on the days of your visit is a good way to enjoy a lot and not spend much.

8- Save on accommodation

If you belive that it is impossible to stay in a nice hotel without spending much, you are wrong. Look for a safe, well located and central hotel, close to places you plan to visit and that offers easy access to the entire city. That way, in addition to saving money on accomodation, you will also save money on city tours.

If your travel destination is Rio de Janeiro, the best place to stay at is one of the hotels of Rede Rio! We are located in different places in downtown Rio, close to several tourist attractions, subway stations, airports and bus station. We offer special packages for groups and our staff is prepared to treat you the way you deserve.

Stay at a comfortable and safe hotel in downtown Rio. Get in touch with Rede Rio, get to know our hotels and make your reservation!

More information:
Hotel in Rio
Hotel en Rio
Hotel centro Rio de Janeiro
Hotéis na Lapa Rio de Janeiro

How to manage your budget while traveling