Budgeting Tips

💳 Credit Cards

Contact your bank and credit card companies in advance of travel so that they do not freeze or cancel your accounts as soon as they see new patterns of use! 

Give your credit card contact information including phone number to a family or friend in case you lose your card. That way, it is easier to navigate getting a replacement card. 

It may also help to be a signatory on a family member’s credit card. This is a good source of emergency money if they will allow you to do it. 

💵 Cash

Travel with enough cash for emergencies but plan to use ATM or credit cards so that you do not attract a lot of attention with cash. 

🚰 Bring a Refillable Waterbottle

Water may not be free at restaurants and those bottles could add up.

🍳 Cook for Yourself

It’s always more economical—and can teach you a lot! 

📔 Plan out your food for the day and/or week before you leave the house

There may be a lot of tempting options “on the go” and they could add up if you don’t have a plan. 

This doesn’t mean you can’t be spontaneous so build in an “on the run” fund for eating out or treating yourself.

🥇 Prioritize & Compromise

If an out-of-town excursion or a night out on the town could impact your ability to stay on track with your budget consider going to dinner and find some free activities or spend your funds on visits and eat at home so you can still have fun, but at half the cost. 

Decide what is most important to you and prioritize based on that. 

👑 Consider your Lifestyle 

(i.e., frequency of attending the theater and concerts, dining out, and travel plans on weekends and before and after the program). 

If you plan to travel and/or buy lots of expensive gifts, you should budget more money.

☕ Miscellaneous

Make a sub-category in your food budget called “coffee with friends” and remember it’s okay to sometimes just meet up and not buy coffee!