Part 1 - Plan Your Best Trip on Your Budget Your best trip happens when you stick to your budget. In this episode we explore some of the hidden costs to travel. But, we also offer some helpful tips and considerations. Is Your Budget Just About Money? As big fans of the Spoon Theory, we must advise that your energy is a big part of your budget. It actually affects your budget immensely. Low energy can definitely increase your budget. Take a listen to this and the next few episodes to learn more about budgeting for travel. Below, you will find a worksheet with a list of things to consider. There are some hidden items and events that you should be aware of when planning your budget. It's always wise to add some comfort funds. Never forget that what may seem like savings, may come with a price in time or energy. Shout Out to Italy We used Italy as an example for budgeting, However, you can use the same techniques for any destination. Remember, it's your trip! Living The Could Life contains affiliate links. They don’t cost you anything, but we may earn a small commission if you use them. We may have been hosted on a trip, excursion or other travel-related event. We may have received or experienced a product for review. Any opinion is our own. AS AN AMAZON ASSOCIATE I EARN FROM QUALIFYING PURCHASES AS AN AMAZON ASSOCIATE I EARN FROM QUALIFYING PURCHASES. Transcript Click Here for Transcript Theresa: Welcome back to Living the Could Life. Real travel for real bodies. If your body changed before you were ready, but you still want to see the world, this is the place for you. We talk accessibility, mobility, energy, and joy, because traveling isn't over. It's just different. There's still so much travel you can do. I'm Robert. Theresa: And I'm Theresa. Today we're diving into a topic that so many people ask about. How to budget a trip? And we're letting you follow along with an upcoming trip to Italy that we're planning. But how do you budget it, especially when you're navigating later-in-life disabilities? Theresa: We're talking hidden costs, spoon theory as a budgeting tool, essential documents, all the money-saving strategies that make travel doable, joyful, and sustainable. Theresa: So let's start at the very beginning. That's with planning, because budgeting doesn't necessarily start with just money. It starts with information. Theresa: Before you spend a dollar, you need your documents in order. For Italy, the basics are passport, travel insurance, and we'll talk about why this is crucial, medical summary from your doctor, medication list with generic names, copies of prescriptions, emergency contacts, accessibility documentation, if you use mobility aids or need assistance, credit card travel notices, and backup digital copies stored in your phone and Theresa: another thing I like to add to that list, or should have added, are apps that you can use in planning, like to the Italy government, to see what they need. There is a new document that they've been trying to implement in the EU, but you should be safe at least until the end of this year. You won't need to have that document. It's pretty much a verification. So I do want to emphasize that documents aren't just for emergencies. We kind of go by the saying, if you pack it, you hopefully don't need it, but don't go without it. So one thing is airport assistance, and usually you can request that when you're booking a ticket, and that's not only mobility assistance, but also for those with hearing or visual problems, and if you have any dietary needs. If you're seated or flying with an airline that actually gives you any kind of food or food service on the flight, there's hotel accessibility requests. Often there are a few accessible rooms in a lodging place. And then you may have to visit a pharmacy, so have your prescription. You may need to have any of your mobility aids repaired. You may want to have a copy of your insurance with you to file claims, or at least to get in touch with them to see if something's covered, or how to go through a procedure to be sure it's covered. So all of that reduces stress, which comes to your budgeting of spoons. It's just as important as budgeting money, maybe even more so. Theresa: Exactly. And speaking of spoons, let's bring spoon theory into the planning phase. Theresa: We've talked about spoon theory a lot until doing this podcast. Neither of us had ever heard of it, but now we talk about our spoons all the time. So your spoon energy is not just about your energy, but it does figure into your financial planning, because high spoon days often cost more money. Theresa: Travel days, high spoons. Use-in days, medium to high spoons. Rest days, low spoons, and usually low cost. Theresa: And remember, we are kind of generalizing here. Everybody has their own spoon spending, so just because one person spends so many spoons on one activity, maybe that's not the case for you. You know yourself better than anybody. When you're budgeting, think of how spoons and dollars are connected. For example, high spoon days, you might eat a taxi, your mobility aids, or pre-booked tours or other arrangements. Low spoon days could be neighborhood walks, cafes, or simple meals. And a medium spoon day could be flexible, independent sightseeing, or short excursions. Theresa: This helps you avoid overscheduling and overspending. Build-in recovery days. They're good for your body and your wallet. Theresa: And remember, budgeting spoons means budgeting time. Rushing costs money. Slow travel saves it. Theresa: Let's talk about the hidden costs people don't plan for, especially travelers with latent life disabilities. Number one, mobility aid fees, wheelchair batteries, repairs abroad, replacement parts, airline damage, where insurance can help. Number two, accessible transportation, taxis instead of buses, private transfers, accessible trains or ferries. Number three, medical needs, extra medication, over-the- counter items, compression socks, hydration packets, airport medical assistance. Usually free tipping is customary. Number four, food and hydration, buying water frequently, needing predictable meals, paying more for seating comfort. Theresa: Number five, that's fatigue costs. And that's a big one. When you are tired, you spend more. You grab the nearest restaurant, the nearest taxi, the nearest or the quickest anything, no matter the cost. Theresa: And budgeting for fatigue means planning. Rest blocks, easy meal options, nearby cafes, accessible routes, backup plans. Theresa: And insurance is a non-negotiable. It's not a luxury. It's really a budget protector. And I know some people say, and I know all of us now who are listening to this, or a lot of us might have some kind of disability or health condition. But even if you get along perfectly well or you're young, you don't say, well, I'm young, I'm healthy, because on the way to the airport or strolling around in Rome, you could trip and fall and break an arm. And that doesn't matter what age you are. So be sure to get insurance and watch for the gaps. Check on pre-existing coverage, mobility aid coverage, emergency evacuation, and that's a big one, and there's a huge cost if you need to be evacuated, and then trip interruption or delay. So there's a travel advisor role, and I learned this when I did a stint as a travel advisor. Not all of the savings are worth it, especially if you're on a once-in-a-lifetime trip. You want to save 10 bucks to skip something important that means a lot to you, or to take transportation that requires a lot of transfers. Time is money, so spending more money to get to a place quicker or to have fewer transfers is worth it. So if the saving money doesn't make your trip better, it's not really savings. And for late-in-life travelers, this is everything you could be doing a once-in-a-lifetime trip, and budget is still a consideration. Theresa: A cheaper hotel up a steep hill? Not really a savings. A long train route with stairs and transfers? Not savings. A 6 a.m. flight with three connections? Definitely not savings. Theresa: KIDD And for people like us who live four hours or more from a major airport, driving that distance to save 50 or 100 bucks, especially with the cost of gas, and then having to pay for parking, is not necessarily savings, and you can't predict traffic. We always are, I'll say 90% of the time, have to make a connection in a hub. So for us, we're used to it, but we do not like to find flights that are 18 hours long because they're $50 less, or you may have three connections or 10-hour layovers. It's not worth it. So you really have to evaluate that. But if you have a perfect trip, you also need to protect your spoons, which means protecting your comfort, means protecting your comfort and your joy. Theresa: Now let's talk about saving money, because Italy doesn't have to break the bank. Theresa: Nor does any place you travel to. You may just need to adjust how long you stay there, where you stay, having a home base. It's all what matters to you, what's important, and what maintains your energy. So one tip is to travel off-season, which we really enjoy. Part of it, there's fewer crowds, and like in my case, because I don't see well, crowds are really difficult for me. So in places in, I'll say, the northern hemisphere, October to April can be very budget-friendly. There's fewer crowds, the weather can be cooler, and the prices can be lower. Shorter season is also good, and again in the northern hemisphere, because the southern is just the opposite. So late September, early October, late April and May are still good times to travel, and we even have done it in December and January. But we're used to cooler weather and snow, and it didn't bother us at all. Another tip is to use credit card points and frequent flyer miles.
