Travel Budget Basics: Categories, Contingency, and Quotes
Category totals plus a small contingency beat a single vague “vacation fund” number when prices are still moving.
Roll up categories first
Transport, lodging, food, activities, insurance, and misc should each have a number—even a rough one—before you optimize.
Contingency absorbs quote drift
Bag fees, currency spreads, and resort fees show up late. A 5–15% buffer is a planning habit, not a prediction.
No live fare scraping
Enter flight and hotel totals from quotes you trust. We do not fetch airline or OTA prices.