When to Increase Your Travel Budget and Splurge on Extras

Credit: Flickr/jepoirrier

Quality luggage is one expense worth increasing your travel budget for

In the continual quest to cut travel costs, it’s important to remember that there are some instances when it’s actually worth it to increase your travel budget and splurge a bit on conveniences

I’m all about finding the best deals out there, but sometimes it’s worth paying that little bit extra to maximize the enjoyment of your vacation. Let’s start with accommodation, for instance.


When to Spend More on Travel

1. Business Travel: If you’re travelling for business and know that you’ll need some meeting space, consider booking a bigger room or one that includes a separate sitting area. This can usually be done for a nominal fee.


2. Travel with Kids: If you’re travelling with the kids, meal costs will start to add up. So, if you don’t want to be forced to eat every meal out, pay the extra cash for a room with a kitchen. It will pay for itself with the money you save by opting not to dine in restaurants all day long.


3. Long-haul Flights: When it comes to air travel, it’s definitely worth the splurge on better seats if you’re on a long-haul flight — especially if you’re tall, have an injury, are pregnant or simply want the service or the space.
 You may want to pay the $25 (or so) fee to book your seat in advance and secure yourself an exit row or bulkhead. Or, simply ask for an upgrade when you check in. Typically, $50 will get you a slightly bigger seat and more legroom.


4. Luggage: I can’t tell you how many vacations I’ve heard of being tarnished by cheap travel gear. It’s definitely worth spending on good products that won’t break while you’re on your trip.
 Good luggage doesn’t have to be expensive, just good quality. Do your research before you buy and you won’t end up with a broken handle or wheel popping off, which, believe me, is an incredible pain.
 A good-quality personal bag with lots of compartments will help to keep you organized and make it way easier to get through travel checkpoints. This could be your purse or your laptop bag — whatever it is, buy something that’s functional and not going to let you down.


5. Technology: When it comes to splurging on technology, I always recommend spending on what’s important to you. Maybe it’s a video camera to capture moments with your family, noise-reducing earphones if you need to sleep on a flight, or a DVD player to entertain the kids (or yourself) on a long-haul flight.


6. Lasting Memories: Aside from adding to your comfort or convenience, there are other times when you may want to forget the budget and just go ahead and break the bank — like splurging on something memorable.
 If travel is all about new experiences and collecting memories, then why not spend on something you’ll remember 20 years later? It could be anything from dining at a five-star restaurant to splurging on new shoes in Paris, or swimming with the dolphins.
 After all, you can’t put a price on memories you’ll have for a lifetime.

Knowing when to splurge on travel — and when it’s better to save — is highly subjective. So you be the judge! After all, it’s your vacation.

Originally published in TV Week. For daily updates, subscribe to the free TV Week e-newsletter, or purchase a subscription to the weekly magazine.