• Summer vacation is right around the corner. I'm not a big believer in pre-planning every single detail - sometimes the best vacation moments are spontaneous. But unless your rich uncle is paying for the trip, you'll need to do a certain amount of preparation or your budget will fly out the window.
• You do have a vacation budget, right? If not, here are a few suggestions for creating one and some cost-saving ideas to help keep expenses down:
• First, be realistic about what you can afford. If your vacation will take more than a month or two to pay off, you may want to scale back on this year's trip and start setting aside money now for next year.
• When building a trip budget, try to anticipate all potential expenses. Consider things like:
• • Airfare-related expenses. Include taxes and fees for items like changing flights, extra leg room, priority boarding, Wi-Fi access, meals, and checked, oversized or overweight baggage.
• • Kayak.com, Airfarewatchdog.com and Travelnerd.com provide handy charts that compare various fees for popular airlines; however, always double-check the airline's own posted rules before booking your flight.
• • Transportation to and from the airport - at home and all travel locations.
• • Car rentals. Factor in taxes, gas, fill-up penalties and insurance (check your auto insurance and credit card policies to ensure you don't pay for duplicate coverage).
• • Hotel/lodging. Don't forget taxes and other local fees, charges for phone/Internet, room service, early check-in or departure, gratuities, etc.
• • Hotel room rates often are based on double occupancy. Although kids usually can stay for free, many hotels charge extra for additional adults.
• • Entertainment. Include meals and snacks, event admission and ticket-ordering charges, transit passes or taxis, sporting equipment rental, babysitters, and special clothing or accessory requirements (sunscreen, hiking boots, etc.)
• • Throw in an extra 10 or 15 percent for unanticipated expenses - lost luggage,

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