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Honeymoon budget calculator

After the wedding budget, the honeymoon can feel like an afterthought, until the flights and accommodation add up. Our free honeymoon budget calculator lets you plan the trip category by category, see the total and the cost per day, and work out how much to put aside each pay before you go. All the numbers below are made-up examples, because prices vary hugely by destination, season and travel style. Use real quotes when you have them.

Here's how the made-up starting example adds up over 10 nights: $2,400 for flights, $2,600 for accommodation, $1,500 for food, $900 for activities and $600 for extras. That's $8,000, or $8,800 with a 10% buffer. With $1,000 already saved and 12 fortnightly paydays to go, it works out to $650 a pay. Change any figure to see your own result. Nothing is stored.

What to include in a honeymoon budget

Couples often leave out the small costs, and they add up quickly. Run through this list:

• Getting there: flights, baggage, airport transfers, parking or a ride to the airport.
• Staying there: accommodation, resort fees, taxes and any upgrades.
• Eating: meals, drinks, a special dinner or two, and snacks.
• Doing: tours, day trips, spa visits, hire cars and entry fees.
• Before you go: travel insurance, passports, visas, vaccinations, luggage and new clothes.
• While away: phone roaming or a local SIM, card fees for overseas purchases, and tips where they're customary.
• Coming home: pet boarding, and a little money for the first week back.

Before you book overseas, check the government's Smartraveller site for official travel advice for your destination.

Setting a number that works

Try working backwards from what you can actually save, rather than starting with a dream trip and hoping it fits:

1. Count your paydays between now and when you'll pay for each part. Flights are often paid months ahead, while daily spending happens on the trip.
2. Decide what you can set aside each pay after the wedding costs and your normal bills.
3. Multiply the two, add anything already saved, and that's your realistic budget.
4. Split it across the categories above, with your priorities getting the most.

A made-up example: $300 a fortnight for 16 fortnights, plus $1,200 already saved, gives a $6,000 budget. If the trip you priced comes to $8,000, you can shorten it by a few nights, travel off-peak, choose somewhere closer to home, or push the date back.

Ways to make it go further

• Travel in shoulder season if your dates are flexible.
• Mix your accommodation: a couple of special nights plus simpler stays.
• Consider a honeymoon fund on your registry if it suits you and your guests, and keep track of what comes in.
• Pick one or two big experiences rather than booking something every day.
• Set a daily spending number and check it each evening.

Paying before the trip versus on the trip

A honeymoon usually gets paid for in two stages. Flights, accommodation deposits and insurance tend to come out months ahead, often around the same time as wedding vendor payments. Daily spending on food, activities and transport happens while you're away. Plan both stages:

• Before the trip: list each booking with its due date and amount, and make sure your savings get there in time. If deposits land in the same month as the final wedding payments, think about booking a little earlier or later.
• On the trip: take your daily spending figure and agree how you'll track it. A shared note on your phone works fine. Many couples keep a small amount aside for one unplanned treat.
• After the trip: check your statements for any card fees or foreign currency charges, so your budget for the next trip is more accurate.

Planning the money together, and agreeing what matters most, can take a lot of stress out of the weeks after the wedding.

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Keep it separate from the wedding budget

Tracking the honeymoon as its own budget stops it quietly eating into the wedding money, and the other way round. Our wedding budget checklist covers the day itself, and our holiday budget planner guide shows how to track spending once you're away.

Planning the wedding too? The Wedding Planner app (A$35 one-off) tracks vendors, deposits and due dates.

Frequently asked questions

General information only, not financial advice. All examples use made-up numbers. Check real prices and official travel advice before booking.