Free holiday budget planner
Holiday budget planner: how much to put aside each payday
Add up your holiday costs, take away what you've already saved, and divide by the paydays left before you go. For example, a $4,800 family trip with $1,200 saved and 6 fortnightly paydays to go is $600 each payday. Use the planner below with your own numbers. It aims to have everything ready a week before you leave, so the trip doesn't come home on the card.
Worked example
A family trip to Bali
Four people, a week in a villa. They've already put $1,200 aside, get paid fortnightly, and have 6 paydays before the week they leave.
$4,800 − $1,200 = $3,600 still to find. $3,600 ÷ 6 paydays = $600 each payday.
Paid weekly with 12 paydays to go, it's $300 each payday. Starting earlier makes each amount smaller.
| Cost | Amount |
|---|---|
| Flights (4 return) | $2,100 |
| Villa, 7 nights | $1,400 |
| Food and eating out | $600 |
| Activities | $300 |
| Travel insurance | $180 |
| Spending money | $220 |
| Total | $4,800 |
How to budget for a holiday in three steps
List the costs
Flights, where you're staying, food, activities, insurance and spending money. Rough numbers are fine to start.
Set the date
The app works back from a week before you leave, so it's ready with time to spare.
Put a little aside each payday
Divide what's still to find by the paydays left. Move it in your own bank, then tick it off.
What to include in a holiday budget
The costs people forget are the ones that end up on the card. Go through this list before you book.
More than 1 in 5 Australians use credit cards, loans or buy now pay later to pay for holidays, and for Gen Z and Millennials it's about 1 in 4. Compare the Market, Sept 2025
Opens in Excel, Google Sheets and Numbers.
- Flights or fuelReturn flights for everyone, or fuel, tolls and parking for a road trip.
- AccommodationHotel, villa or holiday house, including cleaning fees.
- Food and eating outA daily amount per person works well.
- ActivitiesTours, tickets, lessons, park passes.
- Travel insuranceOften due when you book, so it's easy to forget.
- Getting aroundTransfers, car hire, transport cards.
- Spending moneySouvenirs, the extra dinner, the things you didn't plan for.
Holiday budget questions
What should a holiday budget include?
Flights or fuel, accommodation, food, activities, travel insurance, getting around, and spending money. Write down each one, even if it's a guess, then refine it as you book.
How do I work out how much to save each payday?
Take the total, subtract what you've already set aside, and divide by the number of paydays before you need it. Back to Black aims to have it ready a week before you leave, so the last payday before that week is the final one.
Why be ready a week early?
Costs land before the trip: the last accommodation payment, currency, transfers. Being ready a week early means nothing goes on the card at the last minute.
How do I plan a holiday budget with family or friends?
In the app, share the plan with the people coming. Everyone sees the same costs and how ready it is. Splitting who's covering what is coming soon.
Is there a holiday budget template?
Yes. Download the free spreadsheet below. It works in Excel, Google Sheets and Numbers.
What if I've already booked some of it on credit?
In the app, mark that cost as paid on credit. It stays on the plan until it's paid down, so you can see what's really covered.
Come home from holidays in the black.
Back to Black keeps the plan, reminds you each payday, and shows what's ready, with the people you're going with. No bank login.