TravelSpend App

Glad it was helpful Laurel! I plan to continue to use the free version, but I think if you pay, you can create your own categories?

Presently I use TrailWallet but see it is no longer available.
I am going to download travelSpend and check it out for a short upcoming trip to Florida.

Yes, Tammie, you can edit categories or create your own. I thought the $24.99 fee was reasonable given my penchant for over-analysis,

That sounds like a great app, Laurel! When my adult daughter traveled with me in 2022, we used Splitwise and were happy with it. I used the free version.

I use Handtrip to track my on the go expenses.

I have the paid version, but after 7 years, can't recall what I paid.

The free version lets you create 3 or 4 trips, after which you have to delete an old one to create a new one. The paid version has no limit.

I can enter expenses in multiple currencies.

I can create new expense categories.

I can enter the exchange rate at the time I get cash. It will use that rate going forward, or I can edit the rate manually for a single expense.

The unlimited number of trips is the only feature that I'm sure is a paid feature. Everything else, I don't recall.

Let's see, I've spent $464.34 on food in Spain. I don't have a separate category for drinks ;-)

Will check out both apps. Thanks.

LOL, CWSocial! I lumped wine in with groceries or the restaurant bill, but my coffee category in almost $600 for 8 weeks! There may have been pastries and gelato in some of those coffee stops.

I have tracked expenses during previous trips I've taken using various tools. But then when I was done I had a record of what I'd spent, and that was of no value to me at all. So I've stopped doing it.

What value do you get from tracking expenses? Do you use it to estimate budgets on future trips? To measure your budgeting skills by comparing budget to actual expenses? Or is it just a fun activity?

I use all of my tracked expenses, vacation and otherwise, for my financial planning.

That's how I knew that while my vacation expenses were going up, my household expenses were going down - things like electricity and other spending. Although it wasn't a 100% offset, it was enough that I could take more vacations!

It's all automated, so not a lot of time required.

Oh my, Laurel, I'm glad I don't have a Sangria category!!

I’ve used Trip Splitter for years. It’s a user friendly app to record and split expenses. You can set different FX rates and export to Excel. The app automatically geo-locates where you make entries. I don’t believe it supports multiple users for entering info. The Lite version is free and the full version costs $1.99. I believe the only difference between the two versions is the number of “splitters” that can be entered. I’m a retired CPA and feel that only one person has the responsibility of entering any info.

Does the TravelSpend app have the capability to download into an Excel spreadsheet? I've never used any expense app and am curious to try. But I want to be able to come home and upload everything to my travel Excel, which I have been using for many years.

What value do you get from tracking expenses? Do you use it to estimate budgets on future trips? To measure your budgeting skills by comparing budget to actual expenses? Or is it just a fun activity?

I have a multi-sheet Excel workbook for each trip with a sheet for everything from initial outline with planned transport between locations to full details of what we actually do each day which amounts to a journal. There are sheets for to-do ideas in each location with URLs as needed, a packing list and an extensive expense tracking sheet.

I won't say budget is not important, but I am more interested in actuals by category so I can see where costs are rising, how we are doing versus other trips, etc. For example, in 2012, we were still managing lodging at an average $100 per night most places and food, whether prepared in a vacation rental or eaten out, was averaging about $100 per day. That is clearly no longer the case so my tracking helps me set expectations for future budgets. I also use the expense data and the daily details part of my file to answer questions here on the Forum.

Does the TravelSpend app have the capability to download into an Excel spreadsheet?

Yes, you can export to a CSV format. I have not tried that yet. I plan to...

I'm kind of with Lane here. I've never really budgeted for or on a trip. I have a general idea of what I want to pay over and for for flights and lodging, but otherwise, I just pay as I go and don't worry about it too much. I think if I was still working, I would be more inclined to budget but now that I'm retired with a fixed income, I know what's coming in know about how much I can spend without digging into savings and investments.

But I can see doing it for fun, maybe?

So for us, I wanted to see what an independent 2 week trip cost because I have a 4 month trip planned in 2026, when I would like to spend $10,000 or less each month. I’m going to have to cut something because right now, that is what we are spending in 2 weeks.

Yikes, Tammie, where are you going?

We have used the free version of Splid for 3 trips and I highly recommend it compared to Splitwise which I have also tested.

The free version of Splid is functional. It converts different currency for you.
However, you can only download the data in pdf. And you can only view a maximum 2 trips at one time, even though all trips are stored and available.

The paid version of Splid is only a modest one-time fee of CAD$4.64. Many other expense-sharing apps require monthly or annual payments. TravelSpend is CAD$5.99 per month. Splitwise is CAD$3.99 per month.

The paid version of Splid allows you to download the data in an Excel spreadsheet. You can view as many trips as you want at the same time. And the paid version automatically shows the expense breakdown by categories. I paid for the full version after our last trip to Japan.

Laurel-Turkey (Istanbul, Cappadocia, Antalya), Greece (Santorini, Meteora), France (RS Paris & HOF tour), Germany (Munich, Leipzig, Erfurt, Nuremburg, Berlin, Dresden), Czech (Prague, Cesky Krumlov), Austria (Vienna), Hungary (Budapest). Ha, ha you asked!!!!

Tammy, I didn't think I could be even more jealous of your trips, but I am!!

Laurel, thank you for confirming the Excel capability of the app.

Tammy, retirement travel is going to suit you just fine!!

According to Laurel and me, check the coffee and Sangria budgets for extra travel funds, haha!!!

But I can see doing it for fun, maybe?

I don't really budget, so much as track. Maybe got that from my former accountant father.

Lately it's been a fun exercise of seeing how much I "save" by traveling! It's ridiculous how much stuff I buy when I'm home that can't possibly fit in a suitcase!!!

Tammy that is a lot to plan! I would think $10k per month is doable exclusive of airfare. Are you doing any self-catered lodging? Cooking in our own digs saves us a lot of money and calories.