It’s a crazy idea, but next time your family is decides to go on a trip or vacation, let your teen do the planning. 

Your first thought is probably, “My teenager knows nothing about planning a trip, why would I do that?” That is exactly the point though. They’ve never had the experience of planning a trip, likely know very little about how much it costs, and just follow what you plan. So which would you rather happen; they learn these lessons in a safe environment with your help, or do it on their own as a young adult?

Planning a vacation teaches your child a variety of important life skills like budgeting, looking for deals, looking at details, and organization. Here’s how to work with your teen to plan your next trip and all the ways they can learn and grow.
 

Set a Budget and Stick to It
 

Whether it’s a big trip to Disney World or a roadtrip to visit grandparents, you should have a budget for every vacation you take. A budget ensures you don’t overspend while on vacation, protects the rest of your savings, and can help reign in any too many expensive ideas.

Sit down with your teen and explain the total amount you can spend on the vacation. From there, you can work to break down some cost estimates for different expenses. For example, flying your family to Florida from Boise will likely cost around $300 per round trip ticket. That money can be budgeted out of the total and set aside. 

Teach your teen how to do this and then have them put in cost estimates for other activities and expenses. That way they can track how much everything will cost and stay under your set limit. As they begin to research everything and make reservations, they can input the end cost versus the estimates and track how much money they are spending
 

Learn to Research Everything a Trip Requires
 

Going on vacation requires a significant amount of research and planning. Your teen will need to be able to answer these questions in order to go on the trip:

• Where are we going?
• How are we going to get there?
• Where will we stay when we are there?
• What are we going to do while there?
• What and where are we going to eat?
• What do we need to go on the trip?

At first, let your child think through these questions on their own. Encourage them to do the research by themselves and see what answers they can come up with. Not only does this encourage the skills used in independent research, but their answers might surprise you. 

If your teen is struggling to come up with good answers, step in and help. Don’t just give answers, but instead assist them on where to get the information. For example, if they only can think of staying in a hotel at your destination, you can direct them to also look at rental homes, Airbnbs, or maybe even families who live in the area you could stay with.
 

Save Money on the Trip
 

There are tons of ways to save money while on vacation and your teen needs to know about them. Encourage them to find ways to cut costs and present these ideas to you. For many popular vacation locations and activities, there are ways to save a significant amount of money.

From how you get around at your destination to where you eat, all of these should be examined for potential to save money. Have your teen research alternatives rather than the easiest solution. Many of them are just as simple to use, but could save your vacation some money.

One of the most common ways to save money on a vacation is using credit card reward points. These can pay for a hotel stay, flights, a cruise, and more. They should not be ignored when looking to save money. You might need to explain some of the rules of credit and limitations to your teen. They might get drawn in with the promises of a free trip but not see or understand rules around getting those rewards. Pioneer does offer a VISA credit card with Rewards that you can redeem for hotel stays, flights, and even gift cards to spend on the vacation.

Open a VISA Credit Card