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Everyone loves the idea of a vacation. Though what makes a trip awesome will vary depending on someone's interests and personal tastes, there are a few basic ground rules that one should follow, especially if this is your first major trip.

TOC:
1st post: Intro
2nd post: The steps!

FYI: The examples I will be pulling from on the steps are from the trip I took last July, when I drove from Fort Worth to Anaheim for Anime Expo. I had a fantastic trip, but only because I planned for it in such a way that that worked out.

Step two: Get started on your budget!

Next, you'll need to know how much money your vacation will take. Break the trip down into segments, as folows:

1. Car repair (if you're driving)
2. Travel (gas or airfare, depending. This also would include a rental car if you want one.)
3. Lodging (Even if you plan to stay with friends or relatives, be prepared to help out! Said relatives will likely be happier to have you around if you're not using them as a free hotel!)
4. Food
5. Emergency
6. Spending (this is where you budget for any attractions you want to visit as well)

Step 4!

1. DO NOT, UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES, NEGLECT YOUR EMERGENCY FUND! A good emergency fund should be at the very least, enough for a bus/plane ticked home if you're driving. A good place to start from is about $300 for each person going on the trip. I'm sooo glad I planned this way when I went to AX, because my car doesn't have the worlds best track record. I joined Triple A just in case, and saved enough so that my friend and I would be able to get home if the car died in some way that couldn't be salvaged or was stolen. That money really came in handy when I got to Anaheim and discovered that I needed two new tires on my car. sweatdrop Since I had $600 in emergency funds, the most stressful part of the whole thing was looking up and getting to the tire shop.

2. So you don't end up with sticker shock, do your research before writing something into the budget. I was planning on a rental car for an upcoming trip (that I unfortunately had to cancel crying ). I had originally budgeted about $300 for it, thinking that would be plenty. I then went over to check out some car rental sites, and the lowest quote I got was around $650!

3. Always overestimate your costs. This comes more in handy if you're driving, but it's still a good thing to do if you're flying. When you're driving, underestimate your car's gas milage, and way overshoot the price of gas (I used 35 MPG and $4/gallon as my estimates). Get an idea of the number of miles involved by using your favorite map site, and multiply the miles it gives by two so you're budgeting for getting there and back in one shot. In the case of all other expenses (This includes airfare), just round up to the nearest increment of 25.
Example:
Actual cost: $433.82
Estimated cost: $450
If you save money this way, you'll come out ahead when you leave, and have a more relaxed trip!