Your trip, broken into easy monthly steps.
The average vacation charged to a credit card costs 20% more than its sticker price by the time the interest is done. Saving first flips that: the same trip, paid with money you already have, often with early-booking discounts on top.
Treat the monthly number above like a bill — move it to a separate savings account the day you get paid. When the trip comes, you spend freely, because the spending already happened.
Yes — add 10–15% for the spending you will not plan for: the taxi, the souvenir, the meal that costs more than the menu said. Buffers are what keep a trip fund from becoming credit card debt.
A savings bucket for a known future expense — exactly what this calculator builds. Fund it monthly, spend it guilt-free when the time comes, then start the next one.
Extend the timeline, trim the trip budget, or both. A smaller trip you own beats a bigger trip you are still paying for in March.
Save first, then book. Booking on credit before the money exists turns one decision (the trip) into two bills (the trip plus the interest).