Before visiting New York, I spent hours and hours searching through different travel websites, blogs and forums to determine how much my trip to New York would cost me. Not only are there a range of different factors such as accommodation and flights but also other factors such as spending money, attractions and landmarks as well as many more! Even the smallest of things such as travel insurance can't be overlooked especially when travelling internationally, these prices seem to increase dramatically compared to visiting a country in the EU. I kept every single receipt from the moment I booked my flights and hotel to the moment I got on the plane at JFK which marked the end of my trip. There are 7 different factors which compiled my budget: 

• Flights 
• Accommodation 
• Transport
• Health 
• Attractions & Activities 
• Shopping 
• Food & Drink​

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Flights
Flights to New York can be very cheap or very expensive depending on where you live - domestic trips are obviously going to be a lot cheaper than international flights. Luckily for me I was able to book return flights with British Airways, which included reserving a seat as well as purchasing WiFi for an hour, which cost £562.72. The flights itself was booked in September 2018 for July 2019 and as I travelled outside of school holidays as well as before Independence Day, my flights were reasonably cheaper compared to flights during late July and throughout August. I chose to go World Traveller (Economy) which allowed three bags: a small handbag, a small suitcase which counts as hand luggage and a larger suitcase (hold luggage). British Airways were absolutely incredible for both flights, I would recommend them for travelling comfortably for long-haul flights as well as their unbeatable prices. If you want to find out more information regarding my flight then click here to see my TripAdvisor review. 

Accommodation
As New York attracts millions of tourists throughout the year, room rates can change depending on the month, season or if there's any holidays such as Independence Day or Thanksgiving. While searching for accommodation in New York I started by using the site Booking.com to narrow my search down for a hotel in New York rather than a hostel or apartment. From there I narrowed my search down to hotels that were located in Manhattan and those which were located near Midtown Manhattan as it would be in the centre of everything. From there I was still left with a long list of hotels each with their own unique selling point and ranging prices. From there I done my own research into the hotel's reviews from TripAdvisor, to which I'm so glad I did since some hotels may look absolutely spectacular but once you dig a little deeper this image quickly vanishes. Some hotels were reviewed to have bed bugs, guests being overcharged as well as having an unforgettable stay for the wrong reasons. I finally decided on the hotel I wanted to stay at: The Hilton Garden Inn/West 35th Street which cost £1058.26 which was per person, as there were two of us travelling. This price was based on a 9-night stay which included a double room with two double beds, an enormous bathroom and the room itself being spacious with lots of different amenities. The hotel prided itself on its 3-star rating as well as being part of the Hilton chain, a reputable chain that has hotels located all across the globe. 

Transport
Transport was one of the cheapest factors I considered before even travelling to New York. While planning my itinerary I looked at where the location of certain shops, landmarks and attractions were and from there I researched how to get there from The Hilton Garden Inn. Another reason why I booked The Hilton Garden Inn was the vast variety of transport options, with Herald Square/34th Street being a stone's throw away from the hotel as well as having 8 different subway lines passing through the station. I had planned to buy a MetroCard with a 7-Day Unlimited Ride connected to it, which originally set me back $33 + $1 New MetroCard fee. I got more than my money's worth with my MetroCard as I was taking on average 5/6 journeys per day, doubling the amount I had paid for the card and saving me the hassle of topping up my card per ride. The card itself costs $1, which can be refilled throughout your time in New York. I also added extra credit to my MetroCard when travelling to New Jersey for the day to visit Newport Centre. Additionally, as I had travelled to and from the airport via the AirTrain and Long Island Rail Way (LIRR) that set me back an additional $13 per journey, dependant on the time of day I was travelling as well as my final destination. I only used the New York Subway, the LIRR and AirTrain throughout my trip with no private taxis taken - which brought my total for transport at £70.50. 

Health
​One of the most important factors travellers should consider before booking their flights and accommodation for New York, or any holiday in general, would be purchasing travel insurance. Travel insurance is so important as it prevents travellers from being out of pocket as well as being covered for their gadgets, baggage, flights or anything that may misfortune travellers throughout their trip and most importantly their health. As I say, you cannot put a price on health, but while buying travel insurance I was more than happy to pay £24.67 which was a Single Trip Insurance which covered mostly all of the factors mentioned above. I'm more than glad that I purchased travel insurance as while I was in New York I contracted a UTI (Bladder Infection) which left me in agony and unable to walk properly around 4 days into my trip. I paid upfront as I would then claim this money when I had returned from my holiday but it cost me $155 to see a doctor and from there $80 for antibiotics. I paid £24.67 and I'm in the process of reclaiming my money back rather than being £190 out of pocket if I hadn't purchased insurance. 

Attractions & Activities
Attractions and activities can range in price depending on the budget of the person travelling as well as what they plan to do throughout their stay in New York. For example, if a traveller wants to see an NBA Game tickets can range from $25-40 for a seat whereas a ticket for a baseball game at Yankee Stadium can range from $15-230 depending on your choice of seating. The same rule applies for those wishing to visit a range of different museums while in New York, some museums such as The American Museum of Natural History operates on a pay-as-you-wish basis meaning visitors can pay anywhere from $1 to $30 if they wished (or even more). The 9/11 Museum & Memorial is a must see in New York and prices start at £20.78 if bought beforehand allowing visitors to skip the queue or buying tickets on the day for $26. Some attractions are free such as visiting Times Square, The Staten Island Ferry as well as visiting Central Park. However, those who may want to go on walking tours, those wanting to go up the Statue of Liberty and those wanting to spend more time sightseeing than shopping will spend more on activities and attractions. In total I spent £100.26 on attractions and activities in New York, which include visiting Central Park Zoo, The Empire State Building, 9/11 Museum & Memorial and The American Museum of Natural History. All tickets were booked in advance via GetYourGuide where you're able to buy tickets that allow visitors to skip the line as well as being able to modify or cancel these tickets before or during your trip. 

Shopping
This is the part of the blog where I hang my head in shame while I type out how much I spent during my time in New York. As I had planned to go absolutely crazy in New York on shopping I made sure that I'd sorted my clothes out before going to New York and donating some to charity as well as figuring out my size in the US (as it's very different than the UK). I went to every shop imaginable - from Bath and Body Works to Macy's to then TJ Maxx to get unbelievable deals and then to China Town to get souvenirs for my friends and family. It's all fun and games picking up items and putting them in your basket until everything has been rung up and the cashier declares your total is $112.32 - where did it all go wrong? I only picked up 15 shower gels, 32 hand sanitizers, 4 candles, 2 bottles of perfume and.. oh, I did buy a lot.. Throughout my stay in New York I spent the grand total of £479.85. Some people may not shop that much while in New York, this price applies to those who shop everyday and want to buy designer goods that are discounted in shops such as Macy's and TJ Maxx.

Food & Drink
It's very hard to determine how much travellers should budget when travelling to New York for food and drink. There are people who don't mind a $1 slice of pizza and a $3 hot-dog whereas there are others who prefer to dine in more fancier and therefore more expensive restuarants. I had three meals per day, breakfast, lunch and dinner and sometimes a quick snack. In this section of my budget I included snacks bought from Target and Walgreens to put in the fridge of my hotel room such as soft drinks, water, cookies and chocolate. It's also important to note that I turned 20 during my trip to New York, which meant I wasn't able to purchase or consume alcohol as the law restricts the age to consume and purchase alcohol at 21. Every person has different tastes in food as well as some having dietary requirements which makes it hard to pinpoint a budget for food and drink. I budgeted $50 per day:

• Breakfast - $5-10
• Lunch - $10-15
• Dinner - $20-25

However, some meals went over and under my budget depending on where I chose to eat as well as the type of establishment. For example, some days I visited a fast-food joint such as McDonald's for breakfast and it cost me less than $6 whereas other days I would spend $20 on breakfast if it was at an establishment such as IHOP or at a diner. One day me and my friend just wanted pizza for dinner so we made our way to a $1 Pizza place where I got two enormous slices of pizza and a can of soft drink for $3 - way under my $20-25 budget I had planned! Either way, I'm more than sure that $50 is enough for food and drink, per day, per person while in New York. I spent £239.62 which is way under budget but allowed me to have three meals a day and eat well while I was in New York

TOTAL SPENT FOR 9 DAYS IN NEW YORK:​ £2,536.88 (Approximately $3,140)
As this was my first trip to New York I had planned that I would spend a lot, especially with accommodation and shopping, as I wouldn't have a chance to return back for the next few years. Nearly half of the money spent consisted of paying for the hotel, which would've been a lot more if I had decided to travel alone, as well as a huge majority being taken by purchasing flights. I'd chosen and preferred to fly with a airline such as British Airways as they provide a high quality service and I knew I would be in good hands. Others may prefer airlines that costs less whereas others may pay for more expensive airline tickets if they want to travel in style and luxury.

Revolut, a form of a pre-paid card which is used in the form of digital banking, appealed to me mostly due to the fact that I was able to change the money I put onto this card into a range of different currencies. Since I'm travelling a lot I would hate to lose my regular bank card abroad, with the countless stages to get it back as well as not being able to use if in an emergency, leaving me with only the cash I had brought out with me. 

Applying for this bank card was easy and quick, with it only taking me to download the Revolut app and then putting in my details as well as deciding what plan I had wanted. I decided to pick the standard plan, which has its limited features but has the benefit of it being completely free. However, I had to pay for the card itself with it being £4.99 excluding delivery which then took another 9 days to arrive. Luckily I had thought of getting this card weeks before my next holiday so I could try it out and make sure it worked before I ventured abroad. 

My favourite feature about the Revolut card is the simplicity of it, I was able to transfer money from my bank account straight into my Revolut account within seconds. This money then appeared immediately in my account with the date and time of the transfer being present. From here I was able to convert this money into any currency I wanted to. When I mentioned before that Revolut have a lot of currencies available, I wasn't exaggerating with there being 130 currencies currently available. This meaning this card can be used globally with a small exception for countries with a currency that is not currently featured with this card. Even without transferring money I was able to purchase dinner in Spain with Revolut doing the conversion for me, with them taking it out of my main account (which has the currency in GBP), by using the exchange rate at that period of time. The only downside to this would be if the exchange rate is extremely poor, you will be the one suffering and losing out, which is why I recommend watching the exchange rate for your preferred currency and then exchanging money through the app when it's at its highest. 

Just like a regular bank card Revolut allows money to be withdrawn in ATM's in your home country as well as at destinations you're travelling to when abroad. There is a catch to this, if you're on a standard plan then you're only allowed to withdraw up to £200 a month without being charged 2% for each withdrawal made after this. I barely withdrew money since I made a plan of how much physical money I would spend and how much I would spend on my Revolut card. However, if in need of emergency cash or if you travel a lot monthly then this may be a big downside for this card due to the charge applied after reaching your £200 a month limit. 

The app for Revolut is one of my most used and helpful apps since when I purchased something on holiday, such as  a meal or a drink at a supermarket, I'd get a notification seconds after. This notification would let me know how much I've spent and how much I've spent that day in total, an easy way to see if you're following your budget. The app also divides your transactions into categories such as groceries, restaurants and transport as well as showing how much you've spent in each category per month. This feature is handy since I was able to see how much I spent on food and transport and whether or not I was under or over my budget. The app also allows you to freeze the card, in which if your bag was stolen with your card in it, you would be able to immediately freeze it, so no one would be able to use it and you'd be able to cancel it. From the app I'm also able to see exactly where I made my purchase, this helped me find a restaurant I used and didn't remember the name of (since I wanted to return there the following day). The only downside to using your phone to keep track of your spending and making sure your card is topped up would be to make sure that your phone is fully charged or  to make sure you have a portable charger with you. 

Revolut is a form of digital banking, as mentioned before, which unfortunately means there is no physical branches in which people can go to if there is a problem. There's only the online support which is available through the app or by phone, this may make some people feel cautious about using Revolut since there is nowhere to physically go if something went wrong. The company itself is very new with Revolut being launched in 2015 with over 2 million customers in just under 3 years, which indeed did make me suspicious when I first read that on their website. Regardless, the website makes a strong point in saying that they're regulated by the FCA (Financial Conduct Authority) in which allows your money to be protected.

The Revolut card has made my life so much easier when travelling abroad since I always know that money is in the account regardless of whether or not I have converted it to the chosen currency for the country to. The only real downside was waiting for the card to come and the initial payment for it but regardless once it came I was able to use it straightaway.  

As much as we don't realise it we're all guilty of the small purchases such as being a sweet treat or a new item of clothing. These purchases soon add up and you're left sitting there going through your statement wondering how all of these small purchases amounted to so much. In our minds we justify these purchases as being "small" but in reality they're just a constant cycle of spending in which leaves us with less money then we'd like.

I went through my statement one day and realised that I needed to cut down my expenses in order to afford all of the holidays I wanted to go on. A month later I had already saved around £200 by cutting back and limiting the amount of items I bought as well as making my money last longer by cancelling subscriptions I never used. In 15 easy steps you could easily cut down your expenses, if not saving more than I did, leaving you with more money to put away for your travels. 

1. Travelling - Saving £50 a month
I love the transport in London since it's cheap, quick and efficient but it comes at a price. With a single tube and bus journey starting from £1.50, these purchases can soon add up with a minimum of £3 being spent daily to commute to and from work. This doesn't even include transport for going out on weekends or any other activities during the week. Taxis are also money consuming, even though they are useful in helping me get from one place to another in comfort and with added privacy, these journeys can start from around £5 and cost upwards of £20. I started to walk to work, which saved me £3 a day on travel, as well as helping me get fitter and allowing me to enjoy the wonderful weather London has at the moment. Rather than getting a taxi I use the bus or tube, even though it costs £1.50, it's much better than it costing nearly quadruple the price in a taxi.

2. Generic vs Named Brands - Saving £10-30 a month
This is something that can save money very quickly since it can be used in all aspects of life: food, clothing, medicines, toiletries as well as cleaning products. Even though I wouldn't go as far to make ever single food item an supermarket brand, there are some food items such as pasta that are a lot cheaper than branded as I've seen 500g of penne pasta for just 30p. Many clothing brands boast about their reputation and their name being recognisable yet these items are overpriced and can be bought in other clothing retailers for better than half the price (just without the logo). My favourite way of saving is buying own branded medicine, this has easily saved me money since I constantly suffer with headaches I buy a pack of paracetamol being 30p for 16 capsules rather than branded names being around £3/4. They both do the same job in my opinion and there is no point spending more money than necessary on something only you will see. 

3. Food & Drink - Saving £50 a month
As much as it seems unrealistic to save £50 solely on food and drink, it is very easy once you start to cut out the obvious yet unimportant things. I used to buy a bottle of water when I was at work since it would be cold and it would save me the effort of doing this at home. When I counted up how much I had spent on water alone, it came to just over £25. I nearly cried when I had seen that I had spent that much on water and then decided I would reuse a bottle from work and fill the water from a jug (that filters the water) from my fridge. Since I currently work in a supermarket, it has it perks, since I finish work the same time second reductions have begun. This meaning I'm able to get at least 75% from the retail price from items such as fruits and vegetables to a whole leg of lamb. As much as people argue that this food is "bad" since it's expiring that day, there is no harm in freezing it and then defrosting it when it's needed. Some of my friends have even got £80 worth of shopping for less than £15 since they shopped just before closing when supermarkets are desperate to get rid of food expiring that day.

4. Do you really need those ______ ? - Saving £20-40 a month 
Do you really need those shoes? Do you? Do you really need them when you have dozens of pairs at home? These are the questions I ask myself now when shopping since I'm one of those people who impulse buys since they "need" that certain item. Unless my clothes have ripped or my shoes have holes in them, I don't need to buy anymore than I need to - when something rips or breaks then replace it, don't buy something you don't need and might not wear. When going through my wardrobe I had found tons of tops and dresses that I didn't even know I had, which led me to have a massive clear out of the clothes I wore and the ones I didn't, with the clothes I didn't wear either going to charity or being sold. 

​5. Doing your own beauty treatments - Saving £30 a month 
I love feeling pampered by going to get a manicure and a pedicure done, yet I don't feel pampered when I see the hefty price tag that comes along with it. The salon I have been going to for years charges around £15 for a manicure and pedicure, which I admit is cheap, yet soon adds up when this is done once or twice a month. To save money I bought a nail varnish colour and a nail hardener, which was as cheap as £3 for both items, which allowed me to do my nails whenever I wanted to since I could do it from the comfort of my own home and without paying out each time. Another way I learnt to save money was to do my own waxing, admittedly the lady I go to is a professional, when I go on holiday I could spend up to £50 on waxing (I'm very ashamed to admit that). To change this I bought waxing strips from a health and beauty retailer and braved the pain, which first time left me with a waxing strip stuck to my leg and me in tears trying to rip it off without bringing my skin with it. Regardless over time I began to get better and the results were similar to those of a salon. 

6. Gym Membership - Saving £30 a month
When joining the gym I was surprised to find out I had to pay £20 upfront as well as paying £27.99 a month for the membership. The gym was about a 20 minute walk from my house, that alone being a task in itself, put me off going when it was raining or if the weather forecast said it would rain later on. The equipment itself in the gym is worth the money but when walking through a park nearby my house one day I found similar equipment in a section dedicated to being an outdoor gym. I then cancelled my gym membership and started going to this gym, not only was it completely free but I was able to go there whenever I wanted to since it was so close to my house. Another great thing is that you're not cooped up inside with the smell of sweat filling the air but unfortunately this means you're stuck indoors if it begins to rain. 

7. Going Out (Or Should I Say Staying In) - Saving £20 a month 
Living in London is very expensive. I mean very very expensive. With restaurants costing around £15-20 per person for a main course and either a starter or dessert as well as a drink, these outings can come at a price if done frequently. Why go out for a meal when you can cook for your friends from your home, you could even make it so that each week or each fortnight you take turns to cook for each other. Not only is this an easy way to save money but it means you get to spend time with your friends in an intimate place where you can watch a film or even just talk privately without being surrounded by music and other guests. With this meal you could also bring a bottle of wine, if you and your friends drink, since pubs charge ridiculous amounts for a single glass (so much that you could buy the bottle of wine for that price). I remember the first time I bought a drink from the pub became my last, when ordering a single vodka and coke I was charged £4.50, I could hear my debit card crying when I had finished paying for it. Let me tell you it was my only drink that night, preferably since I wasn't about to spend £4.50 on another one. 

8. Smoking, Energy Drinks, Fast Food & Coffee - Saving £10-50 a month (depending on if you smoke, eat fast food or drink coffee or energy drinks)
Smoking is a very expensive habit, I'm not going to suggest giving up smoking straight away since I know it's a very difficult habit to give up as many of my friends and family members smoke. However, smoking is detrimental to your health as well as your wallet since a pack of 20 cigarettes can cost up to £12, even the cheaper packets are around £8.50. If you started to reduce the amount you smoke even by a packet a week, that can save nearly £10 a week which then leads to you to saving £40 a month. The same goes for energy drinks and fast food, as much as they're a purchase of habit, I find they're not the best for your body. I gave up fast food around a year ago as well as cutting down my energy drink intake and it has made my health much better as well as my bank balance.

9. Only Use Cash When Going Out - Saving £25 a month
As mentioned before I'm an impulse buyer, I won't worry about the price until I read it on my statement and then regret it. Since technology has evolved people are now able to pay for items with just a tap of a card - no hassle of putting in your card and entering your pin. This makes it even easier to buy items since in the time it takes for the payment to be verified, your brain still hasn't thought of the actual money being spent. If you bring £20 out with you and see something for £25, that's tough. You'll just have to put it back and come back when you have enough money (don't steal it). This limiting what you can buy with just physical cash and preventing you from spending tons of money on a day out, in which you could do if you had your debit card on you. 

10. Sharing a House/Living at Home - Saving upwards of £200 a month
Some people are afraid to admit they live at home, not me, I'm proud to say I live at home since being single and at the time of writing this blog post I'm 18 - I don't have enough to even think of moving out and no reason to. I pay for all my own bills and pay my parents housekeeping each month which contributes towards food and household bills but this is a lot cheaper than the rent for a 1 bedroom apartment in London. Another cheaper alternative would be living with friends since it would mean bills get split between more people which then makes it a lot cheaper. 

11. Phone Plan - Saving £5-10 a month
When looking for phones and tariffs that go along with them, it's important to think about whether it's cheaper to buy the phone and the tariff separately or buying it as part of a contract. With my phone tariff, which is £26 a month for an iPhone SE with unlimited calls and texts as well as 4GB of data each month, which I consider good value for money as I make a lot of phone calls and text a lot of people. My contract lasts 12 months so in these months it would have cost me £312 for the phone and the tariff through my contract. If I had bought the phone by itself it would have cost me around £270 and the tariff being around £10 each month which altogether would have cost me £390 - saving me around £80 altogether. 

12. Second Hand Items - Saving £5-10 a month 
There is absolutely nothing wrong with second hand items, whether they're from a charity shop or a library, they still are fit for their purpose but just might not look in the best condition. One of my favourite things to do on a hot day in London is sit in the park and read but books that are brand new can cost between £5 and £10, which would be costly in the long run. For this price I could buy around 5 books from a charity shop and then pass them on to a friend or donate them back to a charity shop. Another alternative which is completely free is borrowing books from a library however these have a limited time frame in which they need to be read in and returned by. 

13. Cinema Pass - Saving £60 a month 
I love going to the cinema, whether it be to watch a horror movie or a comedy, it's something I do more than once a week. Nevertheless, going to the cinema has become very expensive with a ticket for an adult costing around £12, a ridiculous amount to see a film that on average lasts around an hour and a half. I purchased a Odeon Limitless Pass which costs me £17.99 a month and I can see an unlimited amount of movies, with restrictions of course, but still it's very good value for money. When I purchased this I went to the cinema twice in one day, so in one day I had already gotten my money back for the month plus more towards next month. In September 2017 I watched 11 films, which should have cost me around £132 but only cost me £17.99 since I had used my Limitless Pass. 

14. Bringing Your Own Lunch To Work - Saving £60 a month
Meal deals, which usually consist of a sandwich, a drink and a bag of crisps, usually cost about £3. As much as these tend to be good value for money, they can be an unsurprising weight on your bank account. If you spent £3 each day for 5 days during the week, it would cost around £15 (not much so far considering what you get) but if you done this every week for a month it would then cost around £60 (that is a lot for sandwiches, crisps and a drink). Instead of paying £3 for a meal deal I bring my own lunch to work, this consists of a sandwich, a drink (which was bought as a multi pack) and a bag of crisps (which was also bought as a multi pack) which brings my total cost of lunch each day to less than 50p. This saves me the time and effort in work of going back onto the shop floor and figuring out what I wanted to buy, which has wasted nearly a third of my break in the past. 

15. The best things in life are free! - Saving £20 a month 
I enjoy going out at the weekend since it gives me a chance to do something other than work. In London activities tend to be on the more expensive side but there are hundreds of interesting and enjoyable activities to do in London that cost absolutely nothing. Museums that are free include the National Gallery and The Science Museum as well as talking a walk along South Bank. There are hundreds of parks around London that not only are free but host some of the best views of London. 

Some of these tips may seem completely obvious but some of us are so unaware of how much we're spending due to habit of doing it. Even cutting back on the smallest of things can save at least £50 a month towards a holiday or your travels, this equates to £600 a year in which I could get two and a half holidays out of (including flights, hotels and activities).