How have rising costs affected your holiday plans?

With the cost of living going up at home and the Middle East crisis making international travel more expensive and unpredictable, many of us have been grappling with whether we can book a holiday this year, if it’s even a good idea, and where we might go.

Well, new research from ABTA shows that the number of Brits heading on holiday has stayed pretty steady over the last year and is set to remain so over the next 12 months.

But while people are still generally happy to pay for a trip away, many of us are also looking at ways to keep costs down.

In fact, 32% of those polled said they’ve become more cost-conscious this year, down from 34% last year.

Meanwhile, 15% said they’d probably spend less on holidays this year, and more than half of this group (52%) said it’s because of the higher cost of living.

What are holidaymakers doing to save money?

More than one in five people (21%) say they’ll book cheaper accommodation to keep costs down and a similar number (19%) plan to eat out less on holiday.

But many are also looking at their wider spending, choosing to cut back elsewhere rather than give up holidays.

For example, nearly two in five (38%) are cutting back on leisure activities like going to the cinema, and almost a third (29%) are trimming spending on electronic gadgets.

In addition, half (50%) say they plan to eat out less and almost two-fifths (37%) are reducing spending on clothes, shoes and accessories.

“We continue to love our holidays and the desire to travel remains strong,” said ABTA chief executive Mark Tanzer.

“This looks set to continue despite the ease of getting away, for some, being affected by geopolitical and economic challenges.”

Budgeting for things that matter

When you think of budgeting, you might just think of making sure you’ve got enough money to pay your bills.

And yes, that’s really important.

But budgeting doesn’t just mean that and not letting yourself have fun.

It can also include making sure you have money for treats, luxuries and experiences that enhance your life, like holidays.

So if having a trip away, either overseas or in the UK, really matters to you, factor it into your financial planning.

That means you can decide how much you want to spend and work towards this goal, without losing sight of how you’ll pay for essentials along the way.

Get started by checking out our guide to how to create a budget, so you can see how much money you have coming in each month and where it goes.

We’ve also put together 60 ideas on how you can cut the cost of a getaway at home or abroad.