X Tables
Travel Maths

Maths hiding in travel: holiday budgets

Plan spending money and compare choices.

Quick answer

Maths helps you plan how much money to spend on a holiday by comparing prices, adding up costs, and working out how much you have left.

Learning outcome

By the end of this page, you will be able to compare holiday prices and work out how much money you need to save for a trip. Success signs:
  • You can add up the cost of different holiday items
  • You can compare prices to find the best deal
  • You can work out how much money you have left after spending
  • You can plan a budget for a holiday

Why this matters

Maths is everywhere when you travel! When you go on holiday, you need to know how much money to take. You might want to buy a ticket, food, souvenirs, or a hotel room. All of these costs add up, and you need to be good at maths to make sure you don’t run out of money. Whether you're planning a trip to the beach or a family holiday, maths helps you make smart choices about your money.

How it works

Planning a holiday budget is like being a money detective. You need to:
  1. Find out how much things cost
  2. Add up all the prices
  3. Decide how much you want to spend
  4. See how much money you have left
Let’s look at how this works step by step.

Examples you can see

Let’s imagine you are planning a trip to the beach with your family. You want to know how much money you need for the whole trip. Step 1: Find out the costs You have to decide what you will spend money on:
  • Bus ticket to the beach: £5
  • Pizza for lunch: £8
  • Ice cream for everyone: £4
  • Beach toys: £10
Step 2: Add up the prices Now you need to add all the prices together:
  • £5 + £8 = £13
  • £13 + £4 = £17
  • £17 + £10 = £27
So your total cost is £27. Step 3: Check how much money you have If you have £30, you can afford everything. But if you only have £20, you might need to save more or spend less on one item.

Try it as a mini adventure

Let’s go on a mini holiday adventure! You are planning a trip to a theme park. Here's your challenge: Adventure: Plan Your Theme Park Budget You have £40 to spend on a day at the theme park. You need to buy:
  • One ticket for £25
  • Food for £8
  • A drink for £3
  • A souvenir for £4
4th time: You have £40. After buying the ticket, you have £40 - £25 = £15 left. 5th time: After buying food, you have £15 - £8 = £7 left. 6th time: After buying a drink, you have £7 - £3 = £4 left. 7th time: After buying a souvenir, you have £4 - £4 = £0 left. Did you manage to spend all your money? You spent exactly £40 and had no money left. That's a perfect budget!

Common mistakes

  • Mistake: Forgetting to add all the prices together.
    Why it happens: It's easy to forget one item when you're busy.
    Fix: Use a list or write down each item and add them one by one.
  • Mistake: Thinking you have more money than you do.
    Why it happens: You might not count carefully or make a mistake with the numbers.
    Fix: Double-check your addition and always check your final amount.
  • Mistake: Not planning ahead.
    Why it happens: You might not think about how much everything costs.
    Fix: Make a shopping list with prices before you go.

Parent and carer guide

You can help your child by:
  • Practising adding prices together using real items like toys or snacks
  • Letting them plan a pretend holiday budget using a small amount of money
  • Encouraging them to check their work by adding again
  • Using games to make maths fun, like playing shop with your child
  • Letting them choose one item from a list and calculate the cost
Remember, budgeting is a life skill. It's okay if your child makes a mistake — it's part of learning!

Practice questions

  1. You have £25 for a trip. You spend £10 on a ticket, £5 on food, and £8 on a drink. How much money do you have left?
  2. Which is cheaper: £12 for a ticket or £15 for a ticket? How much cheaper is it?
  3. You want to buy 3 ice creams that cost £2 each. How much will that cost?
  4. You have £50. You spend £15 on a hotel and £20 on food. How much money do you have left?
  5. You want to buy 4 souvenirs that cost £3 each. How much will that cost?
Answers:
  1. £25 - £10 - £5 - £8 = £2
  2. £12 is cheaper. It's £3 cheaper.
  3. 3 × £2 = £6
  4. £50 - £15 - £20 = £15
  5. 4 × £3 = £12

FAQ

How can I use maths when planning a holiday?

You can use maths to add up prices, compare costs, and work out how much money you need to save.

Why do I need to plan a holiday budget?

Planning a budget helps you make sure you have enough money for everything you want to do and buy on your holiday.

What if I don’t have enough money?

If you don’t have enough, you can choose to spend less on one item or save more money before you go.

Can I use maths to compare prices?

Yes! You can compare the cost of different items to find the best deal. For example, if one ticket costs £10 and another costs £12, the first one is cheaper.

How can I practice maths with my child at home?

You can practice by shopping together, using play money to plan a budget, or playing games where you add up prices.