Instructions
You're planning an awesome 4-day, 3-night road trip from Naples, Florida, to the historic city of Charleston, South Carolina! Your total budget for the entire trip is $2,500. You'll need to budget for travel, a place to stay, food, and some amazing activities. Your must-do activities are seeing the Beauty and the Beast musical and taking a tour of the filming locations for the show Outer Banks.
Read through each section and do the calculations to see if you can plan an amazing trip and stay within your budget! Use the space provided to write your answers.
Part 1: Travel Showdown - Driving vs. Flying
First, you need to decide the most cost-effective way to get to Charleston. Let's compare the cost of driving your family's car versus flying and renting a car.
Option A: Driving
Use the information below to calculate the total cost of gas for the round trip.
- Total Round Trip Distance: 1,140 miles
- Your Car's Gas Mileage: 25 miles per gallon (MPG)
- Average Gas Price: $3.50 per gallon
Step 1: Calculate the total gallons of gas needed. (Total Miles ÷ Miles Per Gallon)
Calculation: ___________________________________
Total Gallons Needed: __________
Step 2: Calculate the total cost of gas. (Total Gallons Needed x Price Per Gallon)
Calculation: ___________________________________
Total Driving Cost: $__________
Option B: Flying
Flying is faster, but it has more costs to consider. Calculate the total cost for flying.
- Round Trip Flight Tickets: $400
- Rental Car for 4 days: $200
- Gas for Rental Car: $30
Calculation: ___________________________________
Total Flying Cost: $__________
Decision Time!
Which travel option is cheaper? __________________________
How much money do you save by choosing the cheaper option? $__________
Part 2: A Place to Stay - Lodging
You'll need a hotel for 3 nights in Charleston. You found a great hotel with good reviews that will work for your trip.
- Cost per night: $240
Calculate the total cost for your 3-night hotel stay.
Calculation: ___________________________________
Total Lodging Cost: $__________
Part 3: Fueling Up - Food
You have to eat! You've set a food budget for your 4-day trip.
- Budget per day: $110
Calculate the total cost for food for the entire trip.
Calculation: ___________________________________
Total Food Cost: $__________
Part 4: The Fun Stuff - Activities
Time for the main events! You're planning for two people (you and a parent) to attend.
- Beauty and the Beast Musical: $75 per ticket
- Outer Banks Film Location Tour: $60 per ticket
Step 1: Calculate the total cost for the musical tickets (2 tickets).
Calculation: ___________________________________
Musical Cost: $__________
Step 2: Calculate the total cost for the tour (2 tickets).
Calculation: ___________________________________
Tour Cost: $__________
Step 3: Add them together for the total activity cost.
Calculation: ___________________________________
Total Activity Cost: $__________
Part 5: The Final Budget - Putting It All Together
Time to see how you did! Fill in the table below with the costs you calculated. Use the cheaper travel option from Part 1.
| Category | Estimated Cost |
| Travel (Your cheaper option) | $ _______________ |
| Lodging | $ _______________ |
| Food | $ _______________ |
| Activities | $ _______________ |
| TOTAL ESTIMATED COST | $ _______________ |
Now, let's see if you stayed on budget.
Total Budget: $2,500
Your Total Estimated Cost: $__________
Subtract your total estimated cost from the total budget to see how much money is left over (or if you went over!).
Calculation: ___________________________________
Remaining Money: $__________
Final Question: Based on your result, are you under or over budget? What could you do with any leftover money (e.g., save it, buy souvenirs, go out for a fancy dinner)? If you were over budget, what is one thing you could change to lower the cost?
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Answer Key
Part 1: Travel Showdown - Driving vs. Flying
Option A: Driving
Step 1: Total Gallons Needed: 45.6 (1,140 miles ÷ 25 MPG)
Step 2: Total Driving Cost: $159.60 (45.6 gallons x $3.50). Let's round to $160 for easier budgeting.
Option B: Flying
Total Flying Cost: $630 ($400 + $200 + $30)
Decision Time!
Which travel option is cheaper? Driving
How much money do you save by choosing the cheaper option? $470 ($630 - $160)
Part 2: A Place to Stay - Lodging
Total Lodging Cost: $720 ($240 x 3 nights)
Part 3: Fueling Up - Food
Total Food Cost: $440 ($110 x 4 days)
Part 4: The Fun Stuff - Activities
Step 1: Musical Cost: $150 ($75 x 2)
Step 2: Tour Cost: $120 ($60 x 2)
Step 3: Total Activity Cost: $270 ($150 + $120)
Part 5: The Final Budget - Putting It All Together
| Category | Estimated Cost |
| Travel (Your cheaper option) | $160 |
| Lodging | $720 |
| Food | $440 |
| Activities | $270 |
| TOTAL ESTIMATED COST | $1,590 |
Remaining Money: $910 ($2,500 - $1,590)
Final Question: You are under budget. (Answers will vary for the second part of the question. Examples: Save the money, buy souvenirs, go to another attraction, upgrade the hotel, eat at a nicer restaurant. If a student somehow went over budget, they could suggest finding a cheaper hotel, spending less on food, or finding free activities.)