Big Lap Budget Calculator

EASY WANDERER • PLAN YOUR TRIP

Leave room for the good stuff.

Use this Big Lap budget calculator to put your route, campsites and everyday spending into one plan. Enter costs for your whole travelling group in Australian dollars.

Need a hand choosing the numbers? Start with our guide to building a realistic Big Lap travel budget.

Get the spreadsheet ↓

Showing the guide’s 12-week example. These are sample figures, not live prices. Setup, home bills and emergency reserve still need your figures.

1. Your trip & fuel
Budget one campsite night for each day allowed here.
Include day trips and supply runs, not only towing kilometres.
Use your measured fuel use when loaded or towing.
Example only. Check prices for your route.
2. Where you’ll stay
Enter actual nights across the whole trip.
Total nightly charge for your whole group.
Enter actual nights across the whole trip.
Total nightly charge for your whole group.
Only include suitable stops you have identified.

3. Everyday life
Use your own spending as a starting point.
Include what you will actually enjoy.
Exclude tours entered in Dated extras.
Weekly allowance towards irregular spending.
Count each bill once.
4. Setup, bills & reserves
Include remaining vehicle / caravan purchase costs if relevant.
Weekly costs continuing while away. Exclude rows below.
Monthly bills × 12 ÷ 52 gives their weekly equivalent.
Registration, insurance etc. Annual bills ÷ 52.
Money set aside for routine upkeep.
Separate money for disruption; zero is not a recommendation.
5. Known extras: ferries, tours & more

Enter extra travel costs once. Keep them out of weekly allowances if you list them here.

TAKE YOUR PLAN WITH YOU

Download the Big Lap budget spreadsheet

Prefer to work in a spreadsheet? The free Excel workbook uses the same categories and calculations, with editable inputs, an automatic trip summary and space for dated extras.

Download free spreadsheet (.xlsx)

Starts with the guide’s example, not your current calculator entries. Edit the blue cells and save your own copy. No macros or sign-up.

How this Big Lap budget calculator works

Fuel is calculated from total kilometres, loaded fuel use and your chosen fuel price. Camping uses the nights and total group rate for each type of stay. Weekly allowances scale with trip length, using days divided by seven.

For this planner, allow one camping night per budgeted day. Make sure your campsite nights add up before relying on the estimate. If your final travel day has no overnight stay, adjust the duration convention and allowances to suit your plan.

Setup costs, ongoing commitments, maintenance and the emergency reserve remain separate. Monthly commitments are converted to a weekly amount using × 12 ÷ 52; annual commitments use ÷ 52. These are planning allowances, so keep actual bill due dates in mind.

What does the weekly figure include?

Fuel, camping, everyday allowances and any extra travel costs you’ve entered. The total money to allow also includes your setup, commitments and reserves. This keeps buying a caravan or setting money aside from being confused with ordinary weekly spending.

How much should I allow for an emergency?

Use an amount that reflects your vehicle, route and circumstances. Think about repairs, extra accommodation or getting home unexpectedly, and check what your insurance and roadside assistance cover. The example’s zero is a blank starting point, not a suggested reserve.

Can I compare different trips?

Print one version, then change a figure and compare. Try a longer stay, fewer caravan park nights or a different route. If the distance stays the same, a longer trip won’t automatically reduce total fuel use, and those extra days still need feeding and accommodating.

Still sorting your setup? Work through our First Big Lap packing guide before buying extra gear.