is aggregated and used to develop average travel costs for other travelers estimating future expenses. Budget Your Trip is one of the first trip planning tools to use real time data provided by travelers to estimate costs and breakdown expenses on a detailed geographic and categorical level.

An upsurge in independent travel has created a demand for travel planning tools with accurate and current information. Independent travelers are scouring the web for approximate travel costs and web based tools to assist them with trip planning. The "Gap Year" or "Travel Year" concept, which began in Europe, has taken hold in the United States. Budget Your Trip meets the demands of this growing group by providing them with a tool to monitor their expenses, see their breakdown of spending, and predict future costs.

The proliferation of internet availability in developing countries provides travelers with immediate access to technology and communication tools at an unprecedented level. Internet applications are now allowing travelers to stay in touch with friends and family via email, blogs, and social networks. Budget Your Trip builds on this trend by providing a budgeting tool and data gathering resource. Travelers can submit and monitor their own personal financial data from anywhere in the world.

The Budget Your Trip expense tracking tool gathers data from an otherwise unmonitored group. Independent budget travelers typically use cash to purchase products and services from local businesses in foreign cities. Thus, much of their spending is not tracked or recorded by the travel industry. Budget Your Trip provides a means for the commercial travel industry to understand the spending habits of travelers that are not utilizing a travel agency, tour company, or industry specialist.