DIMS SCORE® Calculator – Trip or Vacation

Accommodation costs include nightly hotel rates, local taxes and fees; don't forget about overnight parking if you are driving or renting a car.

If this is a multi-day trip multiply those costs by the total number of nights.

You need three meals a day. Food and drinks on vacation are usually more expensive than the same meals at home.

For recurring events, remember to multiply your food and beverage costs by the total number of days.

Often we want to bring something home to remind us of a trip, like a hoodie or poster. Add these costs up and show your caregivers you've thought of everything.

This could be special clothes, gear for a camping or bike trip, or art supplies for a week-long workshop. Add up the costs (and the taxes, too!)

You have to know when the trip will take place to answer the rest of the questions in this section.

Great! Trip prices can vary a lot depending upon the time of year you're traveling.

You need to know the dates of your trip to answer the questions coming up and calculate your DIMS SCORE®.

Also, trip prices vary a lot throughout the year. Take a minute now to figure out when you'd like to go.

Trips can help you learn about different languages and cultures.

Even shorter camps and weekend classes/workshops are great for learning life skills, like how to craft, code, or cook.

Great! Parents are often more supportive of an experience that can help you develop a new skill.

Okay. Next question.

Your parents were young once; they'll remember their first trip to another city, state/ province or country.

A walk down "Memory Lane" might help them understand why this is an important ask for you.

This might be a deal breaker, but if the trip is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, your caregivers might surprise you.

It's a good idea to have a plan in place to make up for missed schoolwork in advance.

Does the place you're going have reliable public transportation? Will you need a Subway or Rail pass? Or do you need to plan for Ubers/ Taxis?

Great! Safety always comes first.

Your caregivers won't be comfortable with you going to a city without a safe local transportation plan.

Nope nope nope! This will be a deal-breaker. If you can't get safely get around the place you're visiting, you can't expect your caregivers to support the trip.

Most school-age kids travel with their families, but sometimes there are opportunities to travel with friends in High School.

Your parents will be more comfortable knowing you aren't alone.

That's awesome. Trips are often more fun with friends! And it's great to have someone with you who cares about your safety and has your back.

Great! Most young adults have very fond memories of trips they took with their families when they were still in school.

Once you've gathered all the information you need and calculated the DIMS SCORE® for this trip, consider asking your parents if you can ask a friend to join you. They can use your DIMS SCORE® report to talk about it with their caregivers.

Remember the questions above about food and beverages, souvenirs or merch, and other items you might need to participate in this experience, like a Subway or Rail pass?

Okay. Did you enter these phantom costs at the beginning? If not, you can go back and add them to your calculations now. Don't worry, we've saved all your answers so you don't have to go through all the questions again.

Great. It's good to be mindful of anything that will add to the total cost of this experience, so if you think of anything later, make sure to talk about it with your caregivers.

Parents often say "education comes first," so an experience that furthers your education or career may carry more weight with them.

Good to know!

That's OK, but an experience that furthers your education or career may carry more weight with caregivers.

Parents are often more interested in helping you pay for a trip when you are willing to spend some of your own money.

Great! Putting some of your own money towards the trip costs is a great way to show your parents/ caregivers how important this experience is for you.

That's fine, but sharing in the cost of a trip typically goes a long way with caregivers.

Is this trip age-appropriate and aligned with your values (and your family's values)?

Great!

No one trip can tell people "all about us," but if this trip isn't aligned with your values (or your family's) this is something you should probably discuss with your parents.