Category: Money

Partner Up! How to find a travel buddy

8/12/2015

You’ve decided - you’re in! That burning desire to escape for a while (or better, to not let life escape you) has taken hold and you’ve made up your mind – if only you had someone to go with.

Ah, there it is…another hurdle.

For this post, and most of my posts, I’ll focus on international travel. Getting someone to commit to spending thousands of dollars on a 10 day adventure is no small feat. Your best bet is to find someone who is already dying to go! Even then, the price tag and commitment can be a little daunting.

Budgeting is key to building confidence in your friend. If you can start the planning and estimate a rough bottom line cost, you’ll have something to work with – because let’s face it, money is tight for everyone these days. Plus sticking to a budget is the best way to have a great, guilt-free time. And it’s a vital skill to master if you want to go on more than one trip in your lifetime (another post on that later).

Another thing to remember is quality over quantity. You may be considering getting a group together - 4, 5, 6 people. The excitement of navigating the ruins of ancient Greece is something you want to share with all your closest friends – I understand the sentiment, but I do have a word of caution. More is not always merrier, especially when it comes to coordinating what everyone wants to do and when. Unless you’re ok with your group splitting off into mini groups, aim for a group of 3 or less.

Also consider personalities – are you Type A and always on the go? Do you prefer to plan every detail and leave nothing to chance? Or do you like to go with the flow in almost everything you do? Is spontaneity your only guide? A little bit of both? Having a friend who compliments (not matches) your personality is key to an enjoyable experience. Pay attention to how your friends react when planning smaller get-togethers, like dinners out or movie nights. Are they decisive and mindful of other’s ideas? Are they flexible when a glitch pops up? Remember, at the end of your trip, you still want to actually be friends!

Put the word out well in advance of when you’re planning to dig your toes in those black sand beaches. And don’t forget to consider friends you’re not super close with – you’d be surprised who would end up making a great travel partner.

I'd love to hear your thoughts and experiences. Please share below.

(Not Your Average) Trip Budgeting 101

2/10/2015

I’ve thought a lot about how I would approach the topic of trip budgeting, mostly because it is a beast of a topic, but also because there are so many “how-to” articles already out there and I don’t want to give the same old spiel. This won’t be your typical “put away X amount each month” kind of advice. I’ll share what worked for me and give you the honest run-down of how I managed to afford a 10 day European adventure with zero savings to start.

Single-hood has its advantages. As a young independent single woman, I started my trip planning with a built in advantage – my income supports me alone. I understand that this is not true for many people who are nevertheless ferociously bitten by the travel bug. And it’s also not a requirement to achieve your dreams of traveling the world. But in my case, it helped me to be able to afford the length and type of trip that I took. For those with family obligations, longer prep times or shorter trips can make up the difference.

Tax refunds are for splurging. A huge part of my travel budgeting came from my annual tax refund. Everyone has different factors that affect how much they will receive each spring (or by the second week of February if you’re on top of things!), but most of us get something back. Use this lump sum to your advantage when planning your trip. If you’re not getting a refund, set up your filing status at work to reflect fewer exemptions. You’re essentially building your vacation fund in between tax days.

It’s all about who you know. Knowing someone with connections is not only great for a job hunt, it pays off for travel too. I am blessed to be able to call some wonderful (and wonderfully connected) people my friends. I know professional musicians, amazingly in-demand photographers, savvy business networking gurus, and a successful manager at a well-known hotel chain. While we didn’t actually stay in their hotels on our trip, we were still able to reap the benefits of their employee rewards program. Thanks to my connected friend's generosity, we were able to take a day trip, go on a riverboat cruise, and take advantage of free and discounted site-seeing opportunities at no charge to us!

This next part is a bit controversial, so I’ll only briefly put it out there – Your IRA or other investment accounts can be tapped into…for a price. It’s always advised not to touch these accounts, but at the end of the day it’s your money and your decision. If you have a lifelong dream to go on safari in the Australian Outback or to journey to the Holy Lands, what you allow to stand in your way is up to you. This is obviously not a piggy bank for your yearly vacation – it’s more of a “cannot miss this once in a lifetime opportunity” option.

Credit cards, preferably with rewards, are the safest way to book reservations and spend money overseas. This is not to say that your credit card limit should be your trip budget, but it’s okay to use it now and pay it down later. This is a major reason why I spend a long time planning an international trip and why I spread out my adventures (currently to every other year). Once you’re back home, it’s time to regroup financially by paying down the credit cards you used and building your savings accounts back up. And on that note…

It truly is helpful to attempt to put away some cash every month. If you examine where your non-bill paying money is spent each paycheck, you’ll probably find that it mostly goes to eating out and buying random articles of clothing just because they are on sale. If you can manage to cut back on just those two things, you might be surprised at how much money you can save toward your dream vacation.

So there you have it – a little unconventional, but a tried and tested way to get out see the world. If some of these options seem out of your reach, there are many other ways to get there. Plan out one part at a time – the plane tickets, the apartment/hotel booking, the food budget. Believe me when I say the sacrifice will be worth it.

I'd love to hear your thoughts and experiences. Please share below.

Travel Quote Series: The Dollar Distraction

2/10/2015

“Travel is never a matter of money, but of courage.” – Paulo Coelho

The truth of this quote can be lost it the hyperbole. Of course travel takes money – not as much as people assume sometimes, but it costs nonetheless. I believe the true sentiment here is that if someone has the courage and the will to do something, it can be done.

We can do what we decide we will do. It does not matter how difficult it may appear to be from the outside. It does not matter how many others have tried and failed. It does not matter what it will cost in time, money, resources, effort, or sacrifice. If a person truly wants something – and I mean absolutely irrevocably wants something - they will find a way to get it. It’s the way of the human spirit. There is something in us that won’t rest until we’ve attained it.

Now you may be saying, “But I’ve been there and it didn’t work for me – I wanted something so bad, but I just didn’t have the means to get it….” To that I’d venture to guess that you were afraid of something. Maybe the result of actually getting that thing you wanted would put you out of your comfort zone. Maybe you would have to give up a habit that you’ve grown attached to in order to achieve that goal. Maybe the thought of failing consumed you to the point where all you could visualize was the embarrassment that would follow. Break it down – fear will be at the core of why that thing you wanted did not materialize.

Fear is the only thing that prevents us from actually getting what we want for our lives. When it comes to travel, the fear may be the flying part, or the foreign language part, or the asking for help part. A big obstacle for many of us is our job. Maybe the money you make at work can barely pay your bills - this is a real challenge, but there are still opportunities for travel with charity organizations, foreign exchange work programs, or even personal networking. Maybe you don't have the vacation days to take – plan a trip for a holiday/long weekend, or check if your company offers a leave program. Or if your job is truly holding you back from the adventurous life that you want, consider saving up for a career change and take a sabbatical in between (I'll fill you in on how I did it in another post).

The excuses are endless, but so are the solutions! Just ask yourself what you really want and then keep challenging yourself to honestly answer this question: Why not?

I'd love to hear your thoughts and experiences. Please share below.

Partner Up! How to find a travel buddy

(Not Your Average) Trip Budgeting 101

Travel Quote Series: The Dollar Distraction

Mel

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