As most of you know I am BIG into making a bucket list and ticking off items on it as you can. I have done "this"bucket lists" since before "bucket lists" were a thing. My first one was just a list of things I wanted to do by the end of the summer back when I was in high school. It was awesome! I had my list and crossed items off as I went along. Beach-Check, Lake-Check, White water rafting-Check... You get the idea. By the end of the summer I had checked off everything on my list and had an amazing summer while many of my friends just hung out and didn;t do anything. I learned then that making a list and checking things off makes your life much more interesting.
Needless to say, I was an ambitious teenager. I had goals and dreams. In the decades since I was a teenager not much has changed. I am still ambitious and I still have goals and dreams. I set annual goals every year around my birthday for things I want to accomplish or changes I want to make in the next year. Think of it like a New Year's resolution, but with more finesse. Then on the big birthdays (the ones that end in 0 or 5) I set 5 year goals and on the 0's I set 10 year goals. I started this way back in high school and it has served me well.
People always tell me "you are so lucky you (fill in the blank)". Luck has nothing to do with it. I make a list. I pick a goal. I make a plan and I follow through. My life is different from others because I am willing to make changes they are not willing to make to achieve their goals. I am willing to put in the work. I am willing to make the changes. I am also willing to edit my goal or plan if it is not working and not just give up on everything. I make my own "luck".
When it comes to travel it all comes down to time and money. I save up both.
Some trips take longer to save up for than others. I hoard my time off. Many of my co-workers take random time off here and there just to get a break and never seem to have enough time off on the books to actually take a vacation longer than a long weekend. I let my time off build up until I get close to maxing out, granted that has only happened once. I prefer to save up my time off and do something amazing rather than just sit around the house in my PJ's watching TV.
Other trips cost more than others. I save up for those too. Even when I was living paycheck to paycheck I would still find a way to stash away a little bit to save up for a trip. The biggest changes I made to save money are 1. I make my coffee at home rather than picking it up on the way to work (savings at least $5/day or $25/week or $100/month) 2. I eat at home rather than eating out and pack my lunch for work. We will go out occasionally, but never more than once a week. It is not only healthier, but easier on your wallet. and 3. I don't have cable or satalite TV and have not had it since 2005. Honestly, watching TV is a huge waste of time. If I want to watch something I get it on Amazon or Netflix. Even if you buy 4 movies a month at $20 each it is still cheaper than cable and Netflix is less than $20 a month. I rarely buy movies.
It is all about looking to see what changes you can make to save money. I buy staples like pasta when on sale and buy produce that is in season. I grow my own herbs to cook with and have fruit trees and grapevines (table grapes) in my yard. Not everyone has a yard to grow a bunch of fruit trees, but there are still things you can do. I barter and trade with friends to save money on things. I may trade fruit for veggies (a deal I have with a neighbor to get zucchini and tomatoes for my peaches, plums and lemons) or trade my sewing skills for something they do well. I also buy used when possible. Not only is it better for the enviroment, but it is easier on the wallet. Maybe your contractor neighbor needs your computer skills to fix their computer in exchange for putting up some shelves... You get the idea.
While it might be hard to drag yourself in to work when the weather is beautiful outside and it may be a pain to make your morning coffee instead of stopping at starbucks in the end it will be worth it. After all that $100 a month in coffee savings is $1200 at the end of the year and that is only coffee! Imagine if you packed a lunch instead of going out for another $10-$20 a day...
That is how I made my 1st trip abroad work. I saved. I researched. I planned. Then I went. I wasn't lucky. I set a goal, made a plan and followed through.
Make your list.
Make your plan.
Make it happen!
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