Financing Your Travels.

I found this tip (Tip#1) really interesting, I got it off of http://www.contiki.com/. I can not remember who or i would totally without a doubt give them credit.

Tip #1. Cut out a picture of where you want to go out of your Contiki Brochure and tape it to your credit card(s) and debit depends on how much of a spender you are. And every time you go and "use" your debit or credit card you will come face to face with the picture and it will make you think twice...

Tip#2. Make a budget sheet of your weekly and monthly expensives and then include in your trip and airfare to see how much you will need to save. It will be a eye opener for sure, showing you where your money is going and might force you to make some changes.

Props to the people who can work three jobs...

After you reach a $1000 saving limit, treat yourself to something you would enjoy. Like a new pair of shoes, a new outfit, a movie and dinner, whatever that will make you feel special. It will make saving up for that trip much more fullfilling and easier. By setting rewards at different intervals of saving money you will feel much happier and better :)

Tip#3. Freeze your credit card, fill a plastic bag with water and throw your credit card into the bag and place it laying down in the freezer. After a couple days you will forget about it. It works! Or if you have control on not to use it, just simply take it out of your wallet and place it somewhere in your filing cabinet, inside a certain file that you do not normally go through on a daily basis. This works too!

Saving is not a easy task.. especially with all the expenses you may have!

Tip#4. You may not like this tip some of you people, but you could always move back into the parents house while you do your year or two of traveling to cut down on expenses. I know it is no fun but you've got to do what you got to do. Right? Just set a end date of when you want to be out of their house, then it shouldn't be to bad. good luck if this tip is for you.

Tip#5. Set your banking accounts so there is no or little access you can remove money from through your debit card. example; I can only access one account from my debit card. It is nice this way, because you can control on how much money you can spend.

Tip#6 Have too much stuff and find yourself not using it as it is just collecting dust in your basement. Get together some friends and have a Garage sale, price things a dollar or two higher so you have room to bargain down with your customers. Great way to get rid of some stuff and make some money at the same time.
I want to hear your tips.... Email me. Twitter me. or Post a comment at the end of this post. Thanks in advance.

Other Tips:

Laura M Bailey Stop eating out, stop drinking booze at bars (both are way over priced) and don't go clothes/shoes/ etc shopping. You probably have everything you need and unless an item is falling apart it doesn't need replacing! I saved 10gs in 7 months! Hard saving plus those cut backs!

Tori Taylor Ross Crazy, but when I was contiki saving I would buy all of my groceries with coupons and on sale. I would slash my food budget by half that way and put what I had originally budgeted in the travel fund. What I did buy, I put on a cash back credit card and paid it in full every month. After about 9 months to a year, I had a enough in cash back to absorb some of the booking price hit and then paid the trip off with my grocery savings.