{Preface: We both have been plain lucky in life. We've got wonderful family, insane opportunity, and killer networks of relationships and inspiration. We are not blind to this. While not everyone can take a trip around the world, everyone can accomplish dreams bigger than what they think they're able to. We all need to be willing to live alternatively than what our culture suggests. While luck has got a lot to do with our lives, we also know what it feels like to be short on money for gas, have the burden of carrying debt from school and overspending, the desire to get new stuff, the feeling of never getting ahead, and the struggle to re-define our bad habits. With luck and commitment, there's a world of possibility. We hope this blog can give some practicalities to making big (and sometimes, costly) dreams a reality.}
1. See the DreaM - Have vision for why you're saving
If you can't see it, it's not real - SERIOUSLY! An ancient text says where there is no vision, the people perish. The best athletes visualize their movements prior to executing them, and it's no different with life goals and dreams. When you want to do something, you must be visionary! For us, we've had an ongoing and ever-changing movie playing in our heads of what this trip would smell like, taste like, look like, and feel like. We pictured climbing limestone in Tonsai, we could hear the laughs from the street kids in Africa, and the bite of the Nor'easterlies in the Southern Peaks of New Zealand. We could see it! (be careful with this though - your vision is NOT necessarily what reality will be, so be ready to adjust and enjoy what is real!). For the last 7 years, we have had a bank account named "Around the World Trip". It's gone from $0 to $4,567 and back to $0 at least twice when the ISH of life hit the fan. The point is, the account is real, and the dream we see is real!
Call this your Dream fund and commit to setting aside a certain amount each month that can only go in the fund, never out. Then, refer to #9.
2. Buy what you need - not what you want
A Jeep is sexy, a lifted Jeep is better. Buuuuut, because we are committed to only paying cash for purchases (except for homes and colleges), our budget allowed for a used 2001 Mazda Tribute. The brakes are meh, the clearance is nominal, and the gas mileage average at best. But it's safe, good enough in snow, and allows us to get in the mountains, so it does the job!
If you're willing to sacrifice in some areas, you'll reach your goal quicker. Don't choose the newest, the fanciest or the shiniest. And when you're making those choices, picture yourself swimming with dolphins in Tahiti.
3. Be patient with purchases - don't impulse buy
It's amazing what you won't buy when you walk away - so, we try to shop at least twice for bigger purchases (anything over $75). We'll touch and feel it in the store (or drool over it in the online cart), then go home and sit on it for a while. Bobby has been wanting a car stereo in his 1996 Honda Civic for 18 months, but earbuds are still working just fine (maybe not the safest option...).
The truth is, you need very little. Take some time to reflect before buying. And if you really want to take this seriously...check in with a friend (who understands your vision) each time you're tempted to make a big purchase. After a few times, the thrill of not buying what you want can be as rewarding as buying it straight off the shelf. No to new camp stove is yes to wine in Italy. It makes those dirty trail runners a little more special when we choose them, again and again, and the turned down lattes extra satisfying when that cash magically turns into a flight to Iceland.
4. Be creative - livE interdependently
How can we live creatively in a way that maximizes savings and promotes relationship and healthy interdependence? As opposed to our cultural idol of independence that leads us to refuse help from others or admit weakness, for us living with others has not only created a way to share the burden of rent or mortgage, but has made space for vulnerability, creativity, trust, tears, new foods, belly laughs, forgiveness, and perseverance. We share rent, gear, responsibilities, and as a result, have to spend less on all of it.
We are married, and for the last 3 years we have lived with 2 - 11 others, depending on the season. We chose to buy a house that allowed us to live out our value for community and put some dollars in the bank. Plus, we find that when you have others around you who see and champion the vision with you, saving for it is easier.
Another benefit? Those awesome housemates will be living on our property as we travel. It gives us peace of mind, and we don't have to sell our house!
5. Be frugal WHEN YOU CAN - Craigslist IS your BESTIE
You don't have to be a dirtbag to save for the trip of a lifetime. You also don't have to wear, drive, or eat junk! We believe there's beauty in 'place', and our notion towards hospitality gives us reason to make our house comfortable and fun to live in. There's value in buying clothes that last a long time. There's reward in stewarding your body by eating whole and well, and exercising often.
So, how? Be creative in purchasing these things in unconventional ways. And remember, patience is the key. If price is your one motivating factor, you will sacrifice ethics, quality, and creativity when you purchase. When you find your dream couch on Pinterest, keep your eye out for something similar on Craigslist (and when you go to buy: smile, tell them you're saving for a big trip, and ask for a deal! The worst they can say is, "No, you big stupid face"). Ask for waived membership fees. Buy Qalo rings instead of diamonds (they're way more practical, anyways!). Barter skills or jokes. Scalp your concert tickets. Utilize Groupon (for only the things you need). Go to equipment recycler stores for gear. Dominate those monthly REI garage sales like it's your job. Share items. Do the math to figure out the cheapest-per-ounce options at the grocery store. Shop at stores you can afford. Find sales. Carpool whenever you're able. Walk or bike otherwise.
Before you know it, you'll notice your monthly spending has gone down, because the smaller saving decisions add up.
6. Use credit cards - this ain't youR Dad's advice
Pay with a credit card, pay off the credit card. Earn points, build credit. All of this can happen in 5 minutes and it's how we earn points to purchase our flights. If you aren't already disciplined with your finances and have a hard time not overspending, you may want to take it slow with this method. It really is scary how much easier it is to spend money on credit cards than debit or cash.
We are not disciplined enough to use credit for everything, so our normal monthly spending on impulse buying (food, gas, entertainment, clothes, gear) is still done on a debit card so when we are out of money, we are out. It helps us stick to our budget. When we have big purchases or recurring bills (gear, utilities, internet, giving, etc) we use a credit card and pay it off immediately. That means we only use our card for things we could pay for with cash. No need to wait for monthly statements. Literally, we purchase gear with a credit card on one online tab, then open the next tab with my bank account and pay it off. But if we have the cash, why use a card? Two reasons: points and credit.
For more in depth detail about this, check out other, better blogs like Million Mile Secrets. In essence: spending on credit cards directly translates to points, and points to dollars or airline miles. Credit cards will offer up to 50,000 miles just for joining. Plus, each time you pay off your balance on time, you are building credit, and that's a plus! In this day and age, zero debt and a huge savings can't always buy you a house (you may need credit).
7. Change your eating & leisure habits - #happyhour
We love to go on dates, we love to eat and drink out, and we love being social at Skyzone, the climbing gym, or concerts. The bartender knows our name and order, okay? We didn't really want to give this up, so we had to find a solution. At every restaurant, we split a meal (let's be honest, one meal is normally rightly portioned for two). We date during happy hour. We eat dessert at home. We forgo lattes and make our own (delicious, local) coffee at home. We plan ahead as much as possible and pack our own lunches. You know what else is awesome about only spending $23 on 6 tacos, beans, rice, and a pitcher of margaritas for our Tuesday date? We can leave a fatty tip and live out #8 (or is that the margs thinking for us?)!
Be intentional about your leisure habits! You'll become far more aware of how to create healthy spending habits in this area.
8. Spend $$ on others - THE little envelope
This can be so unnatural for us, and doesn't really make immediate sense when trying to save for a big trip. But, we have a little white envelope labeled "generosity", and we devote a part of our paycheck to it each month. The funny thing is, when we spend money on others, we notice how much we spend on ourselves. It helps us re-orient our values around other people. Generosity towards others not only makes their day, but it inspires something within us to continue to see and love people, and keep our eyes on the bigger picture.
Between us, we have one rule when it comes to generosity: If there's an impulse to be generous, lean on the side of being overly generous. Which means when we discuss each big gift, and if we can't agree on an amount, the higher one (or the bigger sacrifice) always wins.
9. Have grace for yourself - WE emptied the account
Mess up. Try again. Fail. Splurge on beer, shoes, gear, dessert - just not all the time! When you break bank, do it intentionally and thoughtfully, and don't let it spiral. Name it, enjoy it, and move forward with your goals. Failure is an option! A million little failures are a million opportunities to re-route neuropathways and habits oriented around your goals and values. Choose to fail well and learn from it. Remember in tip #1 when we said to put money into your dream fund, and then never take it out? We had to empty ours twice because we found ourselves going into debt at the expense of following this rule. Both of our cars broke, our tax return was not pretty, and our 3rd washing machine went out all within a month. We realized it's okay to fail, start over, and learn from our mistakes. Just keep your eyes on the prize.
