Get That Travel Money, Baby!

GET THAT TRAVEL MONEY BABY!

You may not be independently wealthy, but you can find ways to obtain the funds you need to take that dream vacation! Learn what I have done to see my travel dreams become reality.

I would love to be independently wealthy, but like many of us, right now I am not. However, I have managed to travel the world on my limited income. Once I decide on my destination and a time frame on when I want to go, I have my goal. In my article, Get Your Money Right Before You Go On Vacation, I plan the amount I need for travel (plane ticket, gas, hotel, sightseeing, food and per day cash). Sometimes I use a travel agent.

Lynne Padilla is the best by the way (lpadila@dvtravelgroup.com or 253 225 8336). When a travel agent plans out your trip, usually you have to put down a certain percentage of the cost of your vacation and pay the rest later. (usually 30 days before you travel). So those costs have to get factored in as well. Now that I have that number, I know what I need and I get to work.

Financially planning my trip to Japan was a doozy. Once it was announced the Star Wars convention was going to be held in Tokyo, my plan was to be in Japan as long as I could. With Japan's rich culture, food and history, I planned to experience as much as possible. I asked my travel agent, Lynne, to help me plan an exciting trip.

Lynne is an amazing travel agent. Although she had been to Japan, she didn't feel like she had enough experience to get me the vacation I wanted. Therefore, Lynne hooked me up with an agent who was a native of Japan and still visits family back home. A perfect person to get me to the best places in Japan. My travel agent, Eri Hayakawa (eri@travelcenter4u.com), was fantastic! She listened to what we wanted for the tone of our Japanese adventure and she absolutely delivered! My friends and I planned the first 10 days in Tokyo and Eri planned the second ten days to Hakone, Kyoto and Osaka. I had to pay an initial 30% deposit of the cost of the total trip. Afterward, I had about 6 months to pay for the remaining 70% due approximately 30 days before our trip. Moreover, I needed to obtain enough funds for events, food and overall mad money to make my trip as comfortable as possible.

Oh baby there were bumps in the road before I got to that 30-day timeline! In mid January we got an unusual cold snap in Western Washington. Evidently it was cold for the rodents as well, because they decided to use my car as their new home. I hadn’t experienced a rodent problem in my vehicle before. So when my 1-year-old car started having problems, I was shocked to find rodents had eaten the hoses in my vehicle causing over $7,000 in damage. Now my insurance company paid for it, but I had to cough up $1,000 for the deductible. A major hit to my Japan trip fund. That was only the beginning of one setback and many more annoying setbacks which were extremely frustrating. My trip was scheduled in April and the weeks were passing by. I needed money fast!

Start a new business

I felt the pressure, but I got really creative. Dogs are one of my great loves. I have run a dog sitting business in my home for over 10 years. Furthermore, the costs of dog grooming had skyrocketed, so I groomed a couple of my neighbor dogs as well as my own. One of my clients graciously bought me a grooming table, so to get extra income, I started a side dog grooming business. I told my dog sitting clients about my grooming skills and advertised on my neighborhood Facebook pages to get the word out.

In addition, I got the idea to deep clean houses especially for realtors who needed cleaning for showings. So again, I put out the word and got busy. Before I started these other businesses, I doordashed almost every day.

Figure out what works for you. Think about the services you are good at and can provide to others. Side hustles are quite effective in getting that little extra money that’s not part of your regular income. Most if not all of that money can go directly into your vacation fund. If you have the ability to start a new side business, not only will you be able to get enough money for your dream trip, you may possibly start a new career!

Cut Your Spending

We spend money without thinking about it. For example, if you buy a cup of coffee and pastry at $10 per visit for 5 days a week, that's 50 bucks a week. In turn, that's $200 a month, $2,400 a year! It may not seem like much, especially in the moment when you're spending it, but it adds up. A recent study estimates Americans spend $1,500 a month on things they really don't need like dining out, subscriptions, entertainment and impulse items. That's $18,000 a year! more than enough for two luxury overseas vacations and several fun domestic trips.

We all are guilty of wasteful spending. I do it myself. Life gets busy and it's easy to buy things in the moment, completely ignoring the long-term costs. It takes small steps like cooking more meals at home, stopping subscriptions you really don't use and be thoughtful before buying things on impulse. Consider taking that money you were planning to spend on those non-essential items and put them into a savings account. You'll have money for your dream vacation in no time!

Sell Your belongings

We all have things around the house, in the garage or in storage we don't use. There are two sayings about possessions– if you don't use it in a year, get rid of it. The other– if it doesn't give you joy or provide value to you, let it go. Some of the things we have collecting dust around our house or in storage can be in really good shape and we don't want to toss it out. Someone else may happily pay to have that same item at a deep discount.

However, selling your belongings can get tricky. Remember, consumer items lose value as soon as you purchase them. So no matter how much you paid for something, it's lost at least 30% of its value. Know what your items are worth. Most importantly, know people are going to do whatever they can to barter their way out of your original price.

Save

Despite all of the avenues you use to obtain extra income, it won't work if you don't save the money you earn. Discipline is needed–harder for some of us than others. However, one of the simplest ways to save your money is by putting a set amount of cash in a savings account every week or month. Another good tactic is to put money away each time you earn from a job. Especially from your side hustle. For example, if you groom a dog, put a certain percentage of the money you've earned in the bank every time you groom.

The hardest part of saving may come when your account starts accumulating real money and you need or want it for other things. Keep in mind you've worked hard for this cash and if you spend it, you'll have to start all over again. Ask yourself–what's more important–that new shiny object, or an exciting experience leaving you with memories for a lifetime?

Know Your Limits

If I told you changing your habits would be smooth and easy, I would not be telling you the truth. I have several illnesses including hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. In my determined frenzy to get funds for my Japan vacation, I ignored my health. I didn't eat right, didn't rest, and I ignored the signs that my health was failing. I was slowing down and gaining weight until one day it came to a head. I couldn't fit in my clothes because I was so swollen, I was having trouble breathing and my pulse was irregular. Not to mention that I was exhausted. I pressed my finger against my leg and it left an indentation that was deep and did not move.

I was admitted into the hospital and I was diagnosed with congestive heart failure. I spent three days in the hospital. It would have been longer if I hadn't begged the doctor to release me. My doctor advised me that I would likely have developed congestive heart failure eventually, but overdoing it brought it on faster. I have to pace myself, otherwise I can do real damage to my body.

I suggest you work on your travel goals. Just be aware when you are doing too much. Yes, do all the fundamentals–eat right, pace yourself and listen to your body. If something inside doesn't feel right, get yourself checked out. Set realistic goals, but there's no shame in moving your time frame if needed. Financial times are difficult, but there are practical ways to get the money you need to get out there and travel.

Set your goals, get creative and find side hustles. Sell things you don't need and save your money. It may take time to get the cash you need for your dream trip, but stay vigilant. Create a goal and a date for your vacation. Then arm yourself with a plan, be consistent and stay determined. You'll be surprised how quickly you’ll find yourself in the driver’s seat or looking outside your airplane window on your way to the vacation you have always dreamed of.

Me after landing in Narita Airport in Japan

Me and Boba Fett at the Star Wars Convention in Tokyo