It may appear that money is the biggest barrier to accomplishing your next adventure, but it isn’t.
I remember the first time the trip became real to me. My wife Sachi and I were at our friend’s house and, as we planned before the visit, we let it fly…
“So, we have some big news for you guys. Starting in December of 2005, we’re going on a trip around the world for a year, coming back home in December of 2006.” I remember this moment for a few reasons.
First, I remember their reaction, which was something like “you’re gonna WHAT?” Second, this was the first time we told anyone about our big plans. For the first time, we were officially on the hook – to change plans now would be tantamount to failure.
Now that the trip is an incredible memory, we are often asked for advice for people who are planning their next big adventure (whether it’s travel, business or personal).
Looking back to the event above, it is clear to us that two things came together that night that did a lot to keep us focused, excited and motivated.
1. We Set a Date
Procrastination is easy when you’re facing a big challenge. Don’t do it. Set a realistic date, even if it’s years away and plot out milestones along the way. You’ll be surprised at how things fall into place.
2. We Told People
Do not take this lightly. When you’re ready, tell your friends and family about your plans. Once you take this step, the people in your life will be interested and anxious to see you pull it off. Peer pressure will become part of the planning experience.
Lastly, we are big believers in financial responsibility and planning your next adventure often requires lifestyle changes to make it happen from a financial perspective.
A friend introduced to a new term: Monetorium. A monetorium is a moratorium on spending money.
For over a year before we left, we changed our lifestyle to save more money and called this “living the monetorium”. No new clothes, no lattes, no eating out, no cable TV, etc. The monetorium became the name of our new lifestyle and all the little penny-pinching ideas and games we played to save a little more for the trip (“Let’s make the shampoo last until we leave!”)
Living the monetorium was a challenge that made saving money fun. So the third and final point that enabled us to proceed:
3. We Lived the Monetorium
Take a good look at your lifestyle spending habits and consider what changes you could make to enable you to save more. Remember that you’re saving for a life-changing experience, not just a rainy day.
Always ask yourself: What would this buy in Thailand? From this perspective, it’s easier to make the sacrifice. Tell people about the monetorium too! They can help.
It may appear that money is the biggest barrier to accomplishing your next adventure, but it isn’t, it is commitment. Planning and time can take care of the finances, but commitment and determination have to come first.
Only after you mentally commit to making the adventure a part of your life will you have the ability to make it real. Before setting a date, telling people or living the monetorium, you have to cross the chasm of doubt and anxiety.
Once that it done, everything else will seem easy.
Lee LeFever and his wife Sachi spent a year traveling around the world, and blogged about it on The World Is Not Flat. They also work on social design for the web with their own consulting company Common Craft.Do you have any travel planning tips that worked well?
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12 Comments... join the discussion!
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For me it’s the little things that add up that breaks the bank. (I read somewhere they call this the “latte factor” … even though I don’t buy lattes). If you can teach yourself the difference between “want” and “need” you can save quite a bit of money for traveling.
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Before I buy something, I ask myself “Do I already have something at home that would work just as well?” It helps me avoid spending more money, and I also find new uses for things I already own. Sometimes it takes a little creativity.
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Good advice even if you arent trying to save for a trip
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If there’s something I want, I’ll sleep on it for a week or more. In most cases, I’ll change my mind and don’t really need the item. It adds up over time.
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Hi there, if you don’t mind i just would like to know roughly how much you spent on your round the world trip? thanks!
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Inspirational – Thanks! I’ve been wondering whether my travel plans WILL work out, wondering if I’ll be spending so much during the first few months studying abroad, that I won’t have enough to make it through the last leg of the adventure…a student budget is like any other, I guess – we all have to learn to sacrifice a little to gain a lot, as cliched as that sounds. Well done for keeping that disciplined attack on your dreams – your memories must be pretty darn amazing
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“Always ask yourself: What would this buy in Thailand?”
This is SUCH a good tip!
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“Always ask yourself: What would this buy in Thailand?”
This is SUCH a good tip! I often use it when I’m about to go traveling again…”hmm I could spend $20 on going to see a movie (inc ticket and food) here or I can use that $20 to pay for a hostel and all my meals for a day in Peru. I could buy these new headphones for $30 or buy 15 beers in Mexico!”
Your money goes A LOT further wherever you’re planning on going to (unless it’s western Europe or the USA), so when you realize how much more you can get out of it, it makes it loads easier to save!
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Very good article.
Saving money is really simple when you have a goal in mind. I had been planning a year in advance to move to New Zealand. I focused on eliminating wasteful and useless spending. A now, one year later, here I am. Happily living in Auckland.
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