When summer started I wasn't sure if I would be able to save enough money by September to travel for three months. As I mentioned in the previous post, halfway though May I still only had a few hundred dollars in my bank account. I wanted to save enough for the trip solely from my summer employment yet I also didn't want to have to cut out my social life.
For those of you who know me, I like spending money. Actually, I love spending money. I tend to buy a lot of 'things' and spend exorbitant amounts on festivals, food, and other events. So how did I save enough money? First, I stopped going window shopping which always ended up with me buying things I didn't need followed by eating food I really didn't enjoy. I also cut down on the bar scene and replaced it with more personal house parties and barbeques. Funny thing is I have enjoyed doing what I had to do to save money more than what I did when I spent wildly. I am still able to go out quite often and get more quality time in with family and friends rather than focusing on external material goods.
Here is my savings schedule, directly from my google docs budgeting sheet. You'll notice the amount I'm saving increases each month, this is mostly a result from getting use to the non-spending attitude I've slowly been developing.
You can now find the most up-to-date budget and saving schedule at:Budget and Savings
The savings schedule is broken down into bi-weekly segments to follow my paycheck periods. I opened a second bank account and transfer the funds over as soon as the paycheck gets deposited into my bank account. Any amount remaining in my 'spending' account is what I have to live off for the next two weeks. I never allowed myself to withdraw anything from my trip savings account. If I am running low on spending money it just forces me to get more creative!
Only 20 days till departure.
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