One Yahoo Answers poster asked a question that really got me excited: (here)
Best way to save money for a trip?
Need to save $3000 for a trip in about 5 or 6 years. And we'd also like to buy a cheap R.V plus the $3000. I can't do like a fundraiser or anything because it's a personal trip, so...
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| Celestine Chua Journey that matters. |
My Answer(s):
Good question, and great forethought! Hope you don't mind, but this inspired me so much I'm going to write a post on it for one of my sites too.Side Note: Buying an RV could be $10,000-60,000 or more. Just went RV shopping last month. I'd rent one for $3,000; OR, you could crowd fund that purchase too... the rest of what I'm going to say still applies.
I see this two ways.
1) You need $6,000 in 5 years (conservatively).5 Years is 60 months. So start putting aside into savings account $100 per month, and you'll have $6,000 in 5 years. Your bank will set it up to auto transfer, or you could do it manually.
That's without earning interest. You could also put that $100 into the savings until you hit $1,000. Every time you hit $1,000 put that into a CD (something's better than nothing with interest). Make sure that CD matures on or before you GO date. So the first $1,000 will be ten months from now. That CD will need to mature in 4.5 years. The second will need to mature in 3 years, etc. etc.
2) You actually CAN crowd fund this.
There's a lot of ways, friends, family, church, donations... but here's another way.
2.a) Set up a free blog at Blogger.com.
Make it all about this trip and/or travel in general. Put together a Start Here page describing the trip you want to go on, when, where, why, and tell us that this blog is your journal for planning the trip. Tell us if we help you take it, we can come along too (via pitctures, posts, even live events with Skype or Periscope).
You could set up a proper domain (MyTrip.Com) for $10-12 per year; or, just leave it with the default domain MyTrip.Blogspot.com. Either way.
2.b) Put together a guide for travelers.
Call it "The Top 10 things you need to consider when traveling to..." Just use a Word Doc to put it together, make it pretty, and turn it into a PDF.
- Gumroad: (HERE)
When the time gets close, you can set up a GoFundMe page, and get the momentum going faster.
- Go Fund Me: (HERE)
2.c) In the 4.9 years leading up to your Go Date, write to us.
Tell us about your trip. Why you want to go. What you hope to see. Read articles on other sites, research for your trip, and tell us what you learned getting ready for it. Remind us every so often you only have x days/months/years left to go.
It doesn't have to be daily. You could post weekly, monthly, as often as you research for your trip. It'll help you keep the vision alive, and help us be excited with you.
2.d) Get our email address, and remind us about the trip by posting new stuff every so often.
Use the Gadget's tool to make sure you add an Email follow option to the blog. That way we'll get an update every time you post.
You could probably set all of this up before you go to bed tonight, and start.
If you do this, email Me@DarrellWolfe.com if you do this. I'll become your first follower, and maybe you'll be taking your trip before five years.
By Darrell
References:
- Go Fund Me: (HERE)
- Gumroad: (HERE)
- Savings and Interest: (HERE)
PS: I took my own advice. We're planning to move to Idaho. I just set up a blog for that move... let's see if I can make that work.
ReplyDeletehttp://destinationcoeurdalene.blogspot.com/