The B U D G E T - how to save money for a trip and stop smoking
113 D A Y S 21 H O U R S 24 M I N U T E S 02 S E C O N D S
To go all around and across Australia, hitting the four most extreme points, I estimate to drive 200km per day, there will be days when I will drive more than others but this is a number I have to stick to. Afterall I still need to leave this country, preferably before my VISA expires, as we all know Australians are not famous for being flexible at the borders.
Google maps tells me that my trip will be 236 hours long, driving for 17,756Km, I will need about 2,485lt of petrol, at today's rate $1,41, let's estimate that I am looking to spend something close to $3,500 in petrol.
I am literally on my knees hoping to find an LPG 4WD in great condition, that will cost me something less than $4000, do you think is impossible? I am trying to play all my good cards with my beloved Karma, that doesn't miss a chance to remind me that it's watching closely, very, very closely.
So I have spent the last two days figuring out what else I can do, besides working 50hours per week, to save a bit more money. So this is my plan, it's really basic but can help to save few more pennies:
I quit S M O K I N G
After 17 years (FYI this is over half of my life!) spent blowing black air from my lungs, up to my throat and out of my mouth, and one day I just decided that that was it.
I literally just stopped, I haven't read any book, I didn't buy any e-cigarette and I didn't replace the gesture stuffing my face with candy and chocolate.
The truth is that I wanted to stop for a very long time, eventually, the motivation was building up inside me, and one day I figure out that I was spending money on a ritual that wasn't bringing any joy, or helping to achieve anything, but completely the opposite. I actually realised that most of the time I was late because I was spending that extra five minutes for a cigarette, or I was doing it because I was bored - smokers are weirdos. So I stopped. One night I rolled the last bit of tobacco out of my pouch and saved myself $50 per week.
I don't D R I N K
as I used to do. I still drink occasionally, but when I do it I am always very conscious of it.
I still enjoy one or two glasses if I go out or with friends' company, but I don't go to the bottle shop and buy wine just to have in the house.
It's always been normal for me having wine in the house, not necessarily drink it every day, but in case friends were coming over, or even if I just wanted to enjoy a glass after work. Stopping this habit saved me $35 per week.
The S H O P P I N G L I S T
I love to browse through the aisle in supermarkets and food markets, looking for some quirky ingredients or unknown type of food. I used to spend a lot of money buying ingredients that I'd use once.
My pantry used to be loaded with spices, dried herbs, teas, salts of any type, chicken salt, lemon salt, garlic salt, gluten-free, three or four different type of rice and couscous, flours, sugars, kinds of pasta. You name it, I had it.
Countless times my mum found out of date food, and not by months, but by Y E A R S. You heard it. This obviously had to stop, because one thing is being curious, totally another being a hoarder. So I decided that I had to put a system in place and stick to it.
First of all: make a list, in order to get only what I need, without spending hours in the supermarket. Try to go to the farmer's market, around the closing time it's even better, you might be able to bargain, and get cheaper prices.
It also is crucial going to supermarkets with a full belly so won't start craving food that will make me both fat and poor. That saves me from spending, completely unnecessarily, $60 per week.
don't buy the U N N E C E S S A R Y
This is something I have stolen from the beautiful world of minimalism: buy only things that will really make a positive impact on your life. And so I do.
It so easy grabbing things from the shelves, whether is a $5 t-shirt, or another piece of kitchenware.
It's totally another story when you actually think before spending money, asking yourself a simple question before you hit the counter: "will that make me HAPPIER?"
Most of the time I ended up leaving whatever object I was about to buy, and with the time I actually learnt not to grab it at all. That saved me $40 of shopping per week.
The G A R A G E S A L E
Luckily, where I live in Australia, a pop-up garage sale is really popular. And it's a fantastic way to both get rid of clutter and make a bit of money.
Walk around your room/house, collect all the things you haven't use in a while, or never at all, write a big, sparkling sign and start making money. If you are lucky, this will help you rise around $100. And if, after the sale, you still have few things check with Cash Converters, you might be able to sell something to them too!
To go all around and across Australia, hitting the four most extreme points, I estimate to drive 200km per day, there will be days when I will drive more than others but this is a number I have to stick to. Afterall I still need to leave this country, preferably before my VISA expires, as we all know Australians are not famous for being flexible at the borders.
Google maps tells me that my trip will be 236 hours long, driving for 17,756Km, I will need about 2,485lt of petrol, at today's rate $1,41, let's estimate that I am looking to spend something close to $3,500 in petrol.
I am literally on my knees hoping to find an LPG 4WD in great condition, that will cost me something less than $4000, do you think is impossible? I am trying to play all my good cards with my beloved Karma, that doesn't miss a chance to remind me that it's watching closely, very, very closely.
So I have spent the last two days figuring out what else I can do, besides working 50hours per week, to save a bit more money. So this is my plan, it's really basic but can help to save few more pennies:
I quit S M O K I N G
After 17 years (FYI this is over half of my life!) spent blowing black air from my lungs, up to my throat and out of my mouth, and one day I just decided that that was it.
I literally just stopped, I haven't read any book, I didn't buy any e-cigarette and I didn't replace the gesture stuffing my face with candy and chocolate.
The truth is that I wanted to stop for a very long time, eventually, the motivation was building up inside me, and one day I figure out that I was spending money on a ritual that wasn't bringing any joy, or helping to achieve anything, but completely the opposite. I actually realised that most of the time I was late because I was spending that extra five minutes for a cigarette, or I was doing it because I was bored - smokers are weirdos. So I stopped. One night I rolled the last bit of tobacco out of my pouch and saved myself $50 per week.
I don't D R I N K
as I used to do. I still drink occasionally, but when I do it I am always very conscious of it.
I still enjoy one or two glasses if I go out or with friends' company, but I don't go to the bottle shop and buy wine just to have in the house.
It's always been normal for me having wine in the house, not necessarily drink it every day, but in case friends were coming over, or even if I just wanted to enjoy a glass after work. Stopping this habit saved me $35 per week.
The S H O P P I N G L I S T
I love to browse through the aisle in supermarkets and food markets, looking for some quirky ingredients or unknown type of food. I used to spend a lot of money buying ingredients that I'd use once.
My pantry used to be loaded with spices, dried herbs, teas, salts of any type, chicken salt, lemon salt, garlic salt, gluten-free, three or four different type of rice and couscous, flours, sugars, kinds of pasta. You name it, I had it.
Countless times my mum found out of date food, and not by months, but by Y E A R S. You heard it. This obviously had to stop, because one thing is being curious, totally another being a hoarder. So I decided that I had to put a system in place and stick to it.
First of all: make a list, in order to get only what I need, without spending hours in the supermarket. Try to go to the farmer's market, around the closing time it's even better, you might be able to bargain, and get cheaper prices.
It also is crucial going to supermarkets with a full belly so won't start craving food that will make me both fat and poor. That saves me from spending, completely unnecessarily, $60 per week.
don't buy the U N N E C E S S A R Y
This is something I have stolen from the beautiful world of minimalism: buy only things that will really make a positive impact on your life. And so I do.
It so easy grabbing things from the shelves, whether is a $5 t-shirt, or another piece of kitchenware.
It's totally another story when you actually think before spending money, asking yourself a simple question before you hit the counter: "will that make me HAPPIER?"
Most of the time I ended up leaving whatever object I was about to buy, and with the time I actually learnt not to grab it at all. That saved me $40 of shopping per week.
The G A R A G E S A L E
Luckily, where I live in Australia, a pop-up garage sale is really popular. And it's a fantastic way to both get rid of clutter and make a bit of money.
Walk around your room/house, collect all the things you haven't use in a while, or never at all, write a big, sparkling sign and start making money. If you are lucky, this will help you rise around $100. And if, after the sale, you still have few things check with Cash Converters, you might be able to sell something to them too!
Comments
Post a Comment