Being a student (STILL) gives you little opportunity to work and earn your own living. I am struggling in financing some of my future travels but I would not be held back by the lack of financial stability. So what does a student like me do in order to save up for future travels.
TECHNIQUES and TIPS for student-travelers:
1. NO TO IMPULSE BUYING. I am guilty at this. I buy things that has "I WANT THIS" all over it. You have to always keep in mind that it's better to spend money in travelling than collecting stuff that would last you an hour of happiness. I love buying school supplies like post-its and coloring materials for no reason. Now I have to close my eyes whenever I enter National Bookstore.
2. UNSUBSCRIBE. Unsubscribe from online shops that constantly flood your news feed. Or at least subscribe only from their important posts. You might be subject to impulse buying when a picture of their product pops out of your news feed and you spend 1 hour browsing at their albums and paying for their items.
3. BE INSPIRED. Follow travel blogs! Aside from getting tips on travelling you'll be inspired at how they got to their places of destinations and looking at their pictures will definitely inspire you to save so you can also travel like them. I constantly read 2 Sole Sisters' blog and I look at many many pictures of places I would want to travel. I also keep an album full of beautiful pictures of places and use them as a screensaver so whenever I start to get lazy these pictures would remind me why I'm studying so hard and at the same time managing my business.
4. DONATIONS PUH-LEASE. There was this gimik by my elementary classmate. He placed a "donation box" in his cubbyhole and it has this writing over the kawawa eyes that he drew: "Please please help me and give me some money! P1s are great but I only accept P5s and P10s...". Guess what?! It was a hit and he would go home everyday with his "donation box" full!! HAHAHA! So I'll be placing a "donation box" at our living room too! Who knows maybe somebody will actually give me some loose change.
5. BE AN ENTREPRENEUR. Since you can't have a job just yet, you can first test the waters of being an entrepreneur. It's so easy to make your own business with the help of various social networking media you can sell your stuff online. You can resell stuff or take advantage of your skills and make stuff (like jewelry, clothing, art, food) and sell them online. When you have free time and enough friends join a bazaar to increase sales. I used to sell food in my 3 hours classes, I sold load before, and now I'm selling clothes online.
6. MAXIMIZE. Maximize the things you already have so you can use it to its full potential and narrow down the things you have to buy. For example you already have a digital camera and you're going to the beach; so instead of buying yourself a new camera how about buying an underwater camera casing instead.
7. NEVER BE LATE. When you're late for class, instead of riding a jeep you are most likely to ride a taxi to school in order to make it. That will cost you half a week's jeepney ride fare. Sayang! So let's discipline ourselves and wake up early. This is not only discipline to save but simple acts of discipline tells much about a person. Everybody who knows me know that I always get to class late! It's because I never rode a taxi to school, i'd rather get scolded!(Okay, that's not the right example)
8. GOOD SHOT. Be very good children to your parents because they will remember your good acts when you ask for an allowance increase or to add some pocket money to your travel.:)
9. RAFFLE DRAWS. Join as many raffle draws or promos out there. You can win neat stuff so you won't have to spend on such! Or you can win a trip to somewhere! :)) I was begging for an Ipad from my parents before (which upto now they would not give in to my request), I collected Winston Cigarette Cases and joined their raffle draws. Sadly I didn't win but it was worth the try.:)
10. BET YOUR GRADES. This is next to impossible! I had a bet with my mom that if I make it in the Dean's List she would finance my travel. So I am now studying really hard!
11. LIST IT DOWN. Whenever my mom would write down her grocery list I would make one too for all the needs I have to get for myself like my own brand of toiletries, socks, school supplies so I won't have to spend on them using my own allowance.
Here's where my Allowance go:
Tithes- 10%
Savings- 20%
Travel- 10%
and I have 60% of my allowance to spend on Extra stuff. Then if I still have money left from my 60% Extra money I put them in my "stache" bottle for gadget expense (saving up for a tablet and underwater camera).
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