....my dream that is. I get asked all the time "How do you afford that on a teacher's salary?" "Do your parents pay for your trips?" "How do you do it? I'm so broke." Let me tell you--I'M BROKE TOO! If you ask any of my closest friends (some people do) they could and they will tell you the same thing. I make a teacher's salary. It's how you choose to spend your money. To me, traveling, being out and about, and meeting new people is something that gives me fulfillment. Here is a small list of things I do to make the most of my life:
- I take every opportunity that trickles my way to make any extra money. Whether it's working for a t-shirt company at a sporting event, being a stylist for Stella & Dot, or doing what I love - taking pictures, I usually can't turn down the opportunity to make extra money if I know it will help me fund a random getaway at the end of the month. I find that the more I go and do, the more people ask me to be a part of stuff. Sometimes it's to work, other times it may be to volunteer, and every now and then it's someone offering free tickets to a local event. Almost every experience tho, I make new connections, which lead to great opportunities, so get yourself out there!
- I NEVER buy clothes. I take that back, you know that can't be completely true. I rarely* buy clothes. My best friends and I trade clothes all the time. Sometimes we hang on to them for a couple weeks at a time, then trade back. Anytime before I go on a vacation, I stop by my BFFs' houses to see what they've picked out for me to wear, and I get excited to do the same for them. This saves a ton of money and I always feel like I'm in a new outfit ready to hit the town. (it's easy to do the same with accessories!)
- I am CHEAP. I look around at all the options. I never decide on the first day when looking at hotels, tickets, flights, etc. I tend to watch prices for a couple weeks before I end up biting the bullet and purchasing. I use priceline.com for hotels. I usually purchase the day of or the night before unless there's a major event going on in the area(New Year's Eve in New Orleans). Usually, the closer it gets, the cheaper the price - so you'll get the best deal because they want to fill what's still available!
- For tickets, my go to app is StubHub. Again, I watch for a couple weeks and see if they get any cheaper. A lot of times, I wait until the last minute with tickets and order right before the event, then download to my phone----make sure they are downloadable!!!. (good idea for Royals tickets - dugout box seats for $26 a couple weeks ago were ordered at 4:45pm day of) I know a lot of you are probably getting anxiety thinking about it, but you just gotta go with it. Sometimes it leads to the best experiences. I'm a firm believer of everything happens for a reason and if for some reason we weren't able to get the tickets 2 hours before game time, then shit, we'll find something else to do!
- As far as flights, I usually try to order a couple months in advance or check out the sales when they have them going on. You can NOT wait last minute with flights, they only get more expensive. The best time is usually 6 - 8 weeks before your trip and I hear "on Tuesdays" but have not necessarily found that to be true in my experiences. When you see a cheap flight, snag it. I tend to stick with Southwest as they do not have a lot of hidden fees. You do not have to pay for luggage and if for some reason you needed to cancel or change your flight there's no charge and your credit will stay on your account for when you can use the flight (up to a year I think).
- I don't have cable. If I do watch TV it's something that's on the three channels I get. This helps in more ways than just saving money---not only can I not watch something everyone's making meme's about on Instagram, but I find other stuff to do when I am "bored."
- Cut up your credit card. I had a credit card for the last several years, trying to "earn" airline points. That was a terrible idea. I got behind and stressed. I cut it up last year and it's been great. It gave me sort of a "sink or swim" feeling where I had to live on what I actually made. It's pushed me to work harder and put forth my best effort to do what I can with what I have. Physically and mentally. My work ethic and drive to make more money has steadily increased since then and I have been able to live without the feeling of "owing" anyone anything.
Lastly, DO IT ANYWAY. Several times, my friends and I hear ourselves saying "I can't do that, I'm so broke. I don't get paid until next Friday." This goes along with the sink or swim feeling. Just do it. Go for it. Get out there. There's always more money to be made and maybe I sound like a Pinterest quote saying this but you never know when the day will come when you can't do it. You're not going to be 82 years old talking about the bills you paid or the "to die for" shoes you bought when you were 26, but the bay you jumped into with the locals in Puerto Rico will be a memory that lasts. There has never been a better time than now to enrich your life. Think about what matters most to you and put your mind to it. We are so lucky to wake up each day and be a part of this beautiful life, so live in the moment and make the most of each moment.
