Most of my cash savings are in the Freedom Fund (held at one financial institution). I do have an online savings account at another firm that I rarely check. For a while I’ve considered consolidating these two accounts, but decided to let them be.
Why?
Because I’m going to make the online savings account my Big Ticket Travel Dreams / You Only Live Once / Do It Before You Kick The Bucket fund. Some of my big-ticket travel dreams are…
- cruise the fjords in Tierra del Fuego (the southern-most tip of the world in Argentina/Chile)
- luxuriate in the picture-perfect blue-and-white Santorini, Greece
- ride the train to Tibet and butter my toast with yak milk
- pretend I’m Charles Darwin and explore the Galapagos Islands
- snorkel with the fishies in the Great Reef Barrier, and
- shake hands with Mickey Mouse at Disney World December 2009.
And, I’m sure there are many, many more trips that I want take to before I’m gone.
So, I’m keeping this fund out-of-sight – it’s not a fund for a down payment, or graduate school, or even emergencies (although I imagine in a dire emergency I’d have to dip into it). Rather, it’s my Completely Selfish fund, my Pick Up And Go fund, my You Only Live Once fund.
And… I want to fulfill TWO big ticket travel dream by the time I’m 30. I have less than 7 years left, so I better get on it!
What are your big ticket dreams?
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All my big ticket dreams are travel-related as well. I’ve had some pretty stupendous trips in recent years: I’ve ridden a camel in the Arabian desert, trekked the Inca trail to Machu Picchu, taught English in Japan, and gazed in awe for hours at the Iguazu Falls in Argentina.
My biggie for next year will probably be a visit to the “cradle of life”: East Africa. I want do visit the Olduvai Gorge (where humanity began), the Serengeti Plain, and the Ngorongoro Crater on an organized safari, indulge in “fair tourism” ventures like hiking a tea plantation with a local guide, then visit two charity programs – one in Kenya, one in Tanzania – that I contribute to regularly.
I absolutely love to travel as well!! I’ve been to 26 countries and I am dying to increase that number.
(I really should post about this…)
The next trips I would love to take would be to Thailand, Singapore, Greece and Jamaica!
i think that’s a great idea!
if i had the money to be throwing into a separate savings, i would do the same thing because my husband and i want to travel so BADLY we can taste it. so far the furthest we’ve been is Hawaii hehe. Never been out of the country yet (not even Canada and I live in Michigan! I know…).
I’d love to go to France, Australia, Rome…anywhere, really.
That is the most important addition to my budget next year, but I didn’t come up with such an inspiring name! (I called it “long term travel”)
My dreams aren’t specific–yet. I really want to live abroad for awhile, which should allow a lot of fantastic travels to fall right out of life. For now, I want to travel around cali (since I’m here), and my next “big” trip… South America.
I have a thing for india or nepal. Greece if we’re talking europe, but pretty much all of europe anyway. Before I’m 30? Maybe we’ll get one or two in.
I have already started plans to go to France this summer, other travel dreams include most of Europe, Japan, Australia, Brazil, Iceland, and to one day return for additional fabulous vacations in Hawaii, the Virgin Islands, and Mexico.
FYI – It’s “Santorini”, not San Torini. We were there for a portion of our honeymoon, and it is indeed every bit as luxurious and beautiful as anyone can imagine it to be. That of course also means that it is a tourist trap and can be a little annoying, and everything can be a little Disney-fied, but it is still gorgeous nonetheless.
We’re definitely saving up for big travel plans. We have so many places to go – not only to vacation, but to visit friends who have moved!
Ah, one of my favorite subjects: spending big money. After we get back from our honeymoon to Belize and Guatemala (mostly Belize and Tikal/Flores in Guat) we are on a bit of a travel hiatus for a while. In about two and a half years, Shiner wants to show me around Tibet, Nepal, and northern India in the Tibetan expat communities, so that’s a big ticket item. Not quite as globally exciting but close to my heart is buying about five to ten forested acres within three and a half hours of our house to someday build a cabin on. We spent the weekend at a friend’s cabin and oh my goodness did that ever reawaken my years-long desire for a little wooded retreat.
I would love to see South Africa and Maui
Who do you all travel with? I’ve found that many of my friends are *ahem* undercapitalized and can’t plan enough ahead to make a big trip. Alternatively, I’d be 3rd wheel to someone’s spouse! I either end up going with family, or traveling to see someone who lives in the place I’m visiting.
It’s very hard to make specific plans, or sometimes to even talk about the places I’ve been.
I’ve seen so much already, but I really want to do an architecture tour in eastern Europe, outdoorsy/adventure travel in Peru, Brazil, and Chile, and I definitely want to party like crazy in Ibiza! I also want to go visit my cousins in New Zealand.
Any female readers do off-the-beaten-path / 3rd world traveling solo? Where were you and how safe did you feel?
How do all of you find travel buddies? Are your friends more responsible with $ than mine are? Or do they just earn a huge salary? How much advance notice is appropriate for planning a trip?
We went to the Galapagos in May of this year. It was a fantastic trip and I highly recommend it. Once in a lifetime and super expensive, but completely worth it!
If you’re interested, here are our pictures from our trip.
http://picasaweb.google.com/dtgalapagos
I really want to go see Italy and New York City. Intresting combination, I know.
Margo, I’ve done solo traveling in Peru (I speak very poor Spanish). I don’t prefer it, but mostly for logistical reasons (like, it’s easier to go to the bathroom in a bus station stall if you can leave your pack with a friend). But if you want to go somewhere you don’t know anyone and don’t have any friends up for a trip, it’s much better, IMO, to go by yourself than not go at all. I felt quite safe, about the same as traveling in a pair or with a small group. I was just more conscientious about checking in with my folks (usually by travelblog but also email). Now that I am getting hitched, it’s kind of a shock to my system to have to plan trips for two rather than just worrying about my costs. Two sets of tickets is a lot more than one!
Travel dream fund, yup, that’s what my first ING account was named. It’s tiny, but I’m trying to make it a regular priority. I am going on an alaskan cruise with a friend’s family in the summer, hope to make a 2nd trip to Belize in the spring (feminist finance I hope you’ll love it….make sure to do a jungle cruise/tour and maybe caving….those were highlights for me!). Number 1 on my list is China but that’ll be a few years I think.
Margo,
Nearly all of my trips have been solo. The Inca Trail in Peru and the Arabian desert in Jordan were on organized tours because it’s required for the Inca trail, and Jordan is a pain to get around otherwise. I’m not a terribly outgoing person, but I open up when I travel. I usually link up with Australians, be it for an afternoon, a meal or a weekend – they share my travel values. A lot of it boils down to the destination you pick, and all of the trips you’re considering should work out fine for a solo traveler.
The only countries I worry about as a solo female traveller are those cultures where we’re harrassed and disrespected. That sort of treatment semi-ruined my long weekend in Istanbul (the only time I’ve ever been frightened). I also knew from an early age (11, to be exact) that there would be a lot of travel in my future and I couldn’t count on friends sharing my love of adventure, so I trained up in a few martial arts styles (total of 8 years). I figure I have a responsibility to myself and my parents to do everything possible to keep myself safe. I’ve only had to deck someone once – got felt up in Sicily on a sunny Sunday afternoon.
That is a good idea to have such travel dream fund and enjoy our life. Hope I will be able to travel to beautiful places like Edinburgh, Melbourne and many more.
Greece is actually surprisingly affordable! If you use hostel booking sites (like hostelworld.com) to find single rooms (most have more than just dorms) you can pay about 20 to 25 euros/night. Santorini is quite touristy, but it’s still worth a visit, and the ferry system is so cheap that you can move islands easily (Naxos and Paros are even more affordable and less crowded).
Paros is 1000x better than Santorini – most romantic place i’ve been out of the 20 countries I’ve been to.
Santorini is right up there for me – Greece looks AMAZING.
It must the the blue-and-white.
Maybe I'll make it a goal for…2011?