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Galapagos Fund at 50%!

Written by WellHeeled on April 19, 2011 · 29 Comments

Today marks a milestone:

The Galapagos Fund has crossed the $5,000 line. We are officially 1/2 of the way there to our $10,000 goal.

I can’t believe it has already been a year since we first started the fund. The $10K goal was daunting from the get-go. When I first wrote about this goal, it was a 4-5 year plan. Then I thought, heck, life is short. I want to go see the turtles NEXT YEAR.

So the new goal is to go to Galapagos in Spring or Summer of 2012. Which means we have just about a year to save up the remaining $5,000.

Here’s how we got to the first $5,000:

April 5, 2010: We open the account and fund it with $500.
May 31, 2010: By the end of May, with measly interest and some of my freelance money, the balance has grown to $1,031.30
June-September 2010: We didn’t put any money in. We get about $1 a month in interest. By the end of September our balance is $1,035.08
October 31, 2010: $300 of freelance money + $1.01 in interest means we now have $1,336.09
November 30, 2010: Thanks to CB’s overtime (and the $1-plus in interest), we break the $1.5K mark to reach $1,587.41
December 31, 2010: HUGE month for the Galapagos Fund thanks to a sudden burst of saving on CB’s part and a work bonus on mine. We end the year with a cool $3,500.00
January – February 2011: Just interest. Balance at $3,508.54
March 31, 2011: More freelance money goes into the pot. Pot grows to $4,168.48
April 19, 2011: $5,613.48! Thanks to CB’s tax refund and my side hustle, we are half way to Galapagos, baby.

We are not as good about eating at home as we could be (understatement of the year), or else this fund would be much plumper. As you can see, we try to put in a few hundred at a time, and sometimes we don’t add to the fund for a few months at a time. But slowly, the money is adding up.

I am so excited about this trip – I don’t even know where I first HEARD of Galapagos. Ever since I started reading about the islands, though, I can’t get them out of my head. I am afraid that I’ve built it up to be so great that the actual vacation can’t possibly match my expectations. In fact, I googled “overrated” and “Galapagos” to try to gauge the experiences of those who were unimpressed with their trip. But I guess I’ll see when I actually go. I’ve also got bitten by the safari bug (see Madame X’s post about the glorious trip she took to Botswana) and have begun to hound CB about going on a safari after Galapagos.

Another $5,000 by April 2011… can we do it? I certainly intend to! It will be so fantastic. I can’t wait to go on this adventure, and I can’t wait to blog all about it.

1. Do you have a travel goal you are saving for?

2. Also, if you have visited the Galapagos, did you think it was worth the time, money, and energy? Would you consider it a “overrated”? I can take brutal honesty!

photo credit: James Preston via Flickr

The Great Temptations of Etsy

Written by WellHeeled on May 13, 2010 · 14 Comments

I shall share three items that have caught my eye on Etsy, then hope that if you buy it, you will let me know in the comments so that I can live vicariously through your purchase.

For the world traveler:

I’ve always wanted a map to decorate my walls, and this would fit the bill perfectly. You can also purchase the picture with different colored canvases. At $160, it’s a surprisingly affordable piece of larger-scale art.

For the lady with style:

This 4-strand glass and bead necklace has a quiet elegance about it – you can wear it to the office with a black shift dress, toss it on with jeans on a grocery run, or dress it up with a satin A-line gown at a wedding. $38 without shipping.

For the businesswoman:

Every since I’ve gotten business cards for my new job, I’ve wanted a chic but sturdy business card holder. This silver-toned holder with the raised seahorse on the front is 90% class, 10% whimsy. $48.

Every time I am tempted by a purchase, I ask myself, would I rather have this ________ or would I rather save the money for the Galapagos Fund? So far, dreams of seeing the giant tortoise usually win out. Yet I cannot deny the appeal of the map. Or the necklace. Or the cardholder.

image source: Etsy.com

Clicking on the pictures will take you to the seller’s listing.

5 Year Travel Plan: Making Your Travel Dreams a Reality

Written by WellHeeled on May 4, 2010 · 61 Comments

I’ve been struck by a bad case of the travel bug lately… I haven’t been out of the country since 2007, which seems like a long time. CB and I are saving for Galapgos, but we also want to travel quite extensively in the intervening months before our Big Galapagos Adventure.

Plenty of people have a 5-year plan for career and educational goals. So why not have a 5-Year Travel Plan? Two years ago, I posted on my Big Ticket Travel Dreams – since then, I’ve accomplished 1 dream on my list (Disney World). Most of the destinations overlap. Here are the destinations on my 5-year Travel Plan (the 5-year mark also coincides nicely with the entrance into my 30s).

New York City:

I’ve been to NYC quite a bit in the last few years, but CB has never gone. NYC is lovely in May/June, so perhaps we will plan for a Labor Day weekend 2010 or a Memorial Weekend 2011 trip. I’d like to stay at least 5 days and 4 nights and squeeze in a Broadway show. A back-of-the-envelope calculation puts our budget at about $1,500.

Japan:

CB really wants to go to Japan. I’ve been to Tokyo and Osaka for a short while several years ago, but I’ve never been to Kyoto, the former imperial capital and arguably Japan’s most historical city. I’m not sure how much a trip to Japan would take in terms of both money and vacation days – $5,000 for two including airfare? 8 days? (2 days for travel, 6 days for play). Debt Hater booked a 4-night stay in Toyko & airfare package for only $1,200 in 2009. This will be a 2011 or 2012 trip.

China:

CB lived in Beijing for several months while I’ve spent time in Southern China. My aunt and uncle work and live in China, so we can stay with them when I’m in their city. For the rest of the trip, CB and I will be on our own (although my uncle can probably wrangle some travel discounts for us). Plane tickets will be around $1,600 for two, with another $1,000+ in lodging / meals / travel within China costs. $4,000 for two for 2 weeks - doable?

China is so huge and there are so many things I want to see that I’d like to devote at 14 days to this trip (2-3 days will be lost to traveling to & from the US / overcoming jet lag). I would like to go to China next year, which would push Japan to 2012. Or, I could try to squeeze China and Japan into two weeks, which would use up all my vacation for the year. 2 weeks is a little short for these two countries, but at least we’d do the bulk of the overseas flight in one go.

Australia and/or New Zealand:

CB has proposed these destinations for a potential honeymoon trip. If it were to be a honeymoon trip.. I want it to be at least 10 days! Budget: no idea. I expect it to be fairly high because of the travel costs (round trip tickets to Australia will be at least $2,500 for two) and because we’d probably want to splurge. So… $7,000?

I would want plenty of snorkeling, relaxing, and eating. And of course, indulging in the world-class culture that Sydney or Melbourne offers.

Greek isles:

Oceans the color of lapis lazuli and beaches as white as sugar – sign me up please! I’ve been dreaming of the Greek Isles ever since I saw my first picture of Santorini. I’d like to spend a day or two in Santorini, but also visit the other, less well-known islands in the area (Paxos – doesn’t the picture look enticing?). Budget: no idea. I assume this trip would also cost a pretty penny (or $2,500 to $3,000 for a week?).

France / Italy / Spain:

I would love to do a tour of Western Europe. Sunflowers of Debt Chronicles estimated that her 15-day London-Paris-Germany tour cost $8,000 to $9,000 for two, so I expect that’s about the range CB and I would be look at. Maybe we can shave $1,000 off if we got really good deals or stayed in hostels, but I think a trip of this magnitude would cost at least $7,000. Perhaps this trip will get pushed off until we are older, however.

Galapagos Islands:

Say hello to the dream! People don’t tend to equate savings with romance, but CB and I are committing our financial resources for a future adventure together – what can be more romantic than that?

The cost of trip will be $10,000 to $12,000 for two. We are basing our budget on Lindblad Expeditions. Not sure that’s the operator we will select, but I know that I want a company that offers small groups, safe and comfortable ships, great food, knowledgeable biologists and scientists as tour guides, and a reputation for respecting and protecting the fragile ecosystems of the Galapagos Islands. For operators of similar caliber, I assume that the high prices will be here to stay. I want to do this trip in 2013, before I head to business school.

Thinking about all these travels have really put things into perspective for me – perspective on how much money we’d need to save! New York, Japan, China, and Australia alone will cost almost $18,000. Galapagos will be another $10,000. At the risk of being discouraged, I think this is a good exercise – I don’t want to keep “talking” about how much I want to go to Galapagos or Japan or Greece but never taking the steps to make those dreams a reality. (To be honest, I have no idea how I’m going to fund these travels and max out my retirement accounts at the same… I guess that’s all the more incentive to make sure I perform well enough at work to get the full bonus and refrain from needless purchases).

image source: (1) wired.com, (2) finnair.com, (3) travel.nationalgeographic.com, (4) textually.org, (5) greece-holidays.sunvil.co.uk, (6) photos4travel.com, (7) gliving.com

Share your 5 Year Travel Plan destinations in the comments! Or, if you have advice / feedback about the places I’ve listed here, I’m eager to hear your thoughts.

New Wish List

Written by WellHeeled on October 12, 2009 · 2 Comments

Picking up a new hobby has given me some new items to put on my wish list.

I wish I may, I wish I might
Dance in new tango shoes tonight

Argentine tango shoes (~$200+) are on the top of my list. My current Latin heels have become loose in the front, causing my feet to slide forward, which in turn results in looseness in the heel cup. Sooner or later (preferably sooner, for the sake of my feet), I’ll have to switch over to tango shoes with a firmer across-the-toes strap and better arch support. Edit: after suffering some foot pain after dancing, I went to a doctor to make sure I’m taking care of my feet. The doctor’s verdict: I need harder (more supportive) soles and a wider shoe. Now I am officially on the hunt for a pair of shoes that won’t make my feet hurt.

I actually did go to a specialty dance store in search of my very first pair of Argentine tango heels, but unfortunately (fortunately?) couldn’t find a style that I liked in my size. But in the words of the Governator… I’ll be back.

tango shoes New Wish List

This weekend I went to a milonga (a tango dance party) and had a nice time, i.e., guys asked me to dance. and I did! But I found that I enjoyed classes and practicas much more. Fashion-wise, some of those ladies (and gentlemen) were really dressed up! Imagine women in slinky cocktail dresses and high heels, and men in full suit and tie – I do love the atmosphere of the milongas.

I’m still a beginner, so most of the time, I will mess up a step or improperly follow a lead, and I suppose I just found it frustrating that when I danced, I wouldn’t have the opportunity ask the instructor what I did wrong, and how to correct it so that next time I can get a little closer to doing it the right way.

Anyone remember the movie Uptown Girls? Where a young Dakota Fanning character insisted that FUNdamentals are FUN? Well, I believe I am in that stage where I would rather work on my fundamentals and technical foundations – every time I dance outside the presence of an instructor I am wary of developing bad habits that will take hours to correct later.

On that note, private tango classes (~$80+) are also on my wish list.

So, I think I will limit my milonga attendance to once every month or two month and just dance more frequently at classes and practicas for now. On the bright side, fewer milongas means I’ll save $10 to $20 entrance fees.

Thou Shalt Not Covet Thy Neighbor’s Shoes

Written by WellHeeled on March 16, 2009 · 10 Comments

And yet…

I found this fashion blog where the author has a delectable shoe collection.

Be warned: if you don’t want to be tempted by high-end heels, don’t click on this link.

http://www.iamstyle-ish.com/search/label/shoe%20collection

I do believe I am most envious of her Louboutin Insectika.

Perhaps, someday.

Louboutins calling!

Written by WellHeeled on December 1, 2008 · 19 Comments

No, I did not purchase a pair of these lovely pieces of footwear brought to life by the visionary Mr. Christian Louboutin.

But I think I might put it on my list of things to do before I turn 30. That will give me a little more time to save up!

If you own a pair of Louboutins – how much do you love them? Are they worth the hefty price tag? Did you buy them to celebrate a milestone in your life?

And most importantly… are you afraid to ever set foot on the ground because the shoes are just too beautiful?!