One of the biggest problems with launching your dream adventure is saving enough money.
So here is an easy way to get saving. It requires zero willpower or organisational skills. And it shouldn’t cause too much daily hardship in your life either.
- Start a new bank account. This is the only hassle of the whole plan. And it’s not much of a hassle at all. I set up a new account with Smile in under 15 minutes.
- Set up a Standing Order from your main bank account to the new account. Each week transfer £20 to the new account. (If you can’t afford £20 a week even after cutting out your daily cup of coffee and a couple of beers here and there then choose a figure you can afford. Just don’t use this as an excuse to do nothing at all.) The important thing is to choose an amount that you can spare without much stress or worry.
- Persuade a friend to do the same.
- The hardest part is over. This is such a painless way to raise £1000 of money for your adventure in just one year. Now it is time for the second phase of the scheme:
- Tell everyone that in one year’s time you are going to cycle to Sweden or run to Romania or hitch-hike to Hanoi.
- We now have one year to sort out every aspect of the adventure (commitment, equipment, fitness, time off work).
This year I want to encourage more people to have big adventures. I want to show that you do not need to be a Superman to cycle to the Sahara desert. You do not need to be rich to run to Russia.
Dream Big. Start Small’¦ but Do Start.
Start saving today. Save just £20 a week (or whatever amount you can afford), and within a year you’ll have saved £1000 ‘“ more than enough money to cycle to the Sahara or run to Russia. (Feel free to substitute £1000 for $1000, €1000 or ¥1000!)
And, whilst your money’s accumulating, I’mm going to teach you all you need to know to turn your adventure from a dream into a reality.
My new book, Grand Adventures, is out now.
It’s designed to help you dream big, plan quick, then go explore.
The book contains interviews and expertise from around 100 adventurers, plus masses of great photos to get you excited.I would be extremely grateful if you bought a copy here today!
I would also be really thankful if you could share this link on social media with all your friends – http://goo.gl/rIyPHA. It honestly would help me far more than you realise.
Thank you so much!
Grand Adventures from Alastair Humphreys on Vimeo.
Here’s a few more suggestions that may help some people…
Find a picture that represents a picture of your adventure.
Print it out and put it in your wallet next to your cash and credit cards. The next time you go to buy that expensive coffee you don’t really need, this will remind you to save the money – and you’ll easily make up £20 a month.
Get a large clear plastic bottle and stick the picture on it. Start putting loose change into the bottle, and put it in your home for everyone to see.
You won’t fund your adventure on the loose change, but it will remind you what you are saving for. Also, friends and family will see it. They’ll soon realise you are serious and are trying to save. You may even get some donations.
I have been saving spending money for my trip to Kenya in February by putting money in a money tin that I bought for $1.50 from a discount store. I have a self-imposed $100 weekly allowance (I know, strange for a 35yo but it kind of works for me – that’s the money I’m allowed to spend on coffee, takeaway, snacks, fuel, camping, movies and race entries every week) so I’ve been putting half my allowance in the tin at the start of each week. Then, at the end of the week, I put all the leftover coins and notes in the tin. Often, I find myself going to buy a chocolate bar and thinking “do I want this chocolate bar or do I want to add another $3 to my Kenya tin?”. Even better, I have started cycling more so that I don’t need to buy fuel for my motorbike because ever dollar I spend on fuel is a dollar I won’t have for my trip to Kenya.
or do as I did.
Let or sublet your house/room the day you get paid.
Leave on pay day and you’ll have a months salary to sustain you abroad. I made £1,750 which lasted months in India and meant very little actual saving had to take place.
If your savy about letting your room or house you could even make money.
Of course returning penniless is sometimes an issue. But worked for me.
Just thought I’d point out some slight uf8/unicode madness “you can’t afford £20 a week” – Keep up the good work!
The whole site is infested with those bloody symbols and I can’t get rid of them!