The Travelling Fund; £10,000 in 10 months!!!

CEW

Hi Kat,

Just seen the video of the bunny island off Japan. I want to go...but OH says Noah's he thinks I would come back with a few new pets :rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

Your trip sounds awesome. I love travelling to new places but can't do this much now with the amount if animals (and debt:eek:) we have.

Like you I always want to 'live' like the locals wherever I go and shop where they shop etc even on short holidays to Europe. I feel better if I give my custom to the small shopkeeper or restaurant off the beaten track or just to the guy selling fruit and veg off the back of his pickup in the little villages in the mountains.

Back to dreaming

Chez x

NinjaSavingKat

Hello Lilt (and Jellytot).... Hello CEW.... and you lurkers!..

So Lilt yes that bike eats money. I think I might be good for a while now but I guess there will be more issues if I start using it to get to work on. That' a strong possibility if this morning was anything to go by ( I slept in, ran around like a pig snuffling for truffles and grabbing pennies to get the bus - made it in time though! )..

CEW where there's a will theres a way. It's not everybodies dream to do something like this but as you said even with European holidays it's nice to blend in and live alongside the locals. And I could stuff a bunny of two in my bag I am sure...

Australian Embassey was on my hit list today. Had a wee panic that I would miss my train but considering I planned my journeying to get there 40 minutes early, and walk to the station I had plenty of time since I got the bus. Thank the Lord for random 5pence pieces lurking around.

However it was like something was out to scupper me as I put my travelcard through the washing machine last night and there was a moment of fear that it would stop working. But alas this fear-inducing ogre failed and the ticket continued to work as I weaved my way through London town. (It's electronic not paper)..

Short waiting time at the virtually empty Embassy lobby and I was starting to get excited. Images of the Sydney Opera House, the sounds of ciccadas cirruping, the Christmas we spent on the beach, the walk from "home" to the local shops, the scrunchies I collected, Legoland, tarronga Zoo, Manly Beach.. it all came flooding back.

Many times I have dreamt that I wake up in Australia only to really wake up and be incredible disappointed.

Now this dream is about to come true. With "unfettered" access.

Except my picture wasn't right and I had to run out to get more photos taken, they took payment though and lodged the form. Following a mad dash (there really was no hurry) to Snappy Craps (very expensive @ £12.99 for 4 pictures??...).

I returned to the Embassey with a Starbucks that I left outside on the pavement (I am NOT throwing that away).... handed the photos in and was told in 2 weeks time I will be holding my Australian Passport for the second time since I was 8 years old!

NinjaSavingKat

Being overly excited by the prospect of Australia I have joined a website called "PomsinOz". Browsing through there seems to be no great emphasis on moneysaving despite me locating a website called "Savings Guide" for Aussie folk...

More searching and researching makes me realise just how expensive life down under will be. I am not stupid I know I have to work - but my idea of working for 3-4 weeks with 2 weeks off might not happen if I don't pull my finger out and start planning now...

Which bring me to the point of needing a blog / website etc because I honestly don't think I want to leave you all behind and not post.... I want people to know what can be don, to watch my travels, comment and chastise where they see fit and keep in contact.. I've kinda grown fond of you all....*blush*..

So my on-going research will need honing. I keep saying this but until I see a definitive direction that I know I can push through to the very end I can't start anything. And this includes a website. Hmmmmmmm more to come....

killerpeaty

Apparently blogger is easy and comes with easy access to ad-sense.

I thought pictures should cost like £5-7. Jeeeze.

Now for the most important question... Did you see the lego movie and is it as amazing as I hope it is!?

NinjaSavingKat

I have not seen it yet Peaty!

Yup the first se of pictures I had taken were £8 but I think the Crappy Snaps I went to that was near the Embassy new they were quids in with suckers who were desperate so have upped their prices.

killerpeaty

Urgh crooks! Just plain crooks!

I really want to see the lego movie, it looks so damn cute! The boyfriend wants to see it though he pretends that he doesn't want to. Then when I say that I can see it with someone else, he's like no no don't worry I'll take you with a desperate look in his eyes. ha ha

Kat Kat Kat, did you know that you can apply quidco to your cards? I had no idea and now I'm just spewing it out at anyone who will listen.

Also there are rumours that lloyds are getting rid of vantage.. And replacing it with a "game changer"..

liltdiddylilt

Oooh Ooh I knew about the cards from Quidco. DO I get a prize? Although when I went on there the other week it had my one old Lloyds card on it and none of the various others I have so I changed!! But this will remind me to put the Nationwide card on too when that comes around. Don't plan to be doing much spending but you never know.

Hijack over, apart from... Lego move? Erm, I cannot see this being very good.. Am I a heathen?

Kat yay to the passport! How fabulous! My English passport ran out in 2012. I looked at the cost versus the likelihood of me actually going abroad anytime soon and decided not to renew it until I know I have a holiday coming up. It is a bit of a bummer I can't hop over to France on this ever present ferry and shuttle service I have in town! But I would just be spending money for the sake of it and whilst it would be lovely in theory to take Jellytot to Disneyland she is far too young and doesn't like disney characters thanks to us not having the disney channel

Thats about the sum total of my thoughts on travelling in the near future for my household

Keep striving Kat!

NinjaSavingKat

Hello hello hello!

Yes yes yes I am aware of Quidco card thingy. Although I am getting more through TopCashBack spendy wise. I haven't been out enough to get any instore log-in pennies either but I am soon to look into locking down pennies like I used to. I need to get super busy with this all again!

So I have been busy over the last few days. The boy I am currently "dating" (yes we shall see how long this lasts) has me thinking about my career. He is a little curious cat, intelligent, and dedicated but his job has so many various dimensions spilling through his life encompassing his free time, friends and thoughts that I am left a little jealous.

He knows this but is equally in awe of my dedication and determination in a job I dislike. He says he can't wait to see what I am like in a job I love. And I would have to agree with him. We work well together and may help each other in our areas of "lacking" - him with his lack of determination, me with my lack of direction....

I would love to tell you all what I do but I can't. Everything I type is tracable and I am accountable for my actions. However, this job is not what I thought it would be, I am not challenged, valued or important. You may say "oh yes you are important" but I can quite carefully say in the grand schemes of my current position I am not important.

I have therefore been digging. In my first post I mentioned the importance of personal growth, development, never settling with what you know but pushing and striving for a better you (or me) and attempting to gain the highest of highs from your own self-assurance and intelligence. It's about finding your path and sticking to it no matter what...

Over the last week I have challenged myself, through talking with The Boy, realising he is dragging my potential out of me ( our "friendship" is enlightening to say the least) and I am focusing on what can be improved now instead of waiting until I am "on the road"....

So I believe entirely in and have been investigating personality tests. My degree was based on Psychology and this fascinates me, especially the concept of personal development - what makes some people achieve things and others not....

So in using the MBTI (Myers-Briggs Type Indicator) I have been found to be what is known as the INTJ. One of the rarest and "most interesting" personality's in the world (1% of people) and even rarer in women (0.8%).... having read accompanying reports there are some things that stick out like a sore thumb and describe me to a tee......"determined, self assured, able to follow tasks through to the end with un-natural focus, decisive, original and insightful.....(read more here)....but there are some parts that don't fit..... my career. Duh duh duuuuuuuuuuh!!!:p

Everything this report describes that an INTJ needs in their work is everything mine is lacking.

So I am back to the drawing board. Funny one suggested career path is "financial planner" - :rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:...although Putin is described as an INTJ...:eek::eek::eek:

Hmmmmm anyway............... when walking passed the High Courts of Justice the other day I realised my dabbling withing the field of law whilst at Uni ( a seperate course that I had to miss lectures for that had nothing to do with my degree) in Paralegal Studies.... this is on my hit list for research.....Can I tie this into my up and coming Financial Intelligence course and aim for a more legal based finacial career and single handly shut down every pay-day loan company in the UK?..:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

But - here's the but...... so I wait until I come back from travelling for this..? Do I start now with a basic course ( 6- months ) or do I have enough on my plate? I can't start anything unless I am really sure of it then it's all hell let loose.... do I class the months of aimless travel and experiance as a waste when I could be doing an online 2 year course ..? Will this hold my interest for that long....?

Time for thinky thinks......

I welcome all ideas by the way... ha! ... Next post is more interesting money-wise I promise!...

NinjaSavingKat

I though it about time that I sat and thought through how Aus will affect my budget. I am a little more excited about arriving there than anywhere else but don't want this dampened by poor planning...(as if right?)...

The ultimate aim was to have £10,000 in my account by September, with the selling of my bike (£2K) and my last wage (£2K depending on OT) topping things right up to a nice £14,000.

Judging however, by the previous few months of bike issues etc there is chance the world might not let me have this much and a contingency plan needs to be set up. (I am running out of things to sell)...

Having looked at a few forums I am thinking the following for Oz...

• $1000 per month rent / lodgings even in a backpacker hostel.
• $500 per month on food.
• $240 on activities..1 a week @ $60 for top end. (Surf lessons?)
• $500 per month on travel..(to see relations mainly but you never know where work will be)
• Total = $2300 (rounded up) = £1240.

I intend to arrive in Oz with £4000 = 3 months expences.


I have joined an online Oz forum to ask folk for advise re where I should live. My Aunt in Canberra has a house but Canberra isn't known for it's appeal ( sorry to anyone from Canberra ) but my cousins are there and I really want to get to know them - it "might" mean lodgings but you can never be sure with rellies you haven't seen in YEARS...


My other Aunt in Sydney can't put me up at all. No question. I would have to find lodgings somewhere and it's very expensive here although the work situation might be better...


My Uncle in Newcastle (home) would be able to put me up. I would love to be here ideally where my Mum grew up and experiance it as she did.... might be easy enough to find a job as well...


Although I want to move around, visit the Northern Territories, great barrier reed etc so there needs to be some serious budgeting or planning ahead...


You know me though. I love all that....:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

However another £1000 a month needs to go to my South East Asia experiance of which I will be on the road for 7 months... £7000 not including the flight out there, the flight to Oz and the travel inbtween....£8000??...

Buffythedebtslayer

hey, am at home sick today so the personality test thing was an interesting diversion


Your planning is amazing!


any how thanks for the quiz XX