How To Save For Africa Safari Travel
Posted: Friday, October 02, 2009
by Edwin Muriithi
African Safaris & Adventures
With the resources available to travelers and the global crunch biting hard, the strength of the America dollar in many safari holiday destinations such as Kenya Uganda Tanzania and the safari packages offered by tour companies and safari agencies it’s easy for travelers to plan budget safaris to Africa. But safaris in Africa still costs money, and the thought of coming up with even a few hundred dollars can be a daunting one for many cash-strapped travellers. With a little creativity, willpower, and yes, a bit of sacrifice, you can whittle down your expenses and find ways to fund your travel dreams.
There are several ways to reduce your utilities bills without living like you’re back in the dark ages. Unplug appliances (which can still suck up to 40% of their normal energy usage even when turned off) when they aren’t in use, take shorter showers and turn off the faucet when you brush your teeth.
Brown Bag it to Lunch
Bringing your own lunch to work doesn’t have to mean resigning yourself to an eternity of peanut-butter and jelly sandwiches. There are plenty of creative and delicious lunches you can make at home and take with you.
Clean Out Your Credit
If you have significant debt, your interest rates could account for a large portion of your monthly expenses. Work on getting your debt paid off, starting with the cards with the highest interest rate. If you can, transfer the balance to a zero-interest card and pay it off before the interest kicks in.
Buy and Sell at Second-hand Shops
Chances are you’ve got a closet full of clothes yet still you find yourself buying more. To revamp your wardrobe on a small budget, take your forgotten threads to a resale or consignment shop. You can leave with cold hard cash, or trade the clothes for credit to buy new-to-you duds in the latest styles.
Cut Out Cable
At $30, $50, $100 or even more per month, cable TV isn’t exactly cheap. If you’re a total TV addict, this might not be a strategy for you, but if you don’t watch the tube all that much, consider cutting out cable and watching only the basic channels. With most shows available on DVD or the internet now, you might not even miss it.
Sell, sell
See all those unused, unneeded, forgotten belongings cluttering up your closet or basement? Now’s the time to get rid of it all. Host a garage or estate sale, or go the electronic route and post it all on craigslist or ebay. Nicer clothes can be taken to resale and consignment shops, old electronics can be pawned, gold can be sold to jewelry stores, and books and cds can earn a bit of cash at a store specializing in used goods.
Go Cash Only
It’s easy to overspend when you never have cash. Seeing the pile of bills physically shrinking can help you pay more attention to how much you spend. At the beginning of each month, pay-period or week, take out the cash you are allowed to spend on non-essentials (everything other than bills) and commit to sticking to that amount.
Remember, Your Budget is Your Friend
It’ll be nearly impossible to save a significant amount of money without embracing the idea of budgeting. You don’t need to be a math whiz or computer genius to write out and track your budget; a simple Excel spreadsheet, or even just a pen and paper, will do. Start by keeping track of all of your expenses for a month. At the end of the month, take a look at what you’ve spent and start figuring out where to cut. Make a plan you can live with for the next month, and most importantly, stick to it!
Do Odd Jobs
If you live in a friendly neighborhood or apartment complex, offer odd job services to your neighbors. Post flyers for dog walking, cat sitting, lawn-mowing, house-cleaning, or handy-man or baby-sitting services depending on your skill set. You’ll earn money and meet some of the people who live nearby.
Quit Smoking
Do this for your health as well as your travel budget. If you smoke a pack a day, you could be wasting $4-$8 (or more in some cities) on cigarettes
Give up Your Gym Membership
If you’re a gym rat who loves working out, this may not be feasible for you. But if you go once a week or less, why not keep the $30-$100 a month you would have spent on your gym membership and invest in a small home gym instead?
Edwin is a specialist in African Safaris and a tour operator. His tour company, African Safaris & Adventures, has presence in South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Malawi, Mozambique, Egypt, Madascar, Tanzania, Zanzibar, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, and Seychelles.
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