I think Courtney is spot on about the budgeting. When he made the suggestion of saving $25.00 a week, I knew I would take it seriously. I knew I HAD to take it seriously. I have to pull my weight for this trip and I can’t be going to Belize with no money. I wouldn’t be able to partake in the activities with Courtney. I couldn’t imagine myself sitting on the beach with my head in my hands and a frown on my face while watching Courtney do something fun that I imagine to do there- like ocean kayaking! How horrible would that be? Also, I couldn’t rely on Courtney for backup financially, nor will I rely on my credit card. I’m going there with plenty of money to enjoy myself and I am adjusting my budget accordingly.

Some measures I have used to cuts costs and save more are:

1. Packing a lunch to bring to work everyday. For me means bringing a can of soup and a bag of chips from the grocery store. I’ve gotten sick of eating soup almost everyday for lunch this past month so I divulged and made some chicken salad this week. Next week I’ll probably get lunch meats and make sandwiches. Typically I would spend $6-$12 a day eating out over lunch break at work. This saves me $30-$60 a week on lunch. That right there is the weekly $25 Courtney suggested. Monthly that is $120-$240 a month on lunch. Wow.

2. Cooking meals instead of eating out for dinner. Every night is different depending on what I am cooking, but this saves heaps of money. And it gives me a chance to show off my domesticated side to Courtney.

3. Not boozing it up. This should be a no brainer. Instead of going out to a bar or two in Boston on a weekend night and spending about $40-$80 a night in cab/alcohol/cover prices – I am able to pocket that money. Instead, lately, Courtney and I have been doing movies with friends or we stay in and get a bottle of wine, make a home cooked dinner, and watch a movie. And I have to say, it’s quite nice. It’s really nice to wake up the next day and feel alive and alert and not to be hurting from drinking the night before or staying up entirely late. This allows us to also do things to enjoy the summer and weather- like going on day trips to the beach, kayaking, volunteering, jogs, etc which are very inexpensive activities to do but they involve exercise and are good for the mind and body.

4. This is a handy little trick I use about once or twice a year. I go through my closet and clean out my name brand clothes that I don’t wear or want anymore. I then list them on ebay. Usually I can get back 60-80% of what I paid for the clothing. This is much better than just giving them away and it’s a great turn around on the clothes. I listed a few things last month and was able to pocket about $300. I also sell other used items. For instance, I listed two old used cell phones that have been sitting in my drawer for well over a year. The one sold for close to the value they are listed for, and I got it for free do to a two year activation. Granted I only used it for 5 months and it was in good condition- but I would have NEVER used that phone again and that will pay for a full day of activities right there.

We have two things planned over the summer that may fool a bit with our budgetting too. Actually the main one that will screw with the budgetting is Vegas. Courtney and I are headed there next week. Regardless, I was able to save $300 for Vegas and $300 for Belize last month. I don’t think I will be as successful this month because of the car crash and different obstacles that hindered my time outside of work and didnt allow me to get to the grocery store, etc for making meals. I bought lunch a few times since the car accident. I’m finally back on track this week with everything. Hopefully I don’t spend too much outside my budget for Vegas.

The other mini vacation is a camping trip to Bar Harbor (Bah Hahbah) Maine. This shouldn’t cost too much as Courtney has a tent and necessary sleeping gear. The sites come with grills and campfire pits and such so we will need the basics like food, beer, marshmallows. You know the drill. This site is about Belize, not Bar Harbor so I am going lite in the info here.

If all goes as planned I should have another $300 saved for Belize by end of this month. Hopefully I can acquire some more money through listing stuff on ebay. I also can sell a huge “red carpet” carpet (literally a red carpet event carpet) that I used for a party I threw when I worked for my old company. It’s only been used once for VIP traffic and is in tip top shape. I should be able to pull in at least half of what I paid for it (hoping for $200+) It’s just little things like that you have to think about and know that it all adds up in the end.