How to save up money for travel?

So, what's up? So is the first month of 2014? It almost end and still I only can catch my breath just starting this week. So, I got a new phone, samsung galaxy note 3 gold rose white and I love it. So enough about me but what I want to talk about is on how to save up money to travel. Seriously, I am puzzle how come people can go travel over and over again, even up to 5 different places in a year. My assumptions would be their salaries are a lot or they just starving themselves to travel. Well, I can't do both, I mean my salary, well I can't complain much but it is worth my job and I love to eat...yeah.

So how come they can travel like nobody cares, so I search out for some tips from blogs, websites and just like to share it with you. So here are my findings:

1. Change lifestyle - Change for the better, cut loose unnecessary spending. For myself, if I look closely, I do spend a lot on food and window shopping. I love to dine in the mall, and sometimes watch movies. I swear I didn't do a lot of shopping, I just go for groceries or toiletries but sometimes, when you do it during weekends, so it add up especially extra cost for parkings and knick knacks. I also like to have manicure&pedicure So I just need to find another alternatives to have fun with less budget.

2. Get part-time job - To get the extra income.. Hmmm I think I can work part time on weekends, but sometimes I need to work on weekends also so, still figuring out.

3. Meet new friends and get together with old friends- Yeah, I know it is kind of sneaky, to be friendly for a place to stay but it works. However, you also must do the same to them, it just like CouchSurfing method. Believe it or not, an of my cheapskate friend do this when he was travelling to Australia for a week. He stays with his friends and he just spend total RM 800 for the trip...seriously...he is cheap...

4. Start a savings account strictly for travel expenses - Set a goal plan and pledge not to touch it until you start traveling. The savings plan details how you’ll accomplish your goals. This could be removing unnecessary expenses and  setting a strict spending budget or adding additional income to meet your goals.

5. Really save money - Cut cost of everything such as caffeine, bring lunch to work or sell your clothes or magazine. You also can borrow books from library or buy groceries using coupon and subscribe to Groupon deals or something. Save spare change in a jar and find good deals online. I think I can do this, Yeah I have to be thrift now.

So,  first and foremost. just remember why you’re doing this and to remind yourself every day. Put a picture on your wall, or a map with pins and strings, or your rally monkey, for constant revalidation. Saving money is a slog, but you can do it if you set your mind to it. All the best to me!

Wordless Wednesday

Counting Cars

Ha, Yap I already completed my degree study last 10 January. Yeah, I'm proud of sticking it out for 5 years. Since I've got more time in the hand now, so, I should be writing more updates for the blog, right? Wrong, I've been diagnosed with "Lazy Syndrome"...yep, I'm just so lazy to do anything nowadays. Plus with my workload is getting higher so when I got home I just want to lay on the bed and do lazy thing. Perhaps that is why I'm not married yet, because seriously I can't do that when I have a family. What would my mother in law say?

Last week, my 11 years old 14' TV that I've bought with my first paycheck has broken, so I bought a new 32' TV. So everything look so big. My TV obsession right now is Counting Car. It is part of the family in History Channel such as Pawn Stars, King of Restorations and The Pickers. Sometimes, they cross-in each other series. Counting Car is about custom-made car whether people will send to them, or they will find the old car and make it new and shiny. I never thought that I love cars but when I see the show, I really love it especially when they come out as shiny with chrome and all that. I love Ford Mustang it is my kind of car and of course, the price is less than my car now, seriously!

So, that is one story which touch my heart when a"little person" send them a motorcycle and he wanted them to accustomed to his height so he can ride motorcycle for the first time. Of course they managed to do it in his favourite coulour, purple and he looks good on it. It bring tears to his eyes and mine.

Sometimes, I think that If I able to bring a Ford Mustang here, I think it will be more cheaper than buying car here. So better save up now, I guess...

1965 Ford Mustang...nice huh?

2014 Resolutions

Salam semua, so how are you? I just finished one of the three final exam and going to have another two on this Saturday and next week Friday. So please wish me luck.

So 2013 has been a good year for me, I have manage to fulfill my longtime dream to visit Europe and until now I'm still pinching myself, like I can't believe I did that already. So, I heard that in order to make your resolutions comes true, you have to write it somewhere, so here I am writing next year resolutions and it must be specific, so I try to.

1. To travel more, planning for next year, Vietnam, Turkey and maybe impromptu travel plans.

2. To find somebody to be my partner for life maybe after my trip to Turkey on September 2014.

3. To lose the weights at least by 20 kg in a year by doing swimming at least once a week and eat healthy food and to reduce fast food, just once a month only.

4. To do more impulsive things such as weekend gateway or to join charity event or join a group or something.

5. Take new hobby of photography, hopefully, you can see more photos here.

So, this is my plan for the year of 2014, I really hope 2014 will be a great year for me! So what is yours?

How I met your father?

I just watched "How I met your mother" just now it is about how Ted bring a wrong girl to the Farhampton's lighthouse and although it has a breathtaking scenery, but with wrong people, you just can't feel it. the next two years, he bring "The Mother" and how the click together and he propose and of course she said yes.
For some reason, I do have connection with Ted, who is for 8 seasons, keep looking for "the one" and sometimes he was tired and give-up and his hope to meet "the one" keeps him alive.

I do love Ted, he is an architect, which I love and he is kind, funny and good with kids. There is one episode where he met his ex-fiance, Stella and Stella just told her to hold on because the mother of his children is running to him as fast as she can. I like to believe the man of my dream is running to me as fast as he can, but what I'm afraid if I was running from him as fast as I can.

Although, I'm old enough but believe or not I never fall in love a day in my life, that is why one of my friend told me that the reason I behave like a child or still not matured enough because my heart is never been broken. I don't know whether it is true or not but I would like to get my heart broken if I can be matured and think like an adult. Then I can do my job better and not doubting myself again and again whetther should I move on or not. But the thing that stop me is I have put shield around me because I don't want to get hurt. I saw people around me crumble when they lost their loves and I just thought I can't do that to myself, I'm not strong enough.

So, here I am still looking and haven't got clue what I want in my life. I know what I want, which is to drop everything and travel the world but I know that is not what people expected of me. People around me would like to see me to have a family, and I know they means well, so that there will be somebody to look after me. To tell the truth it is scare that I don't feel to have family yet when I'm getting old and all inside my mind is where to travel next.  As I mentioned before, I start to travel by myself when I was 27, which is very late and I just wish that I have travel earlier and then I can complete all my dream places and settle down early. Now, my time is short and I have 1001 travel plans that need to be complete. It is like I'm making up for the time that has lost and was in the dark.

Perhaps, that should be my next year resolution, to be brave enough to open my heart to anyone who deserve it. I achieve my dream to go to Europe this year. If I have the courage to go to the foreign places alone, I should have brave enough to accept someone in my life right?

Well, time shall see whether I'm bold enough to do it. I hope like Ted, I will be able to tell my children how I met their father. It won't take 9 years to tell them, I promise. Wish me all the best guys!

Symptoms of Wanderlust and how to cure it...

What is wanderlust?

Wanderlust (also known as ‘itchy feet’) is a mental state of desperately wanting to travel. It has been described as similar to needing to pee, but there is no toilet nearby and the pee feels like it’s going to burst out of you.

What causes wanderlust?

There are many triggers that can lead to wanderlust, however, extended periods of working and not having sufficient funds to go travelling are common causes. Some sufferers have reported that short breaks can increase the intensity of wanderlust symptoms while other experience wanderlust most when reading the National Geographic magazine.

What are the symptoms of wanderlust?

Mild symptoms of wanderlust include:

• Researching travel destinations and what to do there extensively
• Learning a language for fun
• Subscribing to travel blogs and living through the travel bloggers eyes
• Watching the conversion rates drop and rise on a daily basis

More severe symptoms of wanderlust include:

• Feeling down when looking at holiday photos posted on Facebook
• Frequently rethinking careers, hoping to find a job that can makes long term travel financially viable
• Playing more games to keep mind off travel
• Reading more books to keep mind off travel
• Frantically saving money and budgeting everything
• Frequently checking Groupon getaways
• Vivid dreams and feeling disappointed when you wake up
• Feeling down about your current life

What is the treatment for wanderlust?

Once you’you've caught the travel bug, you are infected for life. The only way to treat wanderlust is to relieve the symptoms when wanderlust is really really bad.

The best treatment for wanderlust is a 4-8 week course of travel.

Moving to a country where there is a better life work balance.

If this is not possible then you can:

• Talk to other travellers who have the wanderlust-moaning and making plans that fall through can help you to feel like you’re doing something small to realise your travel dreams.
• Find an employer that tolerates sabbaticals.
• Find more streams of income to support your travel habits.
• Avoid inspiring photographs, travel stories and good flight deals as they can irritate the wanderlust.

Extreme wanderlust if untreated can cause the death, of the soul. You may also start to lose any curiosity for the world and all the cultures in it and only care about what’s on the telly. Treat it in its early stages where possible.

P/s: I think I have most of the symptoms...yep need to find cure fast...

http://ageekoutside.com/wanderlust-causes-symptoms-treatments-and-prevention/

Wordless Wednesday