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| Canadian $2 Coin |
In my efforts to save money I have come to realize something: I like to see money grow in various ways. For me, it is not entirely about just putting money aside in the bank. That is the biggest part, budgeting and planning being the stronghold of that area. However, there is a flip side to the coin, so to speak, in that I like to see what I can do in small ways. The Cold Hard Cash has been proving itself well. I have purchased two major items on my RTW Packing List and am saving for some other needs. I have tangible results. Those results spur me onward.
Onward with the jingle of toonies. For those of you not familiar with the Canadian monetary system "toonie" is a nickname for the $2 coin. To explain this I will give you some history. In 1987 The Royal Canadian Mint and the Canadian Government introduced into circulation the $1 coin, which would replace the $1 bill. These gold coloured coins were minted on the reverse with the image of the loon, a prevalent bird in Canada. As a result, the name "Loonie" came to mean a $1 coin. In 1996 the $2 coin was introduced and the nickname "Toonie" (or "Twoonie") fell into place. And yes, it is part of the Canadian-English vernacular. That is where my Toonie Trust comes in to play.
Not long ago, I was making a small purchase and paid for it, in its entirety, with toonies. The cost was approximately $8 yet I handed over $10 worth of the coins and received my change. That made me realize how much toonies are used AND how easily they add up. Adding up so easily that I could have a jar of change worth more than the quickly forgotten penny (which is no longer used in Canada). My TOONIE TRUST has begun. Since I try to pay for many purchases with cash I can use toonies to my advantage. When I am given toonies as change I will attempt to not use them throughout the day. I will not make a point of using them and at the end of the day I will transfer them to a jar to watch the sum grow. As it grows I will deposit them into my RTW account and see my balance rise. I know some may see this a silly way to save but for me, money not seen is money saved. A toonie here and a toonie there does add up. Five toonies equals ten dollars and twenty-five equals fifty. That is $50 in my bank account and can be one day on the road (as proposed by Matt Kepnes in How to Travel the World on $50 a Day). You do the math.
Here's to the small steps resulting in big ones!
Photo credit: Wikipedia (Photo owned by The Royal Canadian Mint)
In the first-world nations, where spending money, acquiring goods and instant gratification is blindly accepted as a way off life, some may find it a daunting task to (gasp) put money aside to purchase something. Consumerism is rampant in our society. Glossy ads, slick commercials and stunning models inundate our lives by the minute boldly promising us better and happier lives, all for no money down. Credit cards, deferred payments and lines of credit dull us into thinking we can and should have it all, even when can not afford it. We believe the lie. I believed the lie. I believed it all. At times I still believe it. However, I am changing. I spot the lies easier.
A work-in-progress, I am seeing that if I am to take this epic trip then I need to stop. I need to stop accepting the lie. To do the opposite of what of what commercialism expects. To some, reading this is obvious and easy to attain, if they are not already doing so. For myself, not so much. Now, I am not inept. That is for certain. But I do struggle. I struggle with instant gratification and a trip of this magnitude requires planning and work. Therein lies my conundrum. Remember that I enjoy, almost to a fault, socializing and going out with my friends and that, my readers, costs money. As one of my besties says "every time you leave home it costs money". So how do I manage to enjoy the parts of life that cost money and still manage to save for my dream? Am I not as determined as those who have gone RTW before me? Am I only a dreamer as opposed to a doer? Is it not in the cards for me? NO!! A resounding NO!! I am determined. I am a doer. And who the h*ll cares if it is in the cards or not as I am making the choice, not the cards!!
Yet I struggle. I do. So what is a girl to do? Well one thing I do know is that whichever route or methods a person chooses it must be one that works for them. Person A may do one thing and succeed but person B does the same and falls short. Do what works for you!! Sounds easy but isn't always. I know that I need some leeway to able to enjoy the times with my friends yet still be able to put money aside. There is one way. That is Cold Hard Cash! Not credit, not a bank balance but cold hard cash! I have found that using (and saving) cash has an interesting effect on my view of spending. When I have cash I don't want to spend it because it is gone after that. This is very different from using a debit card. Take it straight out of your bank account and you do not see the remaining balance. Spend $37 of your $60 in your wallet and you easily see you have only $23 remaining. I often end up thinking twice. Additionally, when I use up only the cash I have allotted for that activity or event I can not spend anymore. Nifty little psychological trick.
The other side of cold hard cash is using it as an incentive to save. When this was bestowed to me and I purposefully use the word "bestow" as I believe it was given to me as a gift to use and value, I realized this was a significant way for me to reign in my spending without feeling like I was missing out on activities and things I enjoyed. In fact is is almost like a game. I pick and choose the things I want to do and budget accordingly, in cash. I try to spend less or manoeuvre a savings of some sort. That savings then goes into a container to be saved for an item I need for my RTW trip or other treat that I want. I can watch it grow and I learn ways to have fun on a budget. I can write down how I saved the money and the amount along with my list of items and goals. It illicits creativity in me and a bit of a miserly streak. Do you want to give it a try and use cold hard cash? Just find a container, envelope, baggie or the like. Whenever you save some cash, no matter the amount drop it into your container. Remember to keep it somewhere secretive. Try under your mattress, the back of a closet, the freezer or a locked drawer. Then find ways to save - bring lunch from home, use points for a movie, suggest a potluck instead of going for dinner, don't order dessert (or just order dessert and skip the main course)! Found a loonie? Put it towards cold hard cash! Someone gave you a gift card to your favourite coffee place? Put the money you did not use into cold hard cash! The possibilities are endless. When you have accrued enough for something you want then take the money from cold hard cash and enjoy! If you think it will work for you give it a go. I have been doing this for a month and so far so good. I hope to buy my silk sleeping bag liner and my pack lock soon! Here's to cold hard cash and consuming less and wisely!
