Budgeting big expenses is easier than accounting for spending on little things, and the opposite holds true as well.You may get small monetary gifts on special occasions, make a small amount of money from your travel blog, or win a $25 Travelocity gift card (like entry #9 in The Cheesiest Travel Photo Contest).
Spending a big sum of money is easy, but it’s usually hard to figure out how to spend a small gift. Amounts to small to cover an entire flight, but enough for an ubiquitous kitchen magnet. I’m curious,
What creative ways do you save or spend for traveling the small amounts of unexpected money you get as gifts or find in your pockets?
$10 is a start, but what about $7, $2, or less? Does that money simply exist out of the budget (that is you spend it on a whim) or do you meticulously keep track of it for your next big night out? For me, it’s usually either or. I spend it as ‘free money’ or put it in savings right away.
I’d like to hear your creative system for handling small amounts of money that pop up randomly from time to time as you travel.
[photo by: David Robert Wright]
I like to save up all my change in a big jar- I usually have $60 or so by the time I cash it in.
All my money generally gets lumped together in one mass sum but these smaller bits are useful for buying things like guidebooks or other travel supplies.
I wish I were a better about it myself. Adds up quick though a bit here and a bit there…of course only if you save it 🙂
I normally reward my self with it in some way – A friend donated cash to me while I was in Scotland for my trip and I very specifically used that money to see a Fringe show. They were pretty pricey and I had only picked out a set amount as part of the budget – with the extra $20 though I picked out one that I was sad that I wasn’t going to get to see, used the extra few dollars for a beer, and then enjoyed the heck out of it!
Sounds like a good use of the money!
We have a giant change jar at home
where we keep all of the loose change we find in our pockets and once every six months, we cash it all in and put it into our travel fund. Normally, we can save up about $200 in change. Now that we’re traveling, we put any change or extra amounts we find into a bag and then spend it on internet charges or laundry. It’s not particularly romantic or fun, but it works!
Nothing wrong with that, Internet and laundry are essential!
I’m also a change in a jar (actually an old margarine container) person. It is amazing how quickly the amount mounts up to be a useful amount to do something with.
I’d buy beer but then I’m Irish – What d’ya expect!
Never a bad plan if you ask me!