The Money Worry

So the big trip is approaching…it’s only 5 weeks and 4 days until I fly away to the wonderful world of hostels, beaches, temples and, of course, other travellers. Everything is booked (minus my travel insurance), many things are planned (but not all…there’s got to be some spontaneity!), I’ve been injected in the arm with numerous vaccinations (plus more to come this week), and I am absolutely raring to go.

There’s just one thing that keeps bringing me back down to earth with a bump. Yep, you guessed it…the money. Now I know people say that money isn’t everything, and it is most definitely possible to travel on the cheap (or for free, if any of my plans work out…more on this at a later date), but you do need to have something in the bank to get you started. And while I do have this little cushion (and of course, all the big stuff is already booked and paid for i.e. flights and a few hostels), I’m just a little bit worried (aka freaking out) that it’s not going to be enough!

I’m intending to spend as little as possible on the whole trip, and not make the mistakes I did this summer in America, when I didn’t really think about how much things were or what I was spending, as I was just out to enjoy myself with my friends. This time around, however, I’m going to be smart about it – cook my own meals in hostels, not buy mountains of clothes, get overnight buses to save on a night’s accommodation, that sort of thing…maybe I’ll even try couch surfing in OZ?

Hopefully if I really use my head, I can save a bundle and still have a good time…every traveller’s dream.