Advice needed, Plans Seem To Always Get Screwed.... - TravelPUNK Backpacker College Student Budget Travel Message Boards!



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General Travel Tips and Advice Have you traveled before?- Please share your tips and advice with fellow Tpunks!

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Old 08-10-2009, 07:34 PM   #1
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Default Advice needed, Plans Seem To Always Get Screwed....

So, as I posted in another post I have started saving to backpack all over UK, Europe, and Morocco starting March of 2010 for about 4 months. I am thinking grand total of about $8,000 give or take...

Anyways, I take my car (2006 Scion xB) in today cuz a peice on the bumber is loose. They check out the car and tell me I need alot of routine maintenance (flushes, liquid changes, etc) as well as new tires, brakes, battery etc... As you can see I just gas it up and change the oil, lol, not much else.... Well, thats probably going to run me about $1000. I would rather just get rid of the car (i still owe 12,000) and just travel for good... LOL!

Any suggestions? Pay to get car fixed and just hope I can still save what I want?

Also, when I am gone I will have a car payment/insurance, and credit card payments that will need to be made for those months I am away. Any suggestions on how to pay those while I am gone? Have a relative send the payments for me? Also, thats going to be another $2000 I will need... This is getting more and more expensive everytime I think of something else I have to save for, pay for, etc... I need some advice and suggestions.
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Old 08-10-2009, 07:46 PM   #2
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Most of the time, the car places ALWAYS suggest all the add ons..... Yeah sure you could need them, but not always... Check around or use a dealership.....
As for bill paying overseas... I paid everybill I owe online while on the road everytime.... Very easy, just protect your passwords.....
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Old 08-10-2009, 07:49 PM   #3
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How do u protect password?

Thanks for the input. I went to dealership, I think im going to a local independent mechanic shop weds to see what they can do for me at a cheaper price.
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Old 08-10-2009, 07:55 PM   #4
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Any of your bills, Credit Cards, car payment, etc... You set up an online acct. Create a username, password, and then set it so that they email you the due date of your bill/s. That way while on the road, you can just check email, and make payment when due.... I just bury the passwords in my travel journal somewhere, where it wouldn't make since to anyone but me.... When I hit the road, I always sit aside enough money to make all the the monthly payments for the amount of time I will be gone..... Makes life easier!
And smart on checking around! You would be surprised, alot of the car chain places will ALWAYS suggest that you have this and that done, even if you don't need to. The individual mechanic/tech usually gets a bonus for added on services......
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Old 08-11-2009, 07:59 AM   #5
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As Marc said, pay online. I've had checking accounts at many different banks and they all offer "online billpay."

Here's what you do.

- Login to your account online
- Find a link the says "billpay" or "pay bills online"
- Add an account by entering a name, address, account number (whatever is on car payment bill, for example)
- Then do it again with your three other bills.
- You'll only need to enter these accounts once, then they'll be in there until you delete them.
- You can enter set amounts to be paid automatically each month, or make onetime payments at your leisure.

I am certain that your bank offers an online feature like this. If not, open another account at a bank that does (BofA, Wellsfargo, Citibank, Wamu, etc...)

Doing it this way, you will only need one password and that's the one you use to login to your own online bank account.

Here's a quick Bank of America video demo.

You'll be able to pay bills online no matter where in the world you are traveling, for whatever length of time.

As for you car. It is a tough economy. I was working in the yellowpages industry recently and soooooo many businesses have fold up or lost a tremendous amount of revenue the past couple of years, especially mechanics. They are hurting because so many people lost their jobs or housing, that they can't afford to pay a mechanic to fix their cars. They'd rather use the money to put food on the table.
In California so many big car dealerships have shut down after years of service (70 plus last year).

I built a website for a mechanic and he didn't pay, so I sold it to another mechanic (through a friend) and he's had to pay in payments because times are tough.

What this means for you is that you're going to be "upsold" wherever you go because the few customers that these dealerships and mechanics are seeing, they need to make a living from. Meaning, they're going to fatten your bill by adding a bunch of parts and services to it that may not be immediately needed. Make sense?

If you don't really need the car, then get rid of it. Buy a good used car instead, without payments, or a scooter/moped.

Have you ever backpacked before? I guess even if you have before, then get back to basics.

Perhaps you should take a one month trip instead of four months and you won't stress as much because your goal and all the responsibilities/obligations at home that come with it won't seem so daunting.

Once you get this trip out of the way, another trip will be 1,000 times easier to plan and it will be easier to save for since you'll be running on adrenaline and you'll be wanting to keep that momentum going.


Keep your eye on the prize...
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Old 08-11-2009, 01:50 PM   #6
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Thanks alot for the advice. I was extremely hungover yesterday and had millions of things going through my mind. I am going to pay and get my car fixed so I can get to work to make the money I need. I had an interview today at a restaurant alot closer to home. I moved 2 weeks ago back to my moms when my lease ended. My job is 30 mins away now and somedays I dont even make enough tips to cover gas. This other restaurant is 5 mins away and right on a lake development with shops etc and always busy.


Anyways, I am going to fix my car.... just got new tires today. The old nice rims and tires I had in the garage I found out are warped beyond repair... I am going to pay off my credit cards and even try to pay off my car within the next 7 months....

After that I am considering doing similar to the guy from Amazing Race and Travel The World For Free.... Well, I will at least bring a couple grand for emergency situations.. I will keep yall posted... Lets see what I can do...
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Old 08-11-2009, 06:25 PM   #7
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I think in some instances you can call your insurance provider and change your coverage for a substantial discount.
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