Chatting about My Dreams and My Change Jar
I’ve got this little change jar that I just love. It’s like a magic piggy bank. I throw in change whenever I can, but I never keep count. It’s a surprise fund – for treats like coffees, cinema trips, or take-out dinners. Every few months, I take this bulging jar to the bank and empty it. It’s a thrill to guess how much I’ve stashed away.
Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about how that jar could be part of my bigger plans. One resolution I set this year was to cross out two items from my bucket list. At the top of the list? A dream trip with my dad along the Trans-Siberian Railroad. We don’t spend much time together, and considering he speaks Russian, it seems like a perfect plan.
I dreamt of this journey a few years back when I was flush with cash. Now, things have changed. So, I sat down and looked at the cost:
– One-way flight to St. Petersburg: $1,500
– Hotels in St. Petersburg, Beijing, and Xi’an: $200
– Trans-Siberian Railroad Ticket: $3,500
– Roundtrip Flight: Beijing to Xi’an: $400
– One-way flight from Beijing to New Jersey: $1,200
– Visas and extra expenses: $900
That adds up to $7,700 per person, which is quite a chunk of change. But hey, YOLO, right? Why not dream a little?
Now, the sobering news – this trip would cost around 1,540,000 pennies! That sort of blows my mind. Could I ever save that much?
Then I started breaking this mammoth figure down. If I committed to using reward points for flights, that’s up to $4,100 saved right off the bat. If I saved steadily for ten years, that’s $1,540 per year or $128.34 per month. Sounds more doable, doesn’t it?
Actually, if we take out the cost of flights, I only need to save around $76.67 per month. Even better! My change jar usually turns up to $120 a year without much effort. Over a decade, that’s $1,200. That means I only need to stash away $66.67 a month.
Imagine, ten years of saving and a whole lot of patience could turn my dream into reality. It could also gift my dad an adventure of a lifetime. And if I double my savings to $133.34 a month, I could do it in just five years!
This exercise is mostly to let my mind wander a bit, but it’s also proof that even mighty goals can be achieved with a plan, some creativity, and time.
So, what’s your dream vacation? How could your own change jar help you get there? Let’s dream a bit!