Accepting change is hard. Most people don’t have a choice, when the world changes – they eventually have to change with it. My mother on Facebook is a great example of this; it was the only way she was going to keep up with her grandchildren’s lives. I have to admit though – I’m a bit scared of the day I need to try to teach her how to use Twitter – that just may be the scene of my head exploding and brain matter going everywhere.
But actually making change, creating it from your own idea or desire for an end product; that’s about impossible for people. Creating changes in your life that society or no one person didn’t dictate can be seen to be as challenging as climbing Mt. Everest, starting a career break movement in the US, or teaching my mother how to use a cell phone.
But change has to happen if you want to save money to accomplish your travel dreams, or any dream for that matter. You have to be strong enough, have willpower, accept sideways glances and sometimes ridicule, and you have to follow through no matter how much the world around you is against you. However I can guarantee that when you persevere, and the willpower wins, the world will pay you back in ways that you can’t even understand now.
Warren and Betsy Talbot know this. They are experts at making change in order to achieve their travel dreams. That’s why I was excited to hear that they wrote a book to teach others how to save enough money to travel or achieve any dream. The ebook, Dream Save Do , is not simply about saving money for career break travel; it’s about saving money to accomplish whatever dreams you have. It’s about how to make change in your life; how to take control of your finances and mindset in order to achieve goals.
I met Warren and Betsy in 2010 as they were preparing for their career break travels. They agreed to be our inaugural Seattle Meet, Plan, Go! hosts. They have since been traveling for one year now and have decided to turn their 3 year planned career break into a lifestyle of location independent work and travel. Their first big project was writing the Ebook Dream Save Do which describes a focused way to think about money differently and how it can be used to fund your dreams. They took the processes they used to change their lives and save loads of money to create a plan with concrete steps that apply to everyone so that others can do the same. They continue to track every dollar spent on their travels at their Around the World Expenses Blog They live what they teach.
Saving money isn’t rocket science. It’s willpower and the ability to make change in your life. There is no way to get rich quick, just as there is no effective way to lose 20 pounds in a week and keep it off. The ebook provides concrete ways to save money, change your life, and provides you the inspiration you will need in order to follow through. Woven among the concrete steps is their story of how they did it; the successes and the failures, the a-ha moments and the tears. It’s theory put into practice.
The book covers:
Dream: Defining your Dream, Creating Dream Porn, Determining the cost of your Dream, and Setting a Date
Save: Create the Vault, Calculate Current Spending, Resolving Credit Card Debt, Creating your Phrase to Save, Cutting Expenses, Revising Spending Habits, Where to ‘Find’ Money, Performing a Monthly Review
Do: Publicizing your Dream, Screwing up and Getting Back on Track, Learn to Handle Peer Pressure, Planning Your Holiday Spending, Enjoying the Saving Success
It’s sold on Amazon in a Kindle version for $9.99
But my personal take-aways from the book was how to :
Achieve goals
Create change in your life that you and others can be excited about.
Look at our consumption based society differently
Look at how we live differently
Achieve goals (yes, I know I said it already, but it’s such a strong message in this book. If you don’t like to achieve goals, then don’t get the book – you will be disappointed.)
As I read through the guide, I highlighted things that really spoke to me such as,
- “We were trying to let money dictate our lifestyle instead of the other way around.”
- “A budget is limiting only in your spending. Your imagination has no limits.”
- “You will learn to assess the value of everything – what it costs you in more than just money and whether it is worth having. It will become second nature, and you will be surprised at how often you truly want to say no to something when many people just accept what is offered without evaluating the true cost. You will be more discerning about what comes into your life and therefore what comes out of your life. “
- “People notice what is different from them. You can dye your hair blond, get a tattoo, or wear a cowboy hat in the city to get attention. Or you can stop spending and see how many people take notice. Some will think it an oddity, and some will consider it a challenge to their own spending habits. Either way, you’re setting yourself apart and opening your self up to scrutiny.”
- “…money is a means to an end, not the end itself.”
Why should you consider buying this book if you have a dream of doing extended travel?
Because the first thing I hear from people I speak to is – “You have to be rich to take travel like you do– right?” And it’s normally followed by “How much does it cost?” People’s biggest perceived hurdle to extended travel or career breaks is financial. Now I’ve just given you a way to shatter that perceived financial hurdle and understand how you personally can save money live the life you are dreaming of.
No more excuses.
Buy Dream Save Do today.
Warren and Betsy also collect dreams for others – here’s mine – Be a Solid Gold Dancer. What’s your dream you want to save for? Please share in the comments!
By Warren Talbot December 13, 2011 - 8:13 pm
Hi Sherry,
Thank you so much for sharing this information with your readers. We love knowing how inspired you are from the book and your willingness to spread the word.
We look forward to reading everyone’s dreams and excited to get their thoughts on the book.
By Kate Convissor December 26, 2011 - 10:11 am
I sold everything to travel almost 2 years ago. I live very frugally, but money is still a concern. Not necessarily a deal-breaker, but still worrisome. I’m looking at ways to make $$$, but for me, the issue is more about ways to finance the dream rather than identifying or implementing it. I do agree,however, that money shouldn’t dictate what one does, I’m just finding it more nerve-wracking here on the ground.