P2P: Hawaiian Island Discovery

What's a "budget"?

A budget is a plan to spend your money wisely so that you can get the most for your money. Unfortunately, a sad event that many a Delegation Leader has witnessed is the tragic occurance of careless purchasing by delegates. Many ambassador tears have been shed over running out of money by the third or fourth day of the program. You won't get much sympathy from us!

How much money should an ambassador take? It depends on each individual. The Explore Guide suggests $25 per day. Some families can afford that. Others can't. What we leaders have found is that whatever money the students take, they will spend it all! There is no "magic" amount of money to take on the program, but maybe these tips can help you decide a budget that fits you best . . .

Budgeting Tips:

• Do not borrow or lend money to others! This can cause problems later in the program.
• Decide who you plan to buy souvenirs for (parents, siblings) and stick to a limit of how much to spend on each person.
• Consider souvenirs that are unique to the place you visit. A poor souvenir is one that you could buy if you were home in Ohio.
• All of your meals will be provided, so you won't have to spend money on food unless it's a snack or something to eat while waiting at the airport.
• Ask if the store gives discounts to People to People groups. Many do because so many of us shop there throughout the summer.
• Ask youself, "How will I fit this into my luggage? Can I get it home without it breaking?"
• Some stores will ship large or expensive items home for you for a fee.
• Limit yourself to a given amount of money each day so that your cash will last.
• Not all places take debit cards, so you always want a little cash ($15 or so) on hand just in case.
• Save some money for the lay-over at the airport in Chicago on the way home.
• Don't forget you'll need money to do your laundry.
• You can use your debit card to get cash from a money machine, but remember most ATMs will charge a fee.

Be Prepared. Be Aware.

In the last blog entry (below) you read how to keep your money and valuables close. Someone who has no problem pick-pocketing loves to see an obvious group of "money-naive" people, and young "money-naive" people are their favorite. Our group can be a prime target because pick-pockets know we're on "tour" and probably have lots of money on us. Don't be a target:

• SIGN your debit card
• carry your money where others cannot easily reach it
• carry little cash
• use a debit card with a pin number that you can cancel if lost or stolen
• write your name on your debit card with a Sharpie marker if it is not on it already
• don't flash cash around so others can see how much you have
• don't talk about how much money you have so others can hear

Know where your money is.

The truth is, money is rarely stolen on these programs. Students not paying attention can easily loose track of how much they have already spent, or where their money is. On last year's program, one of our delegates had his money around his waist in a fanny pack while on the plane to Ireland. Once we deplaned and went through Customs, he realized that he had left his fanny pack on the plane! We asked the airline to check his seat and bring the pack when they found it, but it was nowhere to be found. His $30 cash, debit card and phone card were gone, and our delegation was held up for 90 minutes while the search was on.

He was able to call home and have his parents cancel his debit card. He had only lost $30, and his parents were able to mail him a new debit card and phone card at our first accommodation.

Luckily he was able to replace his cards, but the process held up the entire group.

So what about those debit cards?

Talk first to your family bank and see what options they have for you. Ambassadors want a debit card with a major credit card logo on it. (Visa is most widely accepted.) The logo makes making purchases easier.

There are many different options for these debit cards depending on what kind you get. Some can be limited only to use a pre-determined amount of money each day. Some can have an over-all limit. Some can be connected to parent checking accounts so they are easily reloadable.

AAA offers Visa Travel Gift Cards ($5 members, $10 non members) with a minimum deposit of $250. They are reloadable, but the reload takes 7 days before this reloaded money is available.

Some of you may even find better options. Ask around and see.

Start Saving Now!

Ambassadors have been collecting and fundraising since last fall. Don't forget that you will want to make sure that you have spending money, too. Help around the house, and do an extra fundraiser that insures that you have that extra cash! Save, save, save so that you can bring a bit of Hawaii home with YOU!