We REALLY want to do a thru hike on the A.T.!!! The only thing stopping us at this point is finances. I was wondering if there was anyone out there that could give us some advice on how they financed it, how they gave up their jobs for 6 months and still took care of certain bills that remained, health insurance, how they dealth with using money while on the trail (i.e. plastic, checks, cash), etc. Any help/advice would be appreciated in our goal/dream to hike the A.T.?
Rebecca & Bennett
The first year is easy. For two people you can easily come up with the 4 to 5 grand, because that’s less than a good used car. After your thruhike you will realize that most of the things you spend money on are worthless, misery building, crap. Then you stop spending money on crap. Get the cheapest apartment for the winter and buy some land to camp on in the summer. As for insurance get accident insurance to 2 or 3 grand (that’s for a broken leg or something), then 5 grand deductable on major issue medical. It’s all priority, you can be slaves to the money culture, or you can be free, it’s up to you.
Blue Jay
Well, I am not about to become Grizzly Adams like Bluejay is, but there are ways to really look at your finances.
Make a budget, including all your monthly expenses and income. Itemize each expense, to see the breakdown. Don’t forget weekly personal spending, this is a BIG ONE!
Now look at the expenses. Do you really need global internet access on your cell phone, and 50,000 minutes a month (more minutes then in any single month!!) Do you need to eat out 23 times per week? 8 movies? You get the idea. Trim off the fat on your expenses.
Allow yourself only so much money per week for personal stuff, AND stick to it. At first, there were times I had nothing by the 3rd day of the week, bt after awhile, I got better. Now, I allow myself $10 less per week then originally, some weeks are harder then others, but the savings are tremendous.
After awhile, as BlueJay mentioned, you will start to look at things in life and think to yourself whether you really do need them. EX: DO you really need a 4WD, All-Terrain, V8 SUV to go pick up the groceries at the store? Satellite TV with EVERY channel known to mankind?
Maybe I am a little nuts too. I live in a 320 sq. ft apt (I am single, no pets/dependents) right next to university, I have no vehicle to save on car payment/insurence/gas, i ride a bike to work several miles away, and consider expenses prior to buying anything. In two years I have paid off all my medical bills ($20,000), 2 credit cards, and all my old student loans, plus have managed to put aside a few months emergency living expenses. Sick, but a sacrifice to attain my dreams in life (AT hike, medical school, free of past debt, etc). If you really want it, you’ll find a way. Half of getting what you want out of life is knowing what you have to sacrifice to get there.
xtn :boy
airferret
Thank you, blue jay and air ferret! Here is a little more info to our specific obstacles… 1. he has a job with great benefits that hes been at for 15 years (he isn’t 100% happy there, but it pays the bills) / I on the other hand hate my job and the benefits aren’t so hot so that isn’t tying me down (except for paying the bills) 2. he has child support on two kids for another 1 1/2 years,and than one for like 6 years. 3. the health insurance is huge!! I’m the kinda person that if I can catch it, break it, cut it, scrape it, etc etc etc I will. I’m an accident waiting to happen!!! 4. I mean do you quit your job and find a new one when you come back???
Rebecca & Bennett
Airferret, you might be more Grizzly than me (a huge compliment) I’m again chained to that 2000 ton money and freedom sucker called a car ( I WILL again break that chain). Once I had a bike to job but I had to quit to go hiking. That should answer question number 4. The key is get someone you can trust somewhere to give you good references. Corporations are mindless immortal vampires who suck your irreplaceable seconds of life and give you back only money. Soon you’ll be like the dog who knows where the hole in the fence is. You wag your tail, take their food, then your gone.
Blue Jay
quit smoking (easy to say/write…)
cut pints of beer intake by half (in mycase i stopped drinking whisky doubles and went to singles).
that newspaper each morning / magazine each week
that deep fried mars bar, frozen snickers, family block of chocolate, turkish delight
the little things add up
budget budget budget
Bloody Cactus
Ok,this is unrelated to the A.T.,but I’ve gotta ask,what in the world is a deep frid mars bar???
Rebecca & Bennett
like deep fried icecream (mmmmmmm!!!) deep fried icecream and lychees ooooooh…
anyway a DFM is a mars bar covered in batter (beer batter is best) and droped into a deep fryer, then pulled back out. batter cooks, mars bar is not melted… its mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
:eek:
Bloody Cactus
Where there is a will there is a way. The only (legitimate) way to make money is to work more. So get busy. While on the trail, keep track of what you spend. It makes you admit what you are spending on. I hiked the first half for about 1800 and the second for 650. Its amazing what a budget will do.
TB
TurkeyBacon
In order to save for anything, you need to be able to set aside some money every week rather than spend it. Second, reduce debt, like credit card debt. Now, look at how you are spending your money, and figure out if the benefit is really there. Don’t eat out. Bring a bag lunch to work. Get rid of the cell phone. Smaller car with better gas mileage. All lifestyle issues. If you want to save for a thru-hike, then get you lifestyle together.
I think that Baltimore Jack, who has thru-hiked several times now, posted that he works like a dog for 6 months, lives very modestly (to put it kindly), and then can afford to thru-hike.
Peaks
Independently Wealthy! No, just kidding. We saved for 1.5 years. We are self employed and just called all of our clients and said we are going to be gone for 7 months. With an empty nest (all of the children are grown) it is easier. Hard work as Baltimore Jack has said many times. Trust what former hikers have said, “it is worth it!” Baltimore Jack, hope to see you at the front of the parade at Trail Days this year.
Papa Smurf
don’t give me that goody good bullsh$t…
baltimore does it right…it is what i have done since '99…work and save…then play…i think that one of the most valuable lessons i learned on the A.T. is how i use my money…i didn’t plan it this way, it just happened…there are soooo many things that i just couldn’t live without, that i no longer need…if i happen to even go to a mall anymore i just walk in one door and out the other…there is nothing there that i need to live…the only greater waste of real estate is golf
courses…madison avenue has everyone believing that they are sub-human if they don’t spend, spend, spend and have a pocket full of credit cards…haven’t had one since 1980 and never will again…shatter your slave chains and walk free !!!:smokin :cheers
fausa