Goodbye Shopping - Hello World

A big issue for many people who would like to do extended travel is finances. Forums are full of discussions on how to save the money to make your trip happen. So many of us are bogged down in credit card debt, student loans, etc. that the idea of saving money seems like a pipe dream. Even if you can figure out how to maintain your income while you're away, you'll need a nest egg to get you out the door.

If you're one of these dollar weary folks, check out this recent story about The Compact group in San Francisco. My husband found this article on Yahoo!News titled "S.F. group enjoys shopping sabbatical". A group of friends in their 40's with professional jobs decided to take a sabbatical from shopping for an entire year. They allowed themselves only essential items for health and safety such as toothpaste, food, etc., but bought nothing else. What they found is that really, they needed little else and in the process were able to save money and pay down debt.

What's cool is that they have inspired thousands of others to follow in their footsteps and have created a group listserve to share information on how to achieve this lifestyle. Their listserve can be joined at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/thecompact. Get inspired! Save your money - see the world!