25 August 2015

 

In researching air fares, bus fares, accommodation and everything else that goes with travel you realise there is nothing standard about being a child, so it may seem futile to be writing about it.  However it is something valuable to know especially if you are in the budgeting phase of your journey.  There will be other 'hidden' costs, or those totally foreign to you, that being exact with what you can, will help rein in any contingency blow-out.

 

So here are a few GUIDELINES:

Airlines generally charge full fare at 12 years of age, discounted between 2 and 12, and free if under 2 and the child can be accommodated on a parent's lap.

In New Zealand 16 years old is the age most companies charge as an adult.  Family tickets are 2 adults and 2 children only.  Under fives (pre-schoolers) are mostly free.

Austria is über cool, allowing child prices under 19 years of age (ie from 0 - 18 inclusive).  

Belgium looks upon children under 6 as free, and children under 18 as portioned.

Iceland generally designates children to be under 6 if making a distinction at all, and doesn't allow family tickets - you pay for each person.

Germany are great for their family tickets, normally without limit on the number of children that are included and often allowing for these to be grand-children as well (German Rail).  Although the age in many commercial institutions is under 14 or 16 years, children can get the same concession up to 18 years and/or if they carry a student ID (even in tertiary).  There are also concessions for the disabled and those over 65 years old.

 

HOW TO STRETCH YOUR BUDGET:

  • Plan meticulously!
  • Do free activities and attend free events.  Often museums will have a free day per week or month.
  • Check online prices, as these may be slightly cheaper than in-person ones.  
  • Winter usually costs less than summer, if attractions and accommodations are still open - you will then need to check the specific dates that dictate the season.
  • Cook your own meals.
  • Book your airfare approximately 60 days prior to travel for the best rates.
  • Think about renting an apartment or staying in hostels to get longer-term discounts.
  • Use public transport and look for day/week or group travel discounts.
  • See whether buying a vehicle is more economical than renting (note though insurances, registration, plates, and ongoing variable costs like fuel etc).
  • If travelling in summer only, consider camping or buying a second-hand caravan or motorhome.  Camping grounds may charge per person or per unit.  Many are closed for winter
16 July 2015

We've been posting updates to our Give a Little fundraiser page about the Random Acts of Kindness (RAOK) that we've paid forward so far.  We've asked for that page to close early, so here they are for posterities sake:

 

 

The idea was that people could claim one of our random acts of kindness (RAOK) for their donation.  So far we've done 374, with a few more yet to complete (some are taking a bit more time as they involve hand-sewing).

 

Unfortunately Give a Little were obdurate and wouldn't fully moderate our page* so we won't get any of the donations but hopefully they will be refunded to the donors.

 

We are going to complete the remaining RAOKs we had planned regardless - it's the right thing to do.

 

UPDATE: Books and baby hats - more RAOKs

 

There is still the opportunity for folks to donate directly into our travel account or send us a cheque through the mail I guess, but at least our sister project is still open:

* Yes, there is a bit of a story behind it - just ask!

09 July 2015

 

We started off with great hopes of using Give a Little as a fund-raising platform.

Ours is such a cool idea - people can claim a random act of kindness (RAOK), or advertising, for their donation.

So far we have paid forward $14,220 worth of RAOKs!

Though to date we have been unable to get our page fully moderated and hence it doesn't appear in any searches people might do to find us; and after lurking a while looking at other causes we definitely got the feeling that you had to have a sad story, be a sportsperson, or in the media to have a chance of success.  We even saw people we knew.

 

That's when we came up with the alternative idea of a foreign change fund-raiser, where people could post in any loose overseas change that might be littering their home or office.  It doesn't take the NZ dollar away from the genuine needs of others; it provides folks with a chance to do a RAOK with the only cost being a stamped envelope; they get to spring clean something in their environment; and we get foreign cash without losing on fees and rates.

We'd be delighted with anything we get, and doubly so that someone believed in our dreams.

You'll find a social media info-card we mocked up to share the idea on our Twitter and Facebook pages; and a jar wrapper (download) for businesses to use in their staff-rooms or on their front counters.

 

 

We still need to get the idea out via social media onto jars and into envelopes.  

So if you can tweet, post, or share in any way we'd be grateful for your random act of kindness towards us.  

Thank you!

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