Some people can not stand the thought of going in the air on a plane to reach their destination. Fear petrifies them before a ticket is even purchased. I am not that type of person. I'm the complete opposite. I absolutely love the mere thought of being able to jump on a plane and being at my destination within a couple of hours. Perhaps you are the same way. Does going to new and strange locales get your blood pumping?
My former job entailed me traveling on a weekly basis. Sometimes by automobile, but other times reclined back in the seat letting the pilot and flight crew take over the navigation duties. Aside from the joy of air travel itself, I also received bonuses because of my frequent business trips. Start traveling on a frequent basis and before you know it, you're receiving upgrades to first class seating; man, talk about some comfortable chairs, but also getting served first and cocktails if you choose to partake.
Another big boost came in the summer after my first year on that job. I was able to take my family on a week long beach vacation across the country for practically free. So many frequent flyer miles were built up and I'd accumulated so many hotel points, that all I had to actually pay for was a portion of a rental car. The look in my young son's eyes when we landed was, to coin a Mastercard phrase, priceless.
The point is I miss that lifestyle and those perks. So I recently started looking into ways to start traveling again. I didn't want my same ole routine of just going from state to state. I was looking for new exotic locations. Picture this. You are laying on a brightly colored beach blanket just under a giant palm tree with beautiful white sand squishing through your toes. You've just come out of the most incredibly gorgeous blue water that you've ever seen and as you lay in the sun drying off, the most attractive olive-skinned beauty you've ever seen has just brought you a tropical concoction in a gigantic fishbowl glass with an umbrella sticking out of it. Ohhh, that's nice!
But what to do? How do you get there and out of the drum and droll of everyday life? Let's be honest here, it takes money plain and simple. Well, how do we get ourselves into a position where we can produce an income that will support that beach and air travel lifestyle? I've investigated and found some options:
1. Rob a bank. High reward, but also high risk. In spite of the moral dilemma it presents, there's the possibility of getting shot or imprisoned.
2. Win the lottery. Man that would be the ticket wouldn't it? No pun intended. "Hey, you can't win if you don't play." Sound advice from my neighbor who just had to remortgage his house due to his scratcher and lotto addiction. But seriously, like a commercial I watched earlier said, "you realize you have a better chance of getting attacked by a polar bear and a regular bear on the same day than actually winning, don"t you?"
3. Inheritance. Your great uncle Frank who's a hundred and two and filthy sticking rich drops dead and has named you, his only nephew, as sole proprietor of his oil business. Congratulations. You are the luckiest S.O.B. on the planet. Most of us are not fortunate enough to have wealthy and generous relatives. We get Aunt Frannie who says, "bless their heart" before she launches into the most vicious character attack known to man on her other in-laws then says the same stuff about your kids when you aren't in the room.
4. Win American Idol...or sign a huge recording contract with your band. Can you sing? Do even have an inkling of musical talent? If not then chances are very slim with this one. The majority of people aren't blessed with these talents and the ones that are even have years of struggle to finally come out on top.
5. Signing a major league contract. Or perhaps a six year multi-million dollar contract with the NFL. Again, if you have the talent, then kudos to you. But most of us were not gifted with superb athletic talent. Even if you are, the skills only last a certain number of years in most cases and there are only so many broadcasting jobs available.
So what can the average everyday Joe do to obtain the dream lifestyle we were discussing earlier?
1. Save, save and save some more. You have to budget yourself and your family. To get what you want out of life, there has to be sacrifices. Maybe, Little Billy doesn't really need three new games for Xbox this week. Shopping at the local dollar store for some household items and groceries is not the worst thing in the world. Set a budget and stick to it.
2. Become a travel agent. Who gets more perks in traveling than a travel agent? I mean, heck it's your job to go out and find the best locales and vacation spots. Travel agents are practically required to take what are known as fam trips or familiarization trips, so they can better recommend which packages are best. Surprisingly, it isn't overly complicated or expensive to acquire a travel agent license.
3. Begin your own home-based business. No one will ever be a better or worse boss to you than you will be to yourself. You can quickly eliminate that long commute to work. Or maybe you to finally be able to tell that jerk of a supervisor you currently report to what you think of them and their ridiculous policies without fear of retribution. Maybe you just want to finally have more money than month for once! A home-based business is a number one cure of debt relief. Bringing in extra income can decrease stress as well. How many of the arguments you've had with your partner were based on money, or lack there of?
4. Start affiliate marketing. Many companies that provide products you currently use will gladly pay you for recommending their products to others. Some pay large commissions, some pay small percentages. It depends on the product and vendor. Coupling affiliation based marketing with certain niches can produce huge commissions and the process can be simple. Start by building a list of people interested in the topics you pick and you are well on your way.
