How do you afford Africa?

[cls]

On another note, if I had recieved some of this advise that you are getting here I may have made it to Africa much sooner.

 

[LivingTheDream]

One of the things that stuck with me from a financial management course I took years back was pay yourself first. Have your account set up that it takes 50 bucks a month automatically and puts it into an investment account for you. Doesn't take long to add up. If you don't see it you won't miss it. Good luck.

If you get a raise ever year, you can add to it. I tend to think on percentages. So if I get a 2% raise, I contribute another .5 or 1% to my 401k. My savings has gone up and I didnt feel any pain.

 

[edward]

You never know what people think these days Edward! Lol. I wouldn’t want to offend anyone ha

i really liked the bicycle and cart thing.

 

[Nick Ziegler]

I have been pretty lucky the last 3 years to hunt British Columbia, Alaska and Now Africa in a few days. What has worked for me is to just set x amount of dollars a side a month and go from there. Usually that didn't cover the entire trip but helped alot. Also having a wife that greatly understands my need to travel and hunt helps and with currently not having kids but I'm sure that will change shortly and my trips will reduce to every few years. Look for hunt specials or auctions there are some great deals out every year.

 

[JPbowhunter]

This will be my third trip and aside from a kudu I have picked some animals to pursue that may seem pretty humble but to me are absolutely incredible, including warthogs and impala. I’ll be bringing back skulls and horns only - for me, bringing skins back has been an expensive mistake in the past.

I'm not too dissimilar, as I've said eland are by far my favourite plains game, sitatunga has always been a close second but that's a pipe dream. Other than that I've always loved impala and steenbok. I do like kudu, nyala and bushbuck but if it were a matter of stretching the trip to the limits financially or dropping those (particularily the latter two) I could live with that. My passion is hunting more than collecting so i don't feel I need heaps of animals for it to be worth it.

Interesting about the hides, as in very expensive? I was planning on doing all euros but tanning an eland cape to mount down the track.

 

[BenKK]

Some hides aren’t very expensive but add to the weight of the shipping crate. The giraffe hide was very expensive for me and in hindsight unnecessary.

 

[375 Ruger Fan]

One of my hunting buddies swears by First Citywide Bank...........
https://www.nbc.com/saturday-night-live/video/first-citywide-change-bank/n9701

 

[BenKK]

But don’t let my giraffe story discourage you from getting your eland done the way you dream!

 

[Nyati]

I have a very simple answer, Jack, I go to Africa whenever I can afford it. First time I was 58.

 

[JPbowhunter]

But don’t let my giraffe story discourage you from getting your eland done the way you dream!

Curious what did you end up doing with your giraffe?

 

[cagkt3]

Check out Dave Ramsey's website. He's got some ideas that revolve around many of the points already made here (pay off debt ASAP, don't take out new debt, etc).

I've got no kids, which obviously makes things a lot easier, but I made my first trip at 32. It's doable.

 

[Nick Ziegler]

Check out Dave Ramsey's website. He's got some ideas that revolve around many of the points already made here (pay off debt ASAP, don't take out new debt, etc).

I've got no kids, which obviously makes things a lot easier, but I made my first trip at 32. It's doable.

Ramsey has some pretty solid advice. My wife and I watched his DVD set. The only thing I don't agree with is on his credit card usage. We always pay our CC debt every month but usually open the best travel card each year and typically get a few free flights off them.

 

[JPbowhunter]

I started this thread purely about hunting africa but it's turned into a life advice thread, and I'm really enjoying it!

For what it's worth, my wife and I don't believe in credit cards. Our view is if you don't have the money you can't afford it. That's a debt we'll never have thankfully.

My current loans are for the house and university. Everything else we have we own. My wife starts work again next week after a year off which will hopefully free things up a bit. Everyone has their own system. We (mostly the minister of coin) worked out what we need to put into each account for each pay. That includes, loans, bills, day to day expenses and savings. This leaves us with a little "disposable" income. Includes our own things like fuel, alcohol, catch ups with friends, personal savings etc. This is where i need to find my Africa fund as it currently stands.

 

[CTDolan]

Coming from a fiscal conservative, here are my thoughts...

Take care of your family first. Pay off your debts first. Those hang over you like a noose. The first thing that I would do would be to pay off the student loan. You don't disclose loan rates, but if you are close to finishing that up, I would do it. Accelerate payments, less owed. I don't know your tax situation in Australia, but sometime here in 'murica it might be tax advantaged to keep a mortgage payment for tax purposes.

Kids are expensive.

Stop the multiple lines of thinking. You have already given up on NT buffalo. The North America tag game is to me unreliable. DIY? Might be cheap, but you will probably have no advance scouting as you would have limited time and no awareness of the area. I wouldn't do it unless you had access to a person/land owner who could help you out with scouting and guidance. I wouldn't put any money in that fund unless there was a solid partnership. Also include airfare to Africa vs. USA in the final tally. In my simple thoughts, an African trip is the best money to put money on.

Is a second job possible? How much will that impact your family life? Wife willing for you to be away to fund your hunting trip? Budget differently? What are you and the wife and kid and possible future kids be willing to do without you so you can be out hunting and everyone's still happy and safe?

You state that you don't dote on birthdays but then you state that you want to do a special hunt for your 30th birthday. Request a donation for hunting funds for a future African hunt. Put the donations in an interest bearing account dedicated to your trip if that meets your family's financial needs at the time.

You are relatively young. Get your financial house in order first. Provide for your family and future family. Hunting and personal other personal preferences come second.

You are pretty young, and you are thinking right from what I can read.

Steve

Solid advice, all the way around. These are words of wisdom. Listen.

 

[JimP]

You will learn as life goes on that one or two credit cards can help out a lot. Try booking a air flight, or rent a car without one. Those are just two examples.

But if you do get a CC treat it just like cash. Don't buy something if you can't write a check at the end of the month to pay off that CC when the statement shows up. I have only carried a balance on a CC twice in my life. One time was just because I though that I would, but I paid it off the next month and another time when I had thought that I had mailed the check only to find it between cushions on my couch. It had fallen down there by accident and I found it too late to send it in without the balance being carried over to the next month.

 

[Northwest9]

I first went to Africa at 37, thanks in part to a good mate who'd been before. But by then I'd done several guided hunts in Aus and NZ. (Contrary to what others have expressed, you can get good value here in my opinion, I've never paid more than $4k for a hunt here including buff.)

blacks, youll have to let me know who your going with?

Rusa is 6900 now, Buffalo 8k+

 

[JPbowhunter]

blacks, youll have to let me know who your going with?

Rusa is 6900 now, Buffalo 8k+

I reckon you could get rusa cheaper than that, but still will cost probably $4k.

 

[TFet]

Jack,
I’m in your same shoes.
25 and baby due in August.
Thankfully I’ve gotten to hunt Africa twice now. Once in 2014 and again 2018 summer.
2018 my wife got to go (she caught the dark continent bug) with the rest of my family and since the trip was booked in may2017 we have saved $460 a month. That covered our 2018 trip and we are working through taxidermy right now. Should have mounts completed in February. We also take any bonuses or extra money we make on the side and put it into the ‘Adventure Fund’ saving was on top of paying for her 2nd graduate degree, Morgage, suv and typical life.
I was very fortunate to go with my family on both trips. But the Big trip mindset and life style is just that a lifestyle.
It doesn’t have to be one big check you write at once. Just have it paid before you go. So you can enjoy the time there and smile when you tell the stories upon return!

https://www.everydollar.com/

Great budgeting tool.
If it’s important to you and your family you’ll make it happen! It’s possible and worth it! Personally our next big hunt will be stateside or Europe, but I plan to be back in Africa every 4-5 years.
I hope to see your write up on your African hunts in the near future!
Ps. We do have a credit card and it’s just like cash for us. Paid off weekly, but our airline miles can typically take care of one of our flights.

 

[Tim Blackwell]

blacks, youll have to let me know who your going with?

Rusa is 6900 now, Buffalo 8k+

Hunting Rusa in 5 weeks at Broadsound Safaris. Going in a group of 4 which gives good bargaining power. $3k each. My Last Rusa hunt was another place in the QLD gulf, was also 3k. (2013 though).

Last AU trip was the same group with NC trophy hunting on Chital. $3.3k each.

Been offered legit buff hunts at $5k. Dingo Creek have some good deals and there are others. Big Country Safaris were pretty sharp too from memory. Just gotta do the homework on the outfitters as there's a few crooks around.

Cheers
Tim

 

[Deleted member 11879]

First, get yourself a good financial planner. I don't mean a stockbroker or anyone else who works on commission, but a fee-based financial planner. It is imperative that you have a clear financial picture of where you are, where you want to be in the years to come and a succinct roadmap for getting there. Let the planner know you are interested in taking trips to Africa every several years and see how that impacts your savings.

Your family comes first. No other if's, and's or but's. I raised two kids, paid for 14 years of private school, sent them to college without any debt and retired with a substantial net worth and I'm just now taking my first safari. Safaris are luxuries - not necessities. When you have paid off all of your debt, have 6-12 months of living expenses saved and have a few excess dollars laying around, then you can think about spending it on yourself.

May sound harsh, but you'll sleep better at night knowing you're not overextended and if you lost your job you and your family would still be OK.

You'll get there. It may take some time but it will make the trip that much sweeter!