I have decided to do another post this week! :) Even though I am #notatasca14, I have been following twitter and facebook and seeing all of the counselor learning and fun!! Since I will be graduating next spring, I plan to attend the #ASCA15 conference in Phoenix, Arizona!! I am a person who likes to plan things out well in advance, I have decided to begin planning my trip by beginning to put money aside and planning a little at a time :) In this post, I have included some old tricks of the trade with money saving, planning and organizing to attend the conference for next year :) I have decided to apply my vacation planning and money saving tips for planning to be there!
1. Plan Early: If you plan to attend, it is best to get the ball rolling early. With the conference being a year in advance, sometimes things come up that are unexpected and we can't always help that. Also, we may not always know if we are able to attend this far in advance, but there's nothing wrong with having a plan :) In life, things may not always go as planned. Nonetheless, planning ahead can go a long way! Making sure you book your hotel stay, flights, registration fees, Remember: You can usually get the best rates if you book early! For ASCA, you can register as soon as the first of the year!
2. Do Your Research: For the conference, you will want to research what hotels are nearby and if you will need transportation to and from. You may also want to research what else is nearby such as food, recreation (if you plan to come early and do other things), etc. Many of this information can even be found on the hotel website. American School Counselor Association (ASCA) lists their upcoming conference dates and locations HERE.
3.Have a system for saving money: Whether its a piggy bank, savings account or keeping money aside in your checking account, have a system that works for you! I personally love my savings account at Capital One 360 and it has a number of features and perks!
- Automatic Savings Plan: You can set up for money to automatically transfer from your checking account into your savings!
- Name your savings account: You can give your savings account a name!
- Savings Goals: You can set a savings goal with a specific dollar amount and date!
- You can do everything online (website and mobile app) Which is super convenient!!
- Savings Calculator: I love this feature! If you put in your savings goal and date, it will tell you how much you would have to save monthly or weekly to reach this goal!
4. List your expenses: This is a great way to organize and plan your trip! By knowing how much you will need to spend, this can help you determine if the conference is in your budget. In addition to registration fees there are other fees associated with the conference! Also, it is good to save more money than you need for spending money or emergencies.
5. Create a Budget: To attend the conference, I plan continue to budget and cut back on my current spending. By creating a budget, it will help in putting aside the money aside that I will need. I like to set a budget on groceries, eating out, entertainment, etc.
I hope that you all have found these tips helpful in planning and saving for next year!! ) I cannot wait to attend my first conference to connect and learn from other counselors!!
Until next time,
~Nicole
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