I just read saw an article in Kiplinger’s Magazine called “Airlines Pick Pockets” warning travelers that more and more airlines are going to be nickel-and-diming us with various charges.

Spirit Airlines will start charging up to $10 for every bag you check-in and they will also start charging $1 for every beverage. You might begin to see other airlines such as Southwest doing the same. We’ve already lost free meals on domestic flights and soon we’ll lose the free drinks. Too bad the airports won’t let us bring in any drinks or liquids.

The price of overweight and oversize baggage has also gone up over the years. You can expect to pay anywhere from $50 to $80 for bags that exceed airline limits.

Fortunately I’ve learned to pack smart and pack light over the years. My fiancée and I are only planning to bring one backpack each for our honeymoon to Greece. I picked up two Kelty backpacks for $28 at the last REI sale. This way, we don’t need to check-in our bags, and we will be the first out of customs.

Here’s one website that has been a great help in learning how to pack light: www.onebag.com
They have a lot of useful tips and advice about what you really need when traveling, and what you should leave at home.

Here’s a packing list I’ve used over the years: Packing List

Back in October, I wrote about taking the bus to work and how it was saving me money. Well now, I have an update about my commute to work.

My new apartment is pretty close to the metro station and my fiancée and I have both decided to take the train to work. I did some calculations and I can save a significant amount of money by commuting instead of driving:

The distance to work now is 20 miles.
The price of gas is $3.30 right now.

I can get 30 miles per gallon on the freeway (so $3.30 * 40 miles / 30 miles = $4.40)
My daily commute is costing my $4.40 each day if I drive.

But a monthly metro pass is $26 (my company pays for half of the cost).

If a typical month has 20 work days, each commute to work is costing my $1.30.

Plus the major bonus of commuting to work is that I get to read on the train and relax. So, looks like I’ll be commuting on most days.

This is part 3 of my tales from China. Make sure to check out the other two travel stories and the life lessons I learned from them.

Story 3: Technology
Part of the experience of traveling is to have your world view expanded. For example, the things that we take for granted at home such as running water is not readily accessible in developing countries. There are still many rural areas in China that are without running water, electricity, telephones, internet, and such. The simple fact is that these areas are still in the process of developing and the infrastructure to support the technologies we might be accustomed to is not yet available. High cost in comparison to income is also a major barrier.

So what does this mean to us in the West? Does it mean we should shun technology and take up a life of homesteading? Not necessarily.

The Bible teaches in Acts 17:26 “From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live.” We each find ourselves in the location and environment that God intended for us to be born in. We don’t have to feel guilty when we benefit from technology. But as stewards of God’s money and resources, we should think twice the next time we want to purchase or “upgrade” to the latest technology.

According to the CIA World Fact Book the GDP per capita of China is $7,600 U.S. Dollars. To put that into comparison, the GDP for the U.S. is around $43,000. Although it is true that the cost of living in China is much cheaper than the States, the cost of technology for items such as a computer or a car is about the same as in the States.

Last year when I was in Jilin Province (NE China), I noticed that many of the students at a particular university owned laptops. I’ve visited universities in China before and had never seen such a thing. Maybe it’s slowly becoming more commonplace for students to own computers.

I asked in passing to one of the professors whether it was commonplace for university students to have laptops. He responded that this university was an exception and that for most families it would still be very uncommon. He explained to me that the price of a laptop represented 2-3 months income of a typical family. Owning a piece of technology such as a laptop was definitely viewed as a high privilege.

How did this realization change my perspective on finance? I should be content with what I have and feel very fortunate. Honestly this area is probably the most difficult for me to surrender the Lord. I admit that I am a major gear-head and love the latest gadgets. But I try to determine need from want. Do I really need a new digital camera or is the old one I have sufficient? Do I have to buy new, or can I settle for used. Does my computer really need to be upgraded, or can I use it for a few more years. These are typical conversations I have in my head. If I didn’t have the right mindset, I think I’d quickly allow my level of income to justify various purchases. Sure, I can afford it, but do I really need it?

Thinking about these issues made me look for opportunities related with technology. I realized that the money I could be spending on myself could be directed towards those who really need it instead. For example: Parnters International offers giving opportunities that can directly offer new resources and technology to those in developing countries. (Purchase a village well for $460 in Cambodia or a carpet loom for $750 for a family in Algeria).

Here are some more resources that provide technology to the developing world:
www.care.org - donate your old cellphone to help fight global poverty
www.worldcomputerexchange.com - donate your old computer to developing countries.
www.youthfortechnology.com - donate computer supplies and cameras to youth around the world.

Yesterday I shared a travel story about fast food and how my mindset was changed by an experience in Central China. Today I’m sharing another experience that also took place in Central China.

Story 2: Education

California, my home state, falls in the bottom of the pack in terms of education (47 out of 50). Yet despite all the gripes about how our public education system is inadequate, compared to the rest of the world as a whole, America is still way ahead.

My travels in China have given me a greater appreciation for what our tax dollars offer us here in the States. The majority of China consists of ethnic Han Chinese, but there are also millions of minority peoples. I’ve had opportunities to travel in Tibetan areas where I’ve visited minority schools and have seen the poor and meager conditions they face. Like other minority schools, Tibetan schools face financial difficulties. They struggle to receive educational helps and subsidies that comparable Han Chinese schools usually receive from the government. What this translates to for the students is a lack of teaching materials and proper facilities and a lack of qualified teachers.

One particularly poor Tibetan county I visited held special school sessions for children from nomad families that couldn’t afford tuition costs for primary school. The teachers of these schools would offer free education for a few weeks in the summer for these children.

What insights have I gained from these trips into Tibetan villages? I agree that education programs and school conditions might be horrible in some place in the U.S. such as the inner-cities, but compared to the rest of the world, we ought to still count our blessings.  There are plenty of education resources here in the West that can help benefit developing countries.

Jesus teaches us in Luke 12:48b “From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.” For those of us who have benefited from a good education, such as university, do indeed have a greater responsibility.

As a follower of Christ who seeks to be a good steward, what is the implication of this greater responsibility? Maybe our college education and higher paying jobs is a means to provide others with similar educational opportunities. Practically, we can sponsor the education of one child through organizations such as World Vision, or we can sponsor programs that supply developing countries with books and teaching supplies. (Books for Africa, Book Aid, Room to Read).  One way or another, it would be awesome to see resources shared with those who need it the most.

I’ve had the privilege of traveling through China the past five summers and through each experience, I’ve gained valuable insights and life-lessons. Particularly, I’ve gained unique insights about economics, finance, and wealth that I could have only gained overseas, outside of the U.S.

In this three part post I hope to share the lessons I’ve learned and how it has changed my perspective and mindset.

Mark Twain once said, “Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one’s lifetime.”

Story 1: Fast-food

For most Americans, fast-food is something that is quick, easy and most importantly, inexpensive. In our busy life we rely on it to be there for us when we’re grabbing lunch on-the-run or “taking care” of dinner on the way home from work.

For anyone who’s visited the big cities in China, you might assume that eating fast-food is common for a typical China man as well. Yet if we look at the economics we can quickly see that this is simply not the case. Let’s take McDonald’s as an example. A typical value meal will cost about ¥24-32 RMB, which translates to $3-4 U.S. Dollars. To the Westerner it’s comparable to prices back in the states, yet for the national, it is very expensive.

When I’m in China, I feel like a king. Wow Niu Rou Mian (Beef Noodle) for only 50 U.S. cents! What a deal! I love to eat good food and I love a great bargain. I’m so pleased to find this to be true all over China.

But economics can be deceiving until you put them into perspective. As I travel through China, I often equate the value of $1 U.S. dollar to be about the same as the value a national places on ¥1 RMB. So in reality, this would mean to the national, the McDonald’s value meal is equivalent to us paying $24-32 U.S. dollars. When’s the last time your fast food meal has cost you that much? It’s no wonder that for most nationals consider eating at McDonald’s or other fast-food restaurants to be an expensive luxury.

This point was made clear to me the first time I was in China. I was teaching English in Gansu province (one of the poorest provinces in the West) when I realized how “rich” I was compared to my students. I went to lunch with some of them and ended up at an “American” fried chicken restaurant (similar to KFC). My students and I each purchased a combo meal for probably around ¥18 RMB. But one of my students left our group, telling me that he wanted to get his lunch from somewhere else.

He came back with 2 pieces of mantou (steamed bread) which probably cost him ¥0.50 RMB. The other students laughed and commented that this particular student always ate mantou for lunch. He replied by saying that he loved to eat mantou, but I quickly realized that in reality, mantou was all he could afford. Even in the U.S., most junior high students don’t typically spend $18 for lunch.

How did this experience change my perspective? I had taken my fried chicken lunch for granted and the reality that it was inexpensive to me. I wasn’t necessarily apologetic about the fact that I could easily pay for it, but I was sorry for being insensitive and unaware. From that point on I wanted to eat what the locals ate whenever I traveled. I wanted to eat what my students usually ate. Frankly, I don’t even know why I was eating fried chicken in China.

I vowed to become more like one of the locals. I realized that eating what they ate, shopping where they shopped, and spending the way they spent gave me a better understanding of who they were and what it meant to be a local there. The deep glimpses into the life of another culture has been great reminders for myself to count my blessings I have received from the Lord.

I echo the sentiments of the Apostle Paul when he said in Philippians 4:12 “I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.”

I’m starting a new series on travel and finances and the lessons or insights learned from various trips I’ve taken. Often times it’s only after we are out of our comfort zone or natural settings that we glean new truths about life and about ourselves. I know for myself there have been travel moments where I was deeply affected by a specific experience.

If you have a travel story that has changed your perspective on finances let me know. E-mail me your interesting stories and I’ll post them here. Or if you have your own blog, write a story and I’ll link back to you.

Mark Twain once said, “Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one’s lifetime.”

Savvy Steward’s Travel Stories:

Tales From China – Fast Food Findings
Tales From China – A Comparison In Education
Tales From China – Technology For The Masses

For those that have a hand held or car GPS unit will find this to be a great free resource.  Travel by GPS is a website that provides free self-guided GPS data for recreational travel.  The site includes downloadable waypoints and routes, and also includes articles and pictures.

There’s a lot of neat maps such as “secret beaches” or guides for various cities.  I think I’ll download a few maps for my honeymoon to Greece.

This last day of travel tips I’m covering other travel tools and websites that are particularly handy:
Flyertalk - This is a very large and helpful community geared towards anything travel related. A lot of knowledgeable people and good content.
Seatguru - This website will show you reviews of seats of any airline and any plane. Good information to have when selecting seats.
Great Circle Mapper - You can use this website to calculate total miles flown. It is especially convenient if you want to find the mileage for a multi-segment trip.
Flight Aware - This website lets you track flights in real-time. You can find out exactly when your family and friends depart and arrive.
Mileage Converter - If you want to convert your miles or points from one program to another, this website will give you conversion rates.
Air Fare Watchdog - A website that shows recent price cuts. The pages are organized by departure cities.

Two search tools I use a lot are Dream Maps and Fare Compare. They both offer visual maps and prices that make searching a lot easier. With Dream Maps, you can customize your searches by changing the url values For example: (dps1.travelocity.com/dreamMap.ctl?dep_arp_name=LAX&maxFare=200) the “dep_arp_name=” can be changed to the airport of your choice and “maxFare=” can be used to set a maximum price for the ticket. Fare Compare has something similar called “Destination Deal Maps”. Often times it is easier to find the cheapest deals on Dream Maps first before doing detailed searches on ITA.

Consolidators are companies that purchase large blocks of tickets and resell them at at discounted prices. Often these prices are far cheaper than what you may find on Expedia or Travelocity. I’ve used consolidators a couple of times with great success. I’ve typically looked into them when I’ve traveled to Asia. Consolidators that you may find at a Japanese or Chinese supermarket can get you great deals to Japan or China. Two years ago when I traveled to “Land of the Rising Sun” I called up a few Japanese consolidators to find tickets. If I remember correctly, I was quoted prices about $150-$200 cheaper than what I found on the United website. Check out IACE or JTB. The past few times I’ve traveled to China I also went with a consolidator. Compared to what I could find on Expedia or Travelocity, my Chinese travel agent gave me quotes for $400 cheaper. As it turned out, if I flew from Los Angeles to Beijing, all my in-country flights were half price. One thing to note when using a consolidator is to make sure that the ticket qualifies for accruing the mileage. I’ve been able to bank all my miles with United. So the next time you plan for a trip overseas, try calling a few consolidators first. You might be pleasantly surprised.