Thanks for staying on the trail long enough to make it to part 3 of The Oregon Trail Guide to Personal Finance! In this section we’ll discuss how to survive on the trail. Before you embark on this leg, please take a few minutes to look over part 1 and part 2.

You’ve finally made it onto the trail! What a happy day!

You’re to be congratulated for preparing for the journey by getting your finances in order and doing some savvy shopping at the general store. That’s a huge undertaking, and you haven’t even walked one step yet. I know that first step is both the most difficult and most exciting one to take. There’s a lot to anticipate, and it can be a little nerve wracking. But don’t worry; you can get through this long, arduous adventure. It’s going to take a lot of hard work to survive the trail, but I know you can do it!

Here are a few ways to survive the trail without destroying your wallet or your health and gaining a few skills along the way:

Accept odd jobs

We all find ourselves, at times, a little short on cash. This happens an awful lot on the trail. Fortunately, opportunities such as delivering packages, finding lost relatives, working a telegraph and even picking up hitchhikers present themselves as ways to earn a few extra dollars. I don’t turn them down often because I like having that extra cushion of money just in case something terrible happens (like a bear runs off with my food in the middle of the night or a gang of bandits rob my wagon). I also like having that extra money so I can treat myself to luxuries like a ferry ride instead of having to ford the river.  If I didn’t take on these side jobs, I’d never be able to afford to do that. It’s a good feeling to be able to relax for a few minutes.

While we might not always want to do the extra work or do something that we feel might be “beneath” us, those odd jobs can help give us otherwise unattainable financial security.

Set your own pace

And don’t worry about how fast or slow others are going.

Pace is probably one of the most important parts of making it to Oregon with your whole party alive and in good health. The faster you race, the faster you use up your supplies, your food and the more exhausted your family gets. This makes for some very unpleasant, and expensive, traveling.  A fast pace also means you’re going to need to buy replacement supplies, and your wagon can break down even more from the stress; this can get quite pricey depending on how often you need to repair it. But if you take your time, you’ll be able to make what you have last longer and you’ll end up at your destination without ever having to pawn your valuables to fix a wheel or buy a new ox.

Before you set your pace, determine what your goal is. Is it to make it to Oregon as fast as possible or is it just to make it there? Having a goal in place will determine how fast you truly need to go. And remember, you can always adjust your pace depending on what may or may not get in your way.

Challenge yourself

In real life, I do not fish. I have tried it and I do not like it. However, on the trail, I am an expert fisherman. How did this happen? It happened because each time a fishing challenge presented itself, I accepted. I practiced, got better and now, I pretty much qualify for some sort of fishing championship. Which is pretty awesome. But even more than that, by challenging myself to learn to fish, I can feed my party when they need it and by participating in challenges, I can earn rewards which help us later on (through bartering, selling items at the general store, trading with others along the trail for other items, etc). It’s a skill that comes in handy in more ways than one, and it’s proven to be very beneficial.

It’s important to challenge yourself to learn new skills and tasks. Not only can it save you money but you can use those skills to provide for your family in hard times. You may not need the skill all the time but it’s nice to have it in your arsenal.

Be mindful of your food and rest

Medicine is expensive. It’s necessary if you need it (and I certainly don’t begrudge you if you do; after all, I need it, too) but sometimes, it’s easier just to take care of yourself in healthy ways and that will help ward off physical illnesses (or at least make them go away more quickly). I realized this when I was on the trail and my family kept getting cholera and dysentery and some other diseases. I didn’t have the money to pay for the remedies so I opted to rest, hoping that would give them time to recover. It helped, but not enough. They still walked around ill. Then I started to restock our food supply AND rest. Lo and behold, that’s what made them feel better! Having that proper nutrition combined with enough rest made them healthy enough to continue without the looming thought of a roadside funeral.

Even in the thick of a major undertaking such as traversing the country for a better life, it’s still important to take care of yourself by eating and sleeping. Without that, you’ll have very little energy for everything else.

Talk to people

As I cross the Oregon Trail, I often run into people wanting to talk to me. Sometimes it’s to invite me to meet the rest of the Mormons at their gathering place, sometimes it’s to ask me to deliver a package, and sometimes it’s to offer me a hunting or fishing challenge. I take the time to talk to these people for two reasons: 1) it’s polite and 2) until I talk to them, I don’t know what opportunity might present itself. It’s often heard “it’s not what you know, it’s who you know” and on the trail, this is definitely the case. By talking to the right people, you can earn money, food, supplies or even get some medicine to improve your party’s health. And if you’re lucky, one small favor for one person (like delivering a package or a letter) can set off a chain of lucrative events. All of these are essential in making it to the end of the trail with everyone in tow.

Being friendly, talking to strangers (well, those that look safe and approachable), and networking are all key to getting to your ultimate destination. It’s almost impossible achieve your goals by going it alone.

Walking the trail is probably the ultimate test of endurance, discipline and perseverance.  There’s a lot to do and accomplish to get to the end.  And while it’s a long, difficult trek but it is possible to survive, thrive, and achieve your goal.

Come back tomorrow when we conclude our series with Part 4: Arrival in Oregon: Reflections on the journey

 

 

As we enter part 2 of The Oregon Trail Guide to Personal Finance, take some time (if you haven’t already) to review part 1.

Now that you’ve figured out how to acquire the money, items and support system you need to begin your financial Oregon Trail, it’s time to learn how to not get screwed at the store. After all, you’ve worked really hard to get to this point (or maybe not hard at all and it’s just something that happened) and you don’t want to squander those dollars (or get taken in by shady shop owners. Like the guys who own the general stores in the game. They? Are shysters).  And since shopping is pretty much unavoidable, particularly shopping for necessities like food and clothes, it’s best to have a strategy each time you walk into the store.

Here are some ideas for creating that strategy:

Make mindful, careful purchases

Frivolous purchases are the bane to every budget. We all want the latest, fanciest ox or wagon cover and honestly, who doesn’t want to buy that mysterious feather just because? I know I certainly do. But having those things won’t always get me to my destination, especially if they use up all the money I have for necessities and I have to starve or worry about poison berries that I had to pick from the side of road because I ran out of money to buy quality, safe food. And that fancy ox? Is it really going to do a better job of getting me to my destination than the regular, standard ox (ox, by the way, is my metaphor for car). The best way to combat buying useless but fun and fancy products is to walk into the store having researched and thought carefully about what you want to buy and only look for those items that fit into those criteria. And your budget.

By carefully planning your purchases and being mindful of their quality, durability, and price, you can maximize your purchasing power and not get blinded by shiny objects.

Stockpile when possible

Stockpiling like a hoarder is never recommended. Particularly if you’re traveling in a very small, cramped wagon with 4 other people (and the occasional hitchhiker).  But having a few extra supplies of items you need and/or frequently use is a good idea, especially if a) you can get them for a good price and b) you have the room to store them. For instance, when on the trail, my party likes to contract cholera. I know this after playing it 6000 times. So, when I have the money, I purchase numerous doses of chicken broth, the antidote to cholera (I love 1800s medicine). This prevents me from having to pay extra money at a convenience store (read: store on the trail, not at a fort) when my child gets sick. Plus, the doses don’t take up a ton of room so I can easily store them in a backpack with the feathers, mushrooms, and rope I’ve managed to collect along the way.

Let me be clear: going into debt to stockpile is not recommended. Only buy more than you need to survive when you have the money. And the room. There is no need to create extra space or create crowded conditions just so you can have that extra ax or roll of toilet paper.

Fix what you have before you buy new

When something breaks down, most people’s first instinct is to throw it out and buy something new. But when you’re traveling the treacherous Oregon Trail and your wagon wheel breaks and a new one is going to cost you 80 coins and you only have 60, there’s really only two options. The first, to quit traveling and just settle where you are, is not really a desirable choice (plus, it defeats the purpose of the game). The second choice is to repair the wheel. You can run to the store and purchase a repair kit for 8 coins to fix the wheel yourself. Or pay someone 20 coins to fix it for you. Either way, it’s cheaper than buying new. And who knows, that 40 coins you’ve saved yourself might just pay your fare on a ferry or buy some food at the next fort.

I do recognize and accept that it is not always possible to repair items. For example, if your wagon goes up in flames or a bear attacks and murders your oxen, you don’t have a choice but to buy new. And that’s fine. Just take care to make smart rather than emotional purchases during these times.

One final tip: look for deals.

I mean, who doesn’t love to shop for a good bargain? And on the trail, there are good bargains to be found. Besides waiting until you get to the stores at the forts to save 20% on your purchases, you can trade supplies for food, barter items for wagon parts, and even pawn items you’re not using at the general stores to earn extra cash. It’s a pretty great way to get what you need by getting rid of items you don’t want.

In real life, this can mean comparing prices at different stores, selling items on eBay or trading services with a friend (cooking meals for babysitting). If you’re short on cash, there are ways (legal ways) to earn the money to purchase those necessities.

Phew! That’s a lot to remember. But by employing these tips, it is possible not to drain your bank account when you go shopping. After all, who doesn’t love to shop and still come home with cash in her wallet (or coins in her purse)?

If you liked this, please come back tomorrow when we talk about strategies for surviving the trail.

 

Welcome to Part One of The Oregon Trail Guide to Personal Finance: Preparing for the Journey.

Congratulations on deciding to forge your own path! This is an exciting time, filled with new adventures, and some obstacles, along the way. It’s a lot of work but I can assure you, in the end, it’ll all be worth it. But most importantly, you’ve taken the first step. You’ve made the choice to do your own thing and settle into a new life, in clean, unchartered territory.

However, starting out on your own is never an easy task. There’s much to plan for, think about, and anticipate, financially and emotionally. I can’t promise you that you’ll be 100% ready once you walk out the door of your safe, homey cabin to cross the treacherous land but I can promise you that if you follow some of these tips, the trek will be that much easier:

Save money.

When I play the new, updated version of The Oregon Trail, the game likes to give little factoids about the trail. One of them is (and I’m paraphrasing because I can only remember movie lines and song lyrics verbatim) “Make sure you save up. It took settlers a year to save the $800-$1000 necessary for the trip”. I didn’t know this, and it’s quite good advice. Although it’s not always possible, it’s a wise choice to try to save money before embarking on your own journey. Whether that journey is going off to college, moving out on your own for the first time, relocating to the city of your dreams or even getting your first pet, saving money to help with expenses in the beginning is smart. That money will buy you food, furniture, gas, household goods and many other start-up costs. While some people like Adam Shepard (author of Scratch Beginnings) make the point that it is possible to be successful even if you start from nothing, taking the time to shore up some cash makes taking that first step that much easier.

Remember, everyone starts in the same place.

Although some might have a distinct advantage. In the game, it doesn’t matter if you’re a banker, carpenter or farmer or in what month you choose to depart (well, it matters, but we’ll explore that in the next point); everyone leaves from the same starting point. Your station in life doesn’t change where you get to depart from. All it changes is the advantages you have in the beginning. And in the long run, those early advantages don’t always matter in the end. It’s how hard you work and how careful you are in the middle to protect those advantages that make you successful in the end. And sometimes, you can start with nothing as a poor farmer and still wind up more successful than the next wagon train captain who left as a banker.

The choices you make in the beginning have a significant impact on the future.

In the game, every player gets the same choices of profession, wagons/equipment, departure months and number of people in their party. However, each player will choose a different combination of those items and, as anyone who’s played the game can tell you, the beginning really does impact the rest of the game. Particularly the first leg. For instance, if I choose to be a farmer, I have to be more careful with my money to keep me afloat through the rest of the game (or until I have a chance to earn more). If I blow all my money buying the same stuff as the carpenter who can afford more, I hurt myself and my party in the long run. If we’re in a precarious position from the start, we might not be able to survive the long haul. To me, this sounds an awful lot like credit card debt. Making poor choices and spending money on things I can’t afford just to keep up with others impacts my ability to survive in the long run. And when you’re facing a broken leg, no food and the choice between drowning or taking a ferry, I’d rather have the cash.

Be choosy about who you invite along.

The Oregon Trail doesn’t exactly give you a whole lot of choices in the fact that your party must be 5 members but you can customize the genders and names in order to make your companions more tolerable (or not. You could pick someone you hate and hope they die of measles). But you want people with you who you can a) bear to be around for long periods of time; b) will pull their own weight and work alongside you instead of doing nothing; and c) who keep your spirits up when you’re down. Which will happen. It’s the same way in real life. Surround yourself with people who help you, lift you up, and support you when you need it. To hell with everyone else. If you’re lucky, maybe those that bring you down will get run over by a stampede of angry buffalo.

Make sure you’re prepared.

Although it’s not always possible to be prepared for every challenge, it is possible to be ready for as many as you think you’ll face. For example, in the game, you know someone is going to contract dysentery. It’s a given. So, to ward off having to lose 17 days while Jane recovers and puts you behind schedule, you purchase the proper medicine from the general store and pack it away for when you need it. This is an exact metaphor for an emergency fund. While you’re in the process of saving money for your start-up costs, make sure you’re also putting aside money in an emergency fund. Even if it’s an extra $20 or $200, that money will come in handy when you’re unable to buy groceries or do laundry because your paycheck is just a little too short or something unexpected crops up.

Preparing for this type of arduous journey is time consuming and can be difficult. But the more you prepare upfront, the easier parts of the trail will be.

Now that you know how to get started, make sure you come back tomorrow for part 2, Shopping at the General Store. 

Have you ever hunted buffalo, walked your family to exhaustion, contracted dysentery, and ended up in Oregon all in the same hour? If you have, you’ve played The Oregon Trail (or you’ve had a hell of a day. Either one. I’m not here to judge).

I’ve never been a big gamer but starting in the 3^rd grade, when my elementary school had one computer that we had to sign up to use (with a partner), I’ve been a fan of The Oregon Trail. It’s hard to place my finger on what exactly it is about the game that I love so much, but I do. There’s just something about it that’s intriguing and exciting (and informational!) at the same time. I guess since I’m kind of dork, I like games that are fun and educational.  So when I found the app for my iPad, I was instantly hooked. Again. Like I was in 3^rd grade, waiting my turn to play.

And do I play the game (it’s much nicer now that I can play it whenever I feel like, without having to wait my turn. Yup, I’m kind of impatient). Constantly. The more I play, though, the more I realize that The Oregon Trail isn’t just a game to play to simulate what pioneers did back in the 1800s (and give us an opportunity to kill bunnies and die of cholera. Which is always a good time). No, it’s more than that. The Oregon Trail is really our first introduction to finance and budgeting. But it’s done in such a way that you don’t realize what’s actually going on.

Think about it. In the old school version, you only get so much money, based on your profession, in the beginning to shop at the general store to buy all the supplies you need. Then you had to make due as you went along the trail until you got to a fort and could shop at another store. There were some chances in between to earn a little more but for the most part, you had to be frugal. You had to save your leftover money. You had to ration your bullets. You had to ration your food, supplies, and everything else.  You had to make sure that your family was surviving on whatever you were able to provide. And in the new (and much snarkier) version, there’s so much more than that.

There’s so much more, in fact, that I realized the game is really just a cleverly disguised guide to personal finance. But I’m onto them. I figured it out. And now I’m going to share it with you.

With that, I introduce The Oregon Trail Guide to Personal Finance.

I know you’re thinking “Wow, that sounds intriguing! What’s included in The Oregon Trail Guide to Personal Finance?” (or you could also be thinking “What the hell is she talking about?” Totally understandable).  I’m glad you asked. Here’s what you can expect as you read through this fine guide:

Part 1: Preparing for the journey

Part 2: Shopping at the general store

Part 3: Surviving the trail

Part 4: Arrival in Oregon: Reflections on the journey

While I can’t promise that this will teach you everything you need to know about personal finance, I can assure you that, at the very least, this 4 part series will provide many of the basics you need to get started on your own personal finance journey.  You will learn tips and tricks for making the most of your money, surviving on little, growing your bank account, and much more, all as presented in my favorite game of all time, The Oregon Trail.

 

 

This summer, I have to do something I’ve never had to do before. I need to go back to school shopping. Because my daughter, my little baby, is starting kindergarten.

I knew this would happen. I am prepared for it from a practical, financial standpoint (emotionally, well, that’s a different story). I have money set aside, and I plan to do my shopping soon to avoid the massive crowds in the stores the week before school starts (late August). I know that I should wait until all the crazy sales start but crowds ramp up my anxiety and that’s never fun. So, spending a few extra dollars to save my sanity is totally worth it.

But around where I live, there is something that happens that I have yet to fully understand. Every year, around back to school time, people start freaking out about having to buy school supplies, the cost of school supplies, how many items they need to buy and wow, how is it time for school already? But mainly they just freak out about having to buy supplies. Because, you know. School doesn’t start around the same time every year.

People like to talk about how “gift-oriented” events like birthdays, holidays, and anniversaries should never come as a surprise because they happen at roughly the same time every year. I feel the same way about back to school. It never ceases to amaze me how people are taken aback by the start of school (and, as a result, the number of people clamoring to take part in the free backpack program, run by a local church). If you have school aged children, you should know that every year they start a new school year. With that comes—gasp—supplies! So why not start preparing ahead of time?

Some people would read that and think “there’s no possible way I can start planning ahead of time. I just don’t have that kind of money” or “school supplies are just so expensive. There’s no way I can make my money stretch” or a variety of other excuses.

To those people, I say nonsense. It is possible to be prepared for back to school time and maximize your dollars. Here are a few suggestions as to how:

1. Buy items throughout the year. Sometimes crayons, glue sticks, and other basic supplies for the elementary school set go on sale. Why not take advantage of sales on items you know you’ll need and create a small stockpile? Find a few extra dollars and hit the sale. Not only will you stock up for the next year, it will also help when you need to replenish your child’s supplies during the school year (especially at the last minute). If you’re not sure of what you need, check your district’s website; a lot of them publish the supply lists.
2. Start a “back to school” fund. Just like you have an emergency fund, a vacation fund, a new car fund and a whatever else fund, have an account where you add a few dollars every week or two. Let’s say you add $10 a month, starting from January. By the time you would need to purchase supplies in August, you’ll have $80. Now, this amount might need to change based on the number of children you have and their grade level, but the basic concept remains the same.  If it’s hard for you to find extra money within your income, try to get creative.  For instance: examine your budget, determine if you can to cut back anywhere and use the difference. Perform an odd job every now and then or have a yard sale, designating that money towards your back to school fund.
3. Shop at dollar stores. Or other discount places. They sell most of the same supplies as office stores or big box stores, and they are often much cheaper. These types of stores will allow your dollars to stretch farther, allowing you to be able to pick up more of the items your kids will need. Yes, it might not be Crayola crayons but really, how much does it matter? Red is red. Green is green. A scissor is a scissor. And most kids aren’t going to know the difference in brands nor does anyone need to know where you purchased them.  The goal is to have your child prepared for school, including having all the necessary supplies. The purchase location is irrelevant.
4. Reuse the previous year’s supplies. Items such as backpacks, lunch boxes, pencil cases and binders—if kept in good condition—can be used for multiple years, especially if you purchase a higher quality, sturdier items. These are often some of the most expensive items to purchase, so why not get your money’s worth by using them from year to year? When I was in high school, those monogrammed LL Bean backpacks were all the rage and most of my friends who had them used them for all 4 years. Not only did no one care, no one said anything. To save money on backpacks, look on sites like eBay. You can probably score some pretty good deals.

Some words on this advice: while these tips can be applied to all age groups, it is primarily intended for the elementary school set. Middle and high schoolers come with their own set of school supply issues that I am not yet qualified to discuss. Also, I understand that in some circumstances, it is simply not possible to plan ahead. That’s fine, and I get that. But for most of us, we possess the ability to stop being surprised by the start of school and avoid the financial pressure that comes with purchasing supplies.

Parents of school aged kids, how do you plan for back to school shopping?