Budgeting

HI there.

Last night I started to work out the budget for our little trip of 6 months to the Far East. Once you start adding up you realize that you will have to safe up a LOT of money.

I realized that there will be:
1) Fixed once off amounts. (eg. Return flights, Visas, backpacks...)
2) Monthly expenses (eg. Life insurance, Bonds, other running costs remaining while we're gone)
3) Daily expenses (eg. Food, Accommodation, Travel... while we are there)

SO we put it all in a spreadsheet and realized it will take about 2.5 years to safe up for all the above mentioned expenses. :) Only problem - we can only start saving up next year August. Well - at least we estimate that in 3 years' time we will be able to travel the Far East for half a year.

I thought that we will need to become more travel wise - so I want to become part of some backpackers forums... any ideas?