One of the many advantages to being in this business is that the money keeps rolling in no matter what I’m doing and because of this saving money becomes pretty easy. All I really need to do to save is kill time while spending nothing. The same is true in the nine to five world but not spending any money isn’t really an option when you’ve got to get yourself to work, feed yourself, pay your rent etc. Not matter how hard you try to save there are still those minimum monthly expenses that need to get paid no matter what.
In the travel world, however, there is nobody to answer to and you can pretty much do whatever you want. Sure, you have rent to pay in the form of nightly accommodation and you still need to feed yourself and get from place to place but there is more choice about how this is done.
So I’ve come up with a few ways to kill time and cut down on my spending while still doing something worthwhile and enjoyable so that money can be saved a lot quicker.
- Volunteering – The internet is packed with paid ‘volunteer’ positions where you shell out hundreds to a middleman to set you up with an organisation to play in the sand or build a few random things. I think these are a waste of everyone’s time and money but I also think that there are plenty of worthwhile volunteer opportunities out there if you’re willing to seek them out. Many places will rightly ask you to support yourself but some great causes will provide food and accommodation like Hands On and the Burma Volunteer Program. I’d be totally fine with paying my own living costs but they’re likely to be a lot less than shelling out for a hostel and meals at restaurants and working will keep me busy and less likely to spend money than if I were travelling around. Add to all that the fact that I’d be helping out a good cause and it’s pretty much a win win.
- Work for room and board – This is something I did a lot of in New Zealand, working a few hours a day in exchange for food and a place to sleep. I’ve never had a bad experience but one of my friends warned me about a farm run by an evil woman who made her work 8+ hours a day while only feeding her hot dogs. I’d say this is the exception rather than the rule. Besides, I like hot dogs. When you’re not working you can pretty much do what you want whether that be exploring the area, pursuing a hobby or being a web geek. It’s a really great way to learn a few new skills, experience a different way of life, and meet some interesting locals. I’ve done this before through Help Exchange and WWOOF is a popular one that I’ve yet to try plus there are also lots of smaller, country-specific networks out there that I keep meaning to hunt out.
- Go sailing – I love the ocean and have always wanted to learn how to sail. I had a crack at sailing when I spent a week on a smallish yacht off the coast of Queensland with five other backpackers and a pervy boozehound captain. I was demoted to tea maker and dish pig because of my hopelessness with the ropes. Well now I’m determined to get my sea legs and there seem to be a few opportunities out there for people with no sailing skills. One I’ve come across that looks like the best experience ever is on Karaka with a French guy, his girlfriend and an ever changing crew as they wander around the world. Most boats charge a daily or weekly fee and this one is no exception but the fee is usually less that what life on land would cost.
- Join a cult – Actually I’m just kidding about this one but my dad has an irrational fear that I’m going to run off and join a cult so I thought I’d put this in just to scare him. But for those of you out there that are cult-inclined, it might be an option. Just make sure your leader has a beard. It’s not a real cult unless he has a beard. But then again don’t cults make you sign over all your money to them? Maybe not the best idea I’ve ever had.
Being able to hoard my money faster isn’t my main motivation because I’d be doing these things out of interest anyways, but it’s a nice side effect of hiding myself away somewhere without many expenses or temptation. I could always try to find a hut on a beach for $2 a night and hang out there awhile (and I plan to) but I look forward to exploring a few more interesting and interactive options as well.
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