I remember saving up all year in order to get on a plane and travel for 2-3 months, it was always the greatest experience and I strongly recommend this to anyone, regardless of their age or situation (well, providing you’re not responsible for someone).
But the next question always comes down to money. How will I fund my trip? I hear so many people state things like “that’s easy for you to say, but I earn less”, yet when I was going on these trips I earned 16-21k per year, which is now below minimum wage.
So below are some key tips on how to cover your costs while you go travelling.
Start Content Creation
If you build up an account, whether on a blog, on Instagram, YouTube or TikTok, this can help with covering your costs. We’re not just talking about raising some extra funds, but actually getting a lot of your experiences free (or discounted). This includes hotels, restaurants and bars, activities and tours, even your backpack and things you need to pack.
Once you get to a solid following number, you can reach out via email or on social to those brands and venues and offer to promote them in exchange. Many will be happy to work on this basis, as it’s a lot cheaper for them than running PPC or traditional marketing avenues.
But wait, don’t you need to go travelling first to gather your content? Well no, you will have a lifetime of photos from your holidays already, as a starting point. But realistically, people want to know the real you, so posting about your daily life is a great way to build an audience.
The quicker you can get started the quicker you’ll get to a successful point, so don’t make excuses or spend ages planning, just dive right in.
Work Abroad
This is one thing I never did when I was younger and will probably always look back on with curiosity. A lot of friends went to Australia and found a bar job, where they were based near the beach, being able to have a few beers when their shift ended.
Obviously, working while travelling normally means you’re not paid substantial amounts, as it’s often bar work or general minimal wage jobs, but you’ll most likely meet locals of a similar age, so it’s a good way to see beyond what the tourist’s experience.
Remember that if you’re working abroad, you will have to look into a work visa for the country you visit, which takes a bit more time to get approved, often requiring confirmation from the workplace and some extra documents, so it’s best to get this lined up in advance.
However, if you’re in a remote role, you could speak to work about the option of continuing in your role on reduced days or hours, so that you can travel and yet cover most of your costs. Finding WiFi reception can be a bit of a nightmare, while you will have to be careful not to lose work possessions while staying in a hostel, but the experience will totally be worth it.
Becoming a digital nomad is easier than ever. It was breaking out when I was doing it, people moving to Bali and living out of a cheap hotel, but back then the internet was diabolical, it’s completely different now.
One other option is you could consider teaching abroad. I actually studied for and gained a TEFL qualification, while I planned on teaching English in Thailand, but that never quite came about. My friend did go ahead and moved to Vietnam to teach, while he still talks about it being one of the best experiences of his life.
High Interest Savings
One tip I was given was that the entire time your money is in your current account, it’s basically dropping in value. You can get a savings account, which will offer a better interest rate. Or you could take a punt at NSandI premium bonds, in the hope you become a millionaire.
The next option is an ISA stocks and shares account, where you could invest in a FTSE world account accumulating, where you’re allowed to put in up to 20k per year.
I mean, if you really like taking chances, you could try a UK online casino and see how you do.
Freelance Work
I used to work each Sunday on top of my usual 9-5 job, as a way to raise some extra funds. Now that might seem simple enough while working in marketing, as most people in marketing find freelance work, but what if you’re in a very different role, whether that’s HR or finance.
Well I’m yet to see a role that wouldn’t lend itself to some extra weekend work. The hardest part is finding the clients, so start off with your network, reach out to friends and family, then stretch further to LinkedIn and your social channels. Eventually you can start emailing local businesses and even maybe building your own website to advertise your services, where local SEO can work wonders.
