I am by far not the biggest traveler out there, but considering that I am a student with no job, I get around quite much. People ask me all the time if I have a gold-pooping donkey (I don't know if this is a saying in English, but it works in German). Funnily, I am actually a little bit poor. My university studies are rather demanding when it comes to being present in class and writing turn papers and all that. Therefore, I spent most of my days and weekends engaged in uni stuff. So, I am not just lazy when I say that I don't really have time for a job.
Here are my tips for saving money and affording to travel anyway:
1. Be Cheap
My number one tip is to be one of those annoying cheap people always saving money wherever they can. I don't stress this to the furthest since I want to stay comfortable to some extend, but I know some people do even more.
What does it mean in particular?
First, you should know what you spend most of your money on. For me it is rent and food. I live in a shared but incredibly beautiful apartment which is much cheaper than living on your own. When it comes to food, it's still most important for me to eat healthy. Still, I manage to save a lot of money here by eating plant-based, whole-foods and unprocessed food. Animal products can be quite expensive, so there's a saver. Also, I buy veggies and foods that are on sale, regional and in season. Rice, beans, lentils, potatoes and noodles are cheap. Most of the time, I shop organic food at a grocery discounter.
Some of my friends get most of their food from “food sharing” (it's free food from supermarkets that would otherwise be tossed away as it is expired or doesn't look perfect anymore) and share it with me.
In the uni cafeteria my best friend and I usually just pay for one person and the other one takes the same plate to get a refill. Oops, I hope this is not considered steeling.
Obviously, I rarely ever go out for eating as it is crazy expensive when you think about it. Usually, I cook quickly made, delicious meals for myself. It is also worth spending time at your parents' or other family members' houses because they will normally buy all the food. In exchange you could cook for them. However, you shouldn't become a scrounger especially with your friends. No one likes that. These tips might just seem like small things but trust me they add up.
2. Don't Buy Unnecessary Crap
I only buy things that I really need. Ask yourself if you really need a new phone when you're old one is just working fine. Or do you really need new clothes when you have a closet full of them? If you really need something, buy second hand or throw a “clothing exchange party” with your friends! Go to flee markets, check out other people's household trash (they often throw away perfectly good furniture) and look for “free your stuff” facebook groups. Sell your own stuff online or at flee markets. Imagine yourself at that tropical beach or on top of that mountain you want to travel to and wonder if you really want buy this new item.
3. Don't Party All That Much
There was a time in my life when I actually partied a lot. But hell, it's expensive and I also kind of grew out of it. But even if it is totally your thing, there are still possibilities to save money here. Go to house parties or pubs rather than clubs. When you go anyway (the music is better there, I admit it), buy alcohol before you go inside and don't buy drinks there. Check out which drinks are the cheapest or “on sale” this evening in the pub. Or just hang with some like-minded friends at home or by the river or lake with a couple of friends. Isn't that more fun after all?
4. Do Activities That Are For Free
There are lots of things you can do without spending a single dollar on. Nature is for free. Go to the lake, the park, the river, the forest, make a campfire, go camping, hiking, do a picknick, read a book and listen to street musicians. There are also festivals, parties and other events that don't cost anything. I prefer watching Netflix or Youtube instead of going to the movies any day. There are also those ILLEGAL streaming pages that I would never ever recommend by any means (...alright you got me, haha).
5. Use Public Transportation Or Better Your Bike
I don't own a car, because it costs a lot of money. Instead I use my bike, the tram, subway, bus or train. Gas is really expensive - in addition to all the car repairs.
6. Do Convenient Jobs
As I said before I don't have the time to do a permanent job but I always keep my eyes open for well-paid short term jobs. Do whatever comes along! Let the psychology department of your uni do paid experiments on you (yes, that's a thing). Clean houses or do house sitting. Work at a festival. Work as a model for an art class. Recruit members for non-profit organizations. Work at a camp for disabled children.
There are so many options out there for motivated young people. In my experience you have to be fast though since those fun, but still well-paid jobs are scarce.
If you have more time than me you could of course just work a real job, but I don't need to tell anyone that work is the key to earn money, haha. However, I find constant jobs to be too restricted especially when it comes to taking days or weeks off for traveling. Another tip is to do jobs online. The possibilities are endless here of course. And isn't it what we all try to do on steemit?
This is a picture someone painted of me when I worked as a model in an art class!
These are my ways of saving enough money for my travels. The small amounts add up and sooner than you think you'll be able to pay for your next flight and your next adventure. Of course there are more tips on how to travel the cheapest possible way. I will share those on my next post!
See you soon!
earthlingvera
My wife and I are "comfortable" but still use some of this sage advice. My wife still has an iPhone 4. Mine is a 5. We don't need a newer phone. As you point out, you can eat at home very cheap. Whipping up a lentil or bean soup is satisfying and inexpensive. Thanks for sharing.
It's awesome that you do that!
Yes, you have a whole scientific treatise, basically I agree with everything, although I do not support everything in life. I like it !
nice post 😊
thank you!
These are interesting tips. I am a teenager in Nigeria and have not yet even entered University. Also no money to start with :D
haha, yes there should be at least a little money to start with :D
The mini job "posing as a model for artists" sounds great!
I love this part: "It is also worth spending time at your parents' or other family members' houses because they will normally buy all the food. " :-) :-) :-)
Wow well said !
I always wondered how biking around Europe of would be.
I enjoyed this thank you