The art of traveling...on a budget.

I have been so fortunate to have traveled as much of the world as I have in my 23 years. And, because I've been to several countries, exploring three different continents (yep, still 4 more to go!!), I get asked lots of questions! But the question that I am indubitably asked the most is:

"How in the world do you afford to go so many places!?"

Well, just like we all wish there were a magic pill to weight loss, we all wish we had that one special tree growing in our very own backyard - you know, the one that money grows on?

*moment to daydream...*

Unfortunately, scientists have yet to graft the $$$ tree $$$, which means that we must resort to other means. Each time I travel, I learn new ways of saving as much money as I can! Which most often just means finding ways not to spend it... Because, in my mind, the more I save of the money I already have, the less time and energy I have to use up making more money!

Now, many of my "money saving" tactics might not sit well with you and your ideals of "proper travel." But, I am far from a proper traveler! Some of you might think, "That's brilliant! I am totally doing that the next time I go somewhere!!" Either way, this blog post is dedicated to things I've done during my travels in New Zealand to avoid making a massive dent (or gaping black hole...) in my bank account.

1.) Being lucky.

So much of my money saving has been because of luck. Luck with the people I meet, the places I visit, and just life in general. But, luck can only get you so far, so we won't dwell here...

2.) Being friendly to EVERYONE. (even if you're hungover or in grumpy mood, okay?)

It's just like the saying goes, "A little smile goes a long way."

3.) Hitchhiking.

I have yet to pay for any mode of transportation since I left Auckland. Safe hitchhiking comes with the territory though. NZ is known for being pretty safe for hitchhikers. Traveling to other countries? Hitchhiking might not be such a grand idea...

4.) Couchsurfing.

What an AWESOME way to meet locals and get a free place to sleep and shower! And, if you're lucky, you might get to do your laundry for free! And your host might even cook for ya - a huge and delicious bonus :-9

Go to www.couchsurfing.org to sign up!
Host, surf, or just meet for coffee :-)

5.) Working for accommodation.

This has got to be one of the coolest, money saving things I've been able to do in New Zealand! Depending on availability, you can clean at a hostel for just a couple hours a day and stay there for free! (Each hostel varies, but some let their workers use the laundry facilities for free (inexpensive ways to clean clothes to follow...) or use the internet for free (free internet ideas to follow too!).

6.) Free laundry ideas!

In NZ, it costs around $8 NZD to wash and dry one load of laundry. Crazy right? For my first month in NZ, I refused to pay for laundry. So, I washed my clothes by hand in the industrial sized sink and dried them on the washline outside. (A bit of elbow grease never hurt anyone, right?) Otherwise, like I said before, you might get lucky and get a couchsurfing host who will let you use their machine. As luck would have it (tactic #1!), the hostel that I am working at now gives their workers free laundry usage. Whoop whoop!! :-)

7.) Finding free internet.

Crazy thing about Kiwis - they charge exorbent amounts for their internet usage! Typically $6-8 NZD for one hour. It's highway robbery I tell ya... But, to get out of this, most libraries in NZ have free internet/wireless and even some McDonald's (although I have yet to find one that does...). Or, if you're like me, just land a winter job at an internet cafe and you get free internet access whenever you like! (Again, tactic #1...)

8.) Befriend people who know important people who know key people who can give you free stuff.

Eh, pretty self-explainatory. Refer to tactic #2 for help. :-)

So, yeah. That's about the jist of it!

Any questions? Comments? More money saving ideas??
Email - guavanna@gmail.com or comment below!

Happy cheap travels!
Anna xx