While I was working an office job in New York City, I managed to travel lots even while paying off $100,000 in student loans.
I never deprived myself of my daily joys (the coffee, the pricey Crossfit membership), I never resigned myself to subsisting on noodles and pasta to save money, I never hustled to make extra money.
This article was originally published on 22 April 2014.
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Alright, real talk: How many of you are burdened by student loans?
Assuming I’m not the only one raising my hand to that, let me ask a better question: How many of you don’t travel (as much as you’d like) because you’re still paying off your student loans?
There are many things that frustrate me about being an expat in Australia: the lack of Amazon Prime, the fact that my excellent US credit score means diddly squat and somehow I don’t qualify for any credit cards or financing here, not being able to log into several of my US accounts online because they require phone verification with a US phone number, how unbelievably difficult it is to vote in US elections, and constantly having to transfer money between my US and Aussie bank accounts – just to name a few.
Real talk, guys: 2017 was not the best year for this blog.
The 5th year of Frugal Frolicker was actually the first year that website traffic didn’t increase. Worse than that, I just felt disconnected from the blog most of the time, which often made it difficult to write.
Among the many things no one ever warns you about moving overseas is how managing money suddenly becomes a massive headache.
Most expats I know here in Australia now use their Australian bank account as their primary money hub, since they get paid in Australian dollars and spend in Australian dollars.
Would you believe me if I told you that my recent 3.5 week trip to France and Italy only cost me $411?
Well it’s true! Obviously if we’re looking at raw spend, my expenses totaled way more than that amount.
I’m calling bullshit on everyone who claims that it’s too expensive to travel to or live in Australia.
The truth is, if you practice healthy spending and saving habits in your daily life, there’s no reason you can’t do the same while visiting Australia.
I know, I know – how dare I use such a clickbait-y title. Aren’t I just the worst?
I’m pretty excited about this post because it’s not about how to save money TO travel – it’s about how to subsidize travel, travel cheaply, and save money while on the road.
Along with transportation, accommodation is bound to be one of your biggest expenses while Down Under. The good news is that, depending on how long you plan to be in one place, there are plenty of ways you can save money on accommodation in Australia without ever having to stay in a hotel, so that you have more money to put toward fun activities in Australia.
How many times have you heard Australia referred to as an expensive country? Relatively speaking, it is. Your money could definitely go further in Southeast Asia, Eastern Europe, or South America.
