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Win the lottery to travel? Nah...
HuntSmacker
Firstones Ambassador to Starcraftia
in Zocalo v2.0
So, my friend went to New York, Shanghai and Seoul all on just £3000 (about $6000). And not short stays either. And these are no cheap places we're talking. That being said I thought, huh, why am I saving up so much money if he can do that on so little? Why work my ass off just to travel if I can find a way to do it like that, lol. Your only young once, right? But is there anyone else out there who has managed to do amazing things with little funding?
Another one of my friends moved to another country, got some temp jobs and did all that with just a few grand too. But it really is a "all or nothing" gamble if you have nothing to fall back on. He has family to fall back on should it fail. I guess, I was kind of inspired by this a couple years now, and thought to myself... Maybe it's time I played poker with my life, afterall, what's the use of doing everything later rather than sooner? You could be sick tomorrow and not be able to do the things you want to do... I think it's better to live in the now, and if you really want to do something.. then you should do it. I have some big decisions to make over the coming weeks, as I've been thinking about "jumping ship" for a very long time now, and while for certain I'm going on a much needed vacation this year - I'm thinking of "changing" that vacation to a permanent one, or a working holiday per say. So I need some input...
Another one of my friends moved to another country, got some temp jobs and did all that with just a few grand too. But it really is a "all or nothing" gamble if you have nothing to fall back on. He has family to fall back on should it fail. I guess, I was kind of inspired by this a couple years now, and thought to myself... Maybe it's time I played poker with my life, afterall, what's the use of doing everything later rather than sooner? You could be sick tomorrow and not be able to do the things you want to do... I think it's better to live in the now, and if you really want to do something.. then you should do it. I have some big decisions to make over the coming weeks, as I've been thinking about "jumping ship" for a very long time now, and while for certain I'm going on a much needed vacation this year - I'm thinking of "changing" that vacation to a permanent one, or a working holiday per say. So I need some input...
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I get my own money, and spend it my own way..
And i've managed to see the world a bit already, and now I'm doing it even more. On my own little money.
I'm not smarter than regular people nor do I make more money than others (quite a lot less actually).. The only reason I do get abroad and actually have some things happen to me is that I get up from my lazy ass and make it so. :p
I'll soon be jumping ship myself. It's been a long time coming, but it'll probably be happening without the safety net I hoped to have of a job waiting for me at my destination.
Me luv u long time, sir.
Anyway with any plan make sure you have everything worked out. I do have plans to go to Mongolia next year by doing the following. I currently have $180 in savings. im going to build it up to $1000 when I get a steady job. When thats set Im making a Certificate of Deposit account that will build interest and lock it for a year. The goal is to continue to deposit into that account till I hit $5000 or more then wait for the lock to end and leave. I'll go through ST. Petersburg or Moscow spend a week or two there than jump on the trans-siberian railway and go strait to Ulanbaator. From Ulanbaator I'm going everywhere especially the Khalka River. All in all I hope to spend about two months there without dieing. Remember traditional Mongolian execution requires your wrapped in a rug and trambled by horses!
Don't know what the equiv is in London but with a nocd account you can set it up for 3 months,6 months a year or longer. And the interest rate is better than any savings you would make. It also stays locked at that interest rate you started with or you can bump it once to another rate. Hope I helped your decision. My dad sits on his money too and spends it on his gf and goes to Rome next Friday. :D
[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by HuntSmacker [/i]
[B] But is there anyone else out there who has managed to do amazing things with little funding?[/B][/QUOTE]
well i haven't done "amazing" things but i do got some rather cheap vacations in by simply knowing people in other countries. that got me some nice cheap vacations in edinburgh, near amsterdam and this year it'll be england (and hopefully canada at some point soon-ish) cause you only need to pay for the flight and food and not care about hotel or anything ;)
god praise the internet for international friendships :D
[B]Have a job. :rolleyes: So it's just a case of waiting for the right time really [/B][/QUOTE]
Right time is when you have enough money.
Also, having been there recently, I must question your statement that Shanghai is "no cheap place." :)
[QUOTE]Right time is when you have enough money.[/QUOTE]
But that's the point of this thread - Sometimes you have enough money but don't realise it.
[B]Well, it's not as cheap as other places in China, that's for sure.[/B][/QUOTE]
Naturally. But relative to large parts of the rest of the world (which is what matters in this context), it is cheap. :)
Usually the girls wanna meet in hotel tho, cuz live with parents or whatever. But hey, can't complain.. Manage to find cheap, but luxury hotels. Atleast in thailand.
I have noticed that people who earn lots more money tend to get much "tighter". Our boss here is on big money and yet one would have to use a spanner to prise 50 pence out of his hand. When it comes to buying things, even for use in the department he always looks at the 2nd hand approach. And yet he can splurge on himself using his "slush fund". His classic phrase when anything like a 2nd hand P3 pc turns up is "oooh I could give that to my daughter"... hmmm.
I'm lucky in a way, my dad has always been generous. When I was younger I worked on the farm every summer and didn't have any wage as such (yes slave labour :D ) which I didn't mind really as they were putting me through school etc. But he would always slip me the odd £20 or so if I was going out or getting a train somewhere, always when my mum wasn't looking too. When he was growing up money was very tight. So I think he likes to make sure his kids don't have to experience the same things he did. However sometimes parents can carry on the tight money mentality. I think its bad though if parents force their kids to pay for their own education. Obviously depends on circumstances but if I ever have kids I want them to have the best oppertunity in life and if they want to go to university I will do my best to make sure they can. I know of some people here who's parents gave their kids nothing at all. Pretty much cut them loose once they went to university. Not ideal IMO.