How To Save For A Trip

"I can't because I've got no money." 

How many of us have said that before? It's a sad fact that many people believe they can't go travelling, or even on a holiday, because they don't have a wad of spare cash lying about. Yes, travelling and holidaying can be expensive but if you really want to do it, you can. There's nothing stopping you except yourself! I'm not saying go and take out an overdraft or a credit card. No no, that's definitely not the way, I vowed to myself I'd never get into debt- bar my student loan, because that's enough in itself, isn't it?- especially to travel. 

So here are 9 ways people I know and myself have saved cash to go travelling:

• Get a Christmas temp job- When you first get to uni, a lot of stores would have already began hiring christmas temps. I applied really early, the end of August to be precise, and after around 30 applications, finally got an interview at John Lewis. Yes, it's time consuming and applications are long but THINK OF THE MONEY. Remember: Christmas is one of the easiest times to get a job because virtually everywhere need extra staff! I worked from November until January, around 16-20 hours a week (plus overtime) and earned between £6-7 per hour. A lot of people think they can't work and study at the same time, but if you're organised and determined to reach your goals, you can do anything.

• Tutor- If you're good at something, use it. I'm good at Maths, so in January I decided instead of applying for more jobs, I'd just tutor. I posted my profile on TutorHunt and an ad on Gumtree. I got so many responses! January is the prime time for tutors because people are thinking "crap, I need to work harder" so use it to your advantage. I have 8 students, work 12 hours a week and charge £15-20 an hour. In short, it worked out better for me than a normal retail job because I got higher wages and worked less hours.

• Alcohol? Bleugh- A lot of my friends ask me how I've saved enough money to go on so many holidays. Well, the truth of it is, I rarely go out. My party girl days are over (I can't believe I'm saying that at 18). Whilst the rest of my friends are spending their student loan on partying, alcohol and other substances which shall not be named, I'm jetting off somewhere! Go ahead, go out and enjoy yourself, but do it in moderation. A test: Take one month off from heavy drinking, partying and eating out. You'll be surprised to see how much you've saved! 

• Go on a study abroad/exchange- Every year the government offers a certain number of places for undergrads to study abroad, often during Easter. They pay for everything bar flights and visas, but you can always ask your Study Abroad office whether they can help with additional funding. On the other hand, most uni's also offer exchange programmes to countries all around the world. It usually varies depending on your department but if you do get accepted, you can also apply for a travel grant via Student Loan. Depending on your household income, the government may pay for up to 3 return flights from the UK and help with any additional fees such as vaccinations. Also, have a look at ERASMUS- I'm sure everyone would have heard of it before, even if you don't know what it actually is!

• Intern- There are HUNDREDS of internships abroad. If you're signed up to Prospects or TargetJobs you'll always get emails about them. The great thing about internships is that they're usually paid and some companies even offer accommodation for the duration of the intern. Best of all you have your weekends free to do what you want using the money you've earned!

• Get a TEFL qualification- If you're thinking about staying in one place for a month or more, I'd definitely suggest teaching English. A lot of countries, especially in Asia, want more English teachers so there's always vacancies. The course is often expensive and will require a few hours dedication a week but if you look on deal sites like kgbdeals, Groupon and WOWcher, you'll find them for a fraction of the cost. I got mine for £29 and it was originally £524- did someone say BARGAIN?!

• WWOOF!- If you don't mind some hard graft every now and again, you could try WWOOF-ing! It's essentially where you work on a farm and in exchange for 4-6 hours hard work, you get accommodation and food. Excellent for when you're strapped for cash! You can do this pretty much anywhere in the world and the time you spend there is negotiated with your host, so it's perfect if you're only somewhere for a short time. When Nile and I go on our year abroad, we will most definitely be doing this to save money!

• Leading on from WWOOF-ing, Volunteer. When I first started looking at volunteering I was shocked to see how much I would have to pay to volunteer. I mean isn't the whole point of volunteering so that it's virtually for nothing??? Anyway, a friend pointed me to Original Volunteers which is a LOT cheaper than most volunteering sites. STA travel also do packages which vary in price, but some are very unique and can't be found anywhere else. I've also found loads of wildlife centres in Africa who offer the whole package (accommodation, on-ground transport, food etc) for helping out at the centre. A must for animal lovers. Have a look around online, you'll definitely find something.

• Au Pair- If you're good with kids, this is definitely for you and NO it's not just for girls. There are loads of sites for Au Pairing internationally. The best way is to search for your host countries agencies, but you can also do it privately- just make sure you know the requirements to work in the country. Normally, your host family will provide accommodation, food and flights from your home country. Sometimes they even offer you a car and your own apartment! (But that's very rare). You also get a weekly wage which, since everything is pretty much paid for already, is just pocket money to you! 

A Guide To Paris

Ah Paris. Famous for it's beautiful monuments, gothic churches and fascinating museums, if you have a couple of days in the city, lucky you! You're in for a treat. There's an abundance of things to do, sights to see and places to visit. Depending on how long you're there for, you may not see everything you would like, so categorise what you want to do into Must-See's, If We Have Time's and Don't Really Care's. We like to wander a lot and aren't history buffs, so don't really have that many Must-See places, but fortunately, we always happen to stumble upon them anyway.

Nile and I went during Christmas 2013 for 4 nights and it was so magical. The streets were filled with festive lights and there were loads of Christmas Markets to visit (think Winter Wonderland but better, minus the rides). If you do go at Christmas time, be sure to visit the market near Place de la Concorde at the end of Champs-Élysées (basically Paris' Oxford Street) and the market, complete with Ice Rink, at Trocodéro opposite the Eiffel Tower. 

I would say the best way to see Paris, especially if you're only there for a couple of days, is to have a few Must-See's a day in the same area. For example, if you get up early, you can see (and go up) the Arc de Triomphe, Champs-Élysées, Place de la Concorde, Jardins des Tulieres and the Lourve all in one day, because they're all on one straight road. On the other hand, you can see the Panthéon, Notre-Dame, Sainte-Chapelle, Love Lock bridges and Centre Pompidou in one day too, because they're all within walking distance. If you want to go to the Grande Arche out in La Defense, the business district of Paris, you might want to think about spending the early morning or evening there. It's out of the city centre and not really near any other places of interest apart from two very nice shopping centres.

All in all we spent £1,100, which if you think about it, is a lot for a 5-day trip but it's the city of love, and love costs money. 

Here's my Top 10 things to do in Paris:

• Visit the Sacré Coeur at night- Not only beautiful during Christmas but at all times of the year. You can take a short shuttle up the steeper part of the hill, but we decided it would be fun to walk (wrong decision). BUT when you get to the top, you'll realise the struggle wasn't in vain. The view is AMAZING and it's the highest point in Paris so you can see pretty much everything. I say to go at night so you can see the city in all it's glory but I'm sure during the day it is just as beautiful. (Top tip: if you do take the stairs, don't look behind you until you get to the top. The view will literally make you catch your breath).

• Take a picture at Trocodéro- One of the most famous pictures you will see of the Eiffel Tower is taken standing in Trocodéro. You will see it time and time again, but aside from that, Trocodéro is in a beautiful setting. 

• Go to the Circus!- One of the highlights of our trip. We went to the Cirque d'Hiver and paid €50 each for seats close to the ring. It was absolutely mind-blowing so if you get the chance, go! For everyone with long legs, beware, the seats are tiny, so even though he enjoyed it, Nile was extremely uncomfortable.

• Go to a Cabaret- Doesn't really matter which one you go to because they're all different and plus it's all part of the experience. We went to the Lido for a 2 hour performance. I would have loved to go to the Moulin Rouge but it was waaay too expensive.

• Mum, Dad, under 18s, skip to the next post. Go to a strip club- Paris' red light district is near the Moulin Rouge at Blanche Métro station. It comes alive at night and it's an experience to say the least. It cost €40 for both of us to go into a club and includes a drink BUT don't go into the first place you see, that's a mistake we made. 

• Show your everlasting love- One of the most iconic things for couples or best friends to do to show their everlasting love, is place locks on the Ponts des L'Archevêché and Arts and throw the key into the River Seine. Be careful which bridge you put it on though: Des Arts is for your committed love whilst L'Archevêché is for your lover. Just to be on the safe side, we put locks on both.

• Get a Caricature- Nearly everywhere along the Seine there are cute little stalls selling antique books and photos. Every now and again you'll come across a painter or a caricaturist. We decided to get one done to remember our time in Paris. It was €30 and many of our friends and family have had a lot of fun laughing at it, as have we.

• Cruise the Seine- As mentioned, Nile and I aren't history people so the thought of spending an hour listening to someone talking about the history of buildings and monuments may have sounded boring, but it was a great was to see the city and learn a little bit about why the buildings were actually there. Plus it was only €12 each!

• Go up the Arc de Triomphe- It's a long walk up a spiral staircase but when you get to the top you'll find yourself with a smile on your face. You can see a total 360° view of Paris from here, including all the way to the Grande Arche. Plus it was freeee! (see my next blog on How to Save Money in Paris)

  

  A View down Les Champs-Elysees from the Arc de Triomphe
  
  
  
  
  
  

  See the Mona Lisa- Both times I've been to Paris, I've missed out on this because I've always gotten there too late BUT if you're a historian, artist or just want to see it, I would definitely put this on the Must-See list.