One Mans Odyssey

If you don't have the money to just drop everything and go then This is for You. If you need to help funding your gap year or saving for a gap year, This is for You. I've contained a few ideas to make saving for your trip that little bit easier!

Find somebody that works a commission based job and get them leads for a percentage of their cut if that's possible. One that many don't think of but has helped me a bit.

Working full time is where most of money came from but also minimize outgoings. I'm living with my mother at the moment and got her to drop the rent charges whilst saving as a birthday present instead of more stuff I don't need. If you have moved out maybe moving back in or to a cheaper location could be an option just whilst you save.

Ebay and setting up mini-businesses can also get you some extra cash. This blog has even brought me in some contributions before I've even left the country!

My number one piece of advice though is to write everything down and allow yourself a certain amount to blow otherwise you will blow the lot. I have been saving for 3 or 4 months and knew what area every penny incoming would be coming from and going to. I also re-wrote this monthly to account for any changes and keep things fresh in my mind.

OPTIONAL: To assist your willpower, open a bank account with somebody out of the way or at least just different to your current bank. This way transfers are not instant and you have to make extra effort to take out your savings giving you more of a chance to think about if it's really worth it.

If you wanted to know how to pay for a gap year then hopefully this has given you a few ideas.

Best of Luck,

Daniel McClure

If the thought of planning a trip to another country for months and sometimes a year or more seems like a huge task then this may be the answer… There are many people who can practically plan your ultimate gap experience for you. It is very easy to find a gap year travel program and they will often include many if not all of the things you wanted anyway. As they arrange these trips for many people you can sometimes get discounted activities or will find they have some service that will help you to get a job.

All you have to do is decide which is best for you, read the brochure see if it fits in with your idea of a good time and then the rest is up to them to organise. Don't think that you will be completely restricted by choosing one of these companies. A recent brochure I ordered from Real Gap included everything from diving courses to volunteer work as a 'Jackaroo'!

If you do decide that you want to take this route then make sure you consider the value for money. Ensure that if it doesn't include everything you require that you can afford the rest on top of your package. Things to consider are visas, insurance etc.

After reading the company brochure feel free to ask all the questions you have about the program to their team. This way you can ensure that you really have all the necassary details and that it is the right fit for you. It's better to have too much information than not enough when buying into these packages. Another idea is speaking to a rep to discuss what you want out of your experience and have them fit a packagae to your needs. 

I chose not to take a packagae as I wanted to be truely independant but I can see how they could help many people and take away a lot of the probably needless time and effort I've added into researching the best way to start out etc. The most well known company I've encountered so far is linked above where you can request a free brochure. Many people I've spoken to are going with them and rate them highly. Again it's all down to personal preference. I might have to take them up on their Chinese trip after oz though

Best of Luck,

Daniel McClure