Traveller looking for ideas to further finance trip beyond the 40 hour work week...

July 5, 2007 1:44 PM

How can I access/acquire more funds for my upcoming trip to Asia?

I am currently working fulltime with as much overtime as I can trying to save enough money to travel to India/Thailand in January 2008. I've crunched some numbers and realize that in order for me to be able to comfortably backpack for 6+ months, I am going to need a considerable amount of money on top of what I will be making in order to fulfill my plans.

What are my options to fund this trip beyond what I am already doing? Specifically, are there grants or bursaries for students taking a year off to travel? I am a Canadian Citizen, if that matters. Should I consider a work visa and is it helpful in Asia (mainly India, Thailand, Turkey, etc)?

I intend to keep an extensive travel journal as well as take photographs. I have skill in both these areas. Is that worth anything as far as sponsorships go? I've heard of companies sponsoring individuals who later come back and "present" how great of an investment their company made in you. Will companies actually do this?

Any other ideas? I'm open-minded and willing to take that extra mile to make that extra buck. Thanks.

posted by ageispolis to Travel & Transportation (5 answers total)

UMich has a listing of scholarships/grants along with MSU. I'd recommend you look through those and apply for anything ASAP as deadlines for 2008 are probably closing.

An related older thread also had some good links like couchsurfing and helpx, though I'd imagine those two would be of more use in Western countries.

Lastly, how much are you spending per day? Part of the reason why I love traveling in SE Asia is that it's so cheap (aside from the initial cost of the ticket).
posted by hobbes at 2:19 PM on July 5, 2007

If you're a reliable sort, you can post your plan on prosper.com and have individual people lend you the money you need. Prosper.com is a sort of individual lending auction where individuals bid whatever interest rate they'd want in return for loaning you their personal money.
posted by gregor-e at 2:21 PM on July 5, 2007

If you've got a car, sell it before you go.
posted by mdonley at 3:49 PM on July 5, 2007

Work when you get there. There are plenty of TEFL jobs in thailand. They pay little but the bring you into contact with locals who can help you get a better deal on most amenities.
posted by gergtreble at 4:38 PM on July 5, 2007

I teach English abroad. It's a real job with long hours and low pay. If you do decide to teach English in Thailand, be sure to bring your original credentials (university degree) with you; it's illegal to teach English in Thailand without one and most legitimate schools, I imagine, aren't interested in being fined or bribing the immigration police to deal with short-term vacationers. Maybe you could tutor under the table or something, but either way, you'd have to create relationships with people, and that takes both time and being settled in one place. I'm not saying it's impossible, just a hassle.

How much do you have right now, and what's your savings goal? Could you move back home and stop paying rent? That would save heaps.
posted by mdonley at 6:08 PM on July 5, 2007