Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with Money and travel

European on a "grand tour": how did they store their money?

mstillwell — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 05:51:47 -0800

How did rich European gentlemen on a "grand tour" of Europe in the 18th Century manage their finances? I can't imagine they carried enough money (or gold) to support months or years of travel--was there a system of banks they could use? Or credit notes? Also, how did they arrange to get their packages shipped home?

Cheapest way from Tokyo to Kumamoto?

0bvious — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 03:09:56 -0800

Last minute Japan travel: after making an error with timing I need to arrange one-way travel from Tokyo to Kumamoto quite quickly. What are the cheapest options? I have looked into flights and trains (for the 17th of August) and both seem expensive (about £200-£250 a ticket). I am in the UK at the moment. Would it be worth waiting until we arrive in Japan? Perhaps trying to get last minute flights at the airport? Information on this site suggests cheap train travel, but has no links to buy: frommers.com

Air travel is looking pricey: farecompare.com or skyscanner.net

Is it possible to book overnight traisn from the UK? what re the other cheap-cheap train options?

Any help or advice you have would be much appreciated

I miss recess

Anonymous — Sun, 26 Jul 2009 14:29:08 -0800

I'm fresh out of college, I have a job I love, and everything's going great. But it would be awesome if I could have more time off, because of a few reasons, and I can afford it... but does anyone do that? I'm making 'A' a month and spending almost a thousand bucks less than that paycheck. As odd as it is, at this point I could afford to support myself for a few months, maybe a year even, with savings, since I rarely spend and always work.

Everything's great, except I'm in a long-distance relationship (about 100 mile distance, with bus/car/train transportation in between) with an amazing girl who is leaving the country for three months, and then going to be in school for a year. So, going down for weekends is great, and I will do that as much as humanly possible, but I'd like weeks. I get 15 days of vacation time (how does that compare to other jobs in the web-field?), which I'm going to split between a few days before and a week or two during her trip to the other side of the world, in which I'm going to fly there too.

So, my situation is: I'd like to just say, could I take, say, another 10 days off of work, unpaid? I know this is a personal thing, but I'm wondering if it's so nonstandard and possibly annoying for the company that I shouldn't even bring it up? Has anyone does this and how does it work out?

More time would be so great, if I could take off fall/spring break or something, that would be so incredibly golden, and seriously, I could do it financially.

I guess this is related to the question 'why don't people work less when they earn more?,' which I also wonder about...

How to travel and volunteer for a very first timer?

pixxie — Sun, 12 Jul 2009 07:49:17 -0800

My current volunteering gig is standing still, how do I search for a new one and be able to travel? I am a 26 year-old female living in Canada throughout much of my life. I have never traveled anywhere except moving from one province to another. In 2007, I obtained my BSci in Chemistry, then I decided to pursue something I truly want which is Nutrition and Physiology. Since last year, I have been volunteering @ this NGO with the hope that I would be “shipped off” somewhere to do humanitarian work. However, this NGO will NOT send any volunteers oversea and being a French (especially) and/or Spanish speaker is a plus for this fairly big organization. At the office, I perform mostly secretarial tasks such as being a webmaster for its website, using Illustrator CS3 to design icons for training modules, etc. In spite of meeting some wonderful people in the office and doing something I enjoy on the side, I get very very bumped out every now and then. Why? Because what I wish to do is to volunteer with regard to global nutrition, not doing clerical tasks that are identical to my job @ school. In addition, it is also a personal reason. I have spent the past 8 years always worrying/stressing about money and student loans (I receive zero contribution from my parents), such that I never get to enjoy much of my summer or life rather. Instead of just moping around, I really want to make some changes NOW. Therefore, I really need some step-by-step advice as to where to start:

1) Is everyone volunteering for NGOs always multilingual? What other organizations can you recommend to me that will emphasize more on my education background (I don’t want to teach English or get some random jobs just for the sake of “seeing the world”, I want to help the underprivileged), rather strictly based on what languages I can speak?

2) Starting in September, I plan on taking some Spanish classes @ the YMCA. In the meantime, I want to get a head-start in the next few weeks before school starts so that I can become more familiar with the language. I honestly don’t expect to grasp a new language overnight, but if I keep this up, do you believe I will have the adequate background to converse semi-fluently by the end of April?

3) Like I mentioned earlier, I am a total noob when it comes to traveling, thus I don’t want to shop around and try to learn everything any person can possibly know about cheap airfares, restaurants, etc. I decided Argentina is where I want to go. With this focus in mind, where can I find the best site (e.g. blogs?) that is not only there to discuss about the country’s hot destinations, but is also informative as to HOW to travel for a clueless person like me?

4) Money is a major issue for me. Trying to support myself throughout the school terms and saving for the trip can be challenging. Hence, I need to set some sort of a goal to get myself motivated. How much money do you think I need to save prior the trip? Is $4000 CDN enough?

4) Is anyone here familiar with Idealist.org or has had participated for this organization? What are some of your thoughts about it? Pros and cons?

Is there anything else I can do? If not, help me let it go.

Anonymous — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 15:34:41 -0800

Is there any further action I can take to recoup the financial loss and and deal with the emotional frustration resulting from my university's swine-flu-panic decision to cancel a much-anticipated field research opportunity? For over a year, my fellow grad students and I had been planning for a month-long field research opportunity in [foreign country]. For several of us, it was part of our motivation to attend this university – research opportunities in our field for non-PhD grad students are rare, and this is a small and amazing program to benefit a community in need. The summer research has been going on successfully for several years now. Our professor works unbelievably hard to arrange this...it takes an amazing amount of coordination and resources to make it all come together.

A few days after swine flu was initially announced in the media (late April) – and almost two months before our research was to begin, this June – I received notice from our professor that our trip had been canceled by a [certain office at the university in charge of assessing risk]. Upon hearing this, we all made many attempts to salvage the situation on many fronts, to no avail. Because swine flu is no longer a major threat, the tickets are booked through online travel companies, and the flights are international, none of us are able to reschedule or refund our tickets. Even with insurance, which I bought at booking. We also can't afford to take a "forced vacation" (ie. taking our flights and spending a month playing in [foreign country]). For me, this is $600 of sunk cost. Additionally, this research would have provided us with a summer opportunity to earn a necessary 3 units towards our graduation. Without it, many of us must spend an extra unplanned semester at our university, including the cost of tuition, books, and time spent. And of course, not to mention missing out on the experience of a lifetime, which can't really be compensated for any other way.

Two weeks after the decision, I contacted the person at the university office that made the cancellation, and sent them a very professional yet personal email explaining how this negatively impacted us students, and that we are unable to resolve things. He ignored all that, and replied with a generic response and blamed the State Dept. for the decision. This prompted me to send a follow-up email, calmly expressing my frustration with his manner of communication, lack of concern, and the financial cost and emotional distress his/their decision has left us with. He remains unconcerned, and frankly, somewhat hostile with his minimal replies. This all has left me feeling bitter, disillusioned, and now angry.

My flight leaves this Friday, without me on it. As it approaches, I feel increasingly helpless and frustrated. I cannot seem to let this go. Especially if there is something more I could do to resolve the financial or emotional aspects of this unfortunate situation.

Are there any things I can do, big or small that will:
a) Make me/us feel better.
b) Get the university to acknowledge us and/or take some positive action, however small, to help us out and/or prevent their lame handling of a situation from happening again. I do not wish to start controversy or create problems however.
c) Help recoup the $600 airline cost – even if it has nothing to do with the airline, flight insurance or booking agency. I've tried calling all places, several times. There is no getting the money back. I can however dump an extra $200 + additional cost of airfare to take a flight I don't need anymore to a place I don't want to go to (and can't afford to go to) in the next six months, if I so wish.
d) Help me just let it all go, if that's where I really should be focusing my energy.

The positives from all of this are helping somewhat...I do get to do some important things and attend some events that otherwise wouldn't get to (since I would have been out of the country). However, I keep thinking about the lack of concern by the school and missing out on this amazing experience. What can I do?

Help me Hivemind: spending money and eating veggie in Japan.

Kirn — Wed, 27 May 2009 10:55:40 -0800

How much spending money do I need for 10 days in Japan? And: help me eat vegetarian while I'm there. I'll be visiting Japan for 10 days from the 8th of June. That's 3 days in Tokyo, 4 days in Kyoto (with a day trip to Nara and possibly another one to Osaka, and a few hours spent in Nagoya), 2 days in Hiroshima (with a day trip to Miyajima island) and finally 1 day in Narita.

I'm trying to get an idea of how much spending money I should take. Flights, hotels and JR pass are all booked already, but I'll pay to get around Tokyo for the first 3 days (subway or trains) and from Narita Airport->Tokyo, as the JR pass is only for the last 7 days. I won't be looking to eat anywhere that expensive, though doing so by accident is quite possible. I'll be looking to take some souvenirs home, but I'm not after anything specific (and unlikely to go for expensive electronics etc.) and travelling carry-on only so space is limited. I'm travelling with friends so we'll probably want to go out drinking some nights, but not clubbing. No specific tourist destinations in mind but we'll be going to see temples, maybe a couple of museums etc.

So: how much spending money should I take?

And... I'd like to make an appeal for advice on eating vegetarian in Japan. I get that this will be difficult and that there's fish stock/flakes in everything - I'm ok with the fish stock/flakes but would like to avoid meat/fish flesh/seafood.

So my second question is: are there any common vegetarian dishes (with or without fish flakes but ideally without) that I can look for in restaurants? Something I can learn the name of and be sure (or at least relatively sure) that I'm getting something flesh-free? (What about convenience stores etc.?)

And finally: if I learn phrases for 'do you have anything without meat, fish or seafood?' and 'can you make it without meat/fish/seafood?', what kind of response am I likely to get in typical eateries? Refusal/bewilderment/misunderstanding/annoyance? (I won't be able to carry on a conversation as I only know a few basic words and phrases, though I will occasionally be accompanied by a fluent Japanese speaker.)

Thanks very much in advance everyone, and sorry for the many sprawling questions - I'm trying to get the most out of my weekly questions before I go! For what it's worth, I'm a 24-year old male from the UK, travelling with 2-3 guys and 1 girl of similar ages.

Road trip USA for Aussie noob

b33j — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 18:09:17 -0800

International Travel novice: What do I need to know that I don't know that I don't know? I'm Australian (from warm Queensland), meeting a friend from the Netherlands in the USA (Florida) in February 2010 for a two month road trip that will go through Canada (via Texas, California, Washington and many other places - itinerary mostly not set in stone yet) with the aim to concentrate on mutual internet friends, natural beauty and historical places. Tourist attractions (like Disneyland), not so much.

I know that I need airline tickets (but when do I book?) and a passport (what about visas?). What else do I need to know? Tips on packing (buy my winter stuff there?), on flight luggage, changing currency, paying for things over there (travellers cheques? Will my debit card work? What about my Mastercard? Will I have to pay fees for exchange of currency?). How much will it cost? How much would you set aside per day for living expenses if you were doing it cheap? What about powering my battery charger for my camera - should I be the converter here or there? Storage for my photos?

What should I have asked in this question that I didn't think to ask? Books and websites much appreciated as well as personal anecdotes.

Online currency exchange?

krisptoria — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 16:57:55 -0800

Anyone here have experience ordering foreign currency online? I know I'm over-preparing for my four day trip to Montreal, but I'd really like to have some CAD in hand when I get there. I'm sorta too lazy to find a bank around here that will do it for me...

How to be a working nomad?

bodywithoutorgans — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 04:20:33 -0800

I am a recent college graduate and I also suffer a good deal of wanderlust. There is the inevitable problem of combining work and play. At my university, the only career advice I received was graduate school or working the traditional 9-5 job. I'm wondering if it's possible to travel and earn money? I'm not really interested in teaching English abroad, being an au-pair, and I've read this post. I'm more interested in the nebulous world of telecommuting and freelancing. I've seen this guy's page, but it sounds a little vague. I'd like to make money in a country where cost of living is low with a unique culture (Thailand, Guatemala, Kenya) but at the same time has access to steady internet so I can work.
Some specifics:
1) How does one break into the freelancing/telecommuting world? I know some webdesign (PHP/MySQL) and programming but often geared at an academic level for university classes. I don't have the faintest clue how to make money out of this! I have some down time right now where I'm picking up skills and making a portfolio. Any advice?
2) Will the stability of the internet connection be a factor? Will I need to have access to an internet cafe every day?
3) How are taxes worked out? Are there any books/information for people who are US citizens but live/work globally?
4) How does health insurance work out?

Thanks a lot MeFi!

Fun and money required

djgh — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 11:04:42 -0800

Eight months out - how to have fun and earn money - preferably abroad? I'm based in the UK, and from about July I should have around eight months out to do my own thing.

Where can I go, and what can I do whereby I can have fun and earn money at the same time? For example, in the winter months I could work in a ski resort in North America or Europe, so ski and earn.

What reputable websites etc. have tons of good info on this - I've Googled, but with a ton of options I'd like a recommendation as to a good site.

What should I be looking to do in the next few months to prepare? (e.g. visas, brush up on language skills etc.)

Any other thoughts? I'd really like to make this time as awesome and varied as possible, and I'm not looking to make huge amounts of cash - essentially enough to live and to save for my next ticket somewhere.

more bang for my meager buck

mustcatchmooseandsquirrel — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 13:35:50 -0800

I'm going to Rome for one week in February. How can I cheap out on lodging while there? I'm traveling with my boyfriend. The trip itself is only affordable to begin with because of the awesomeness of EasyJet. We're planning on trying to couchsurf but, if that doesn't work out, do you know of any hostels/hotels/monasteries where we can stay for less than 30euros/night total cost? (if you have any other advice on enjoying oneself in Rome while not spending much money, that's welcome too!)

points management needed for frequent flier, frequent sleeper, frequent shopper

milkdropcoronet — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 06:48:22 -0800

Hotel points, airline points, credit card points, fast food points -- is there an app out there that helps you track all the various loyalty/awards programs? Who has time to really keep track of all the points and miles we rack up in a multitude of different loyalty programs? But the truth is that every time we stay at a hotel, or travel to get there, or eat somewhere, or buy anything, we're racking up some kind of points somewhere for some kind of program.

Is there an easy way to track this stuff in one place? As opposed to visiting each program's proprietary website. Maybe some kind of spreadsheet template? A cute and bubbly web 2.0 site would be good too :)

Looking for advice about getting and spending money while in Mexico.

iamkimiam — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 15:02:20 -0800

Traveling to Oaxaca, Mexico next week. Looking for advice and information about money while I'm there. A friend and I will be spending some time in Oaxaca, Mexico in July. We are wondering about how to get and spend money while we're there. Specifically, whether or not it is better to bring dollars in, or go to ATMs once we arrive. Why? How do conversion rates work? Should we get pesos too? What ratio of dollars-to-pesos should we have? Where is our bargaining power and when is it most effective to offer to pay with dollars versus pesos? Any other monetary info welcome as well. Thanks!

I am 21 and bored with life

thegmann — Thu, 08 May 2008 17:45:52 -0800

I am 21, male, and I'm pretty bored with life, I feel stressed about doing nothing. I am having trouble figuring out what it is I really want to do with all of the time I have right now, and I've definitely been stagnating. Give me some advice! I've run a small computer business since I was about 14, and now I've gotten completely bored with it, but I have so much of it automated and outsourced at this point I really do very little (probably 4-6 hours a week) and all of my bills get paid, and I have enough to let me be comfortable for the month (hang with friends, go out, etc.). I recently got my motorcycle license because riding a motorcycle sounds like a ton of fun to me and I've been looking at motorcycles but I can't afford to pay cash for one. I don't want to take on the debt of a loan for something I could possibly destroy within weeks of owning it.

I've always been very motivated but I tend to love having a creative outlet. In high school I was in every play I could get into and I would take extracurricular classes that sounded interesting. I didn't apply for any schools after high school as I was working, but now I am planning on starting at my local CC come fall because I miss the social environment school gave me. In my current work I don't meet anyone new and my daily life is for the most part spent inside or out with my old high school buddies doing nothing very productive.

I have a huge urge to travel but again money comes to mind. I don't want to get a salaried job- I've only worked one in my entire life and while it was an interesting place to be in it didn't challenge me at all.

I feel like I'm just rambling now, I know I'm lucky to be in the position I'm in, I'm in Southern California with all of the time in the world, given my position, what would you do?

Travelfilter: When to tip, who to tip and how much to tip?

stackhaus23 — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 04:37:46 -0800

Ok, so I'm traveling to the States from the UK for the first time and I realise that you guys tip pretty much everyone. So I need to know when to tip, who to tip and how much to tip? If someone takes you in a taxi you tip them, if they get you a drink you tip them, if they carry your bags you tip them etc...

But - who else, and how much am I supposed to tip them... and when? If I go to a bar and order a drink do I slip the bartender a sly dollar bill or just give it to them when I pay and tell them to keep the change? If I'm at a cafe do I tip the server or do I put it in the jar on the counter? I'm just trying to avoid awkward situations and prevent myself from looking like too much of a noob!

Thanks for any advice...

Safe way to transfer money

Julnyes — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 11:40:05 -0800

How to handle an international refundable payment so that all parties are satisfied? I will be staying in an apartment rental on my upcoming trip to Paris.

I went through a website that a friend has used before, but the person renting the apartment is new to the site. They are asking for a security deposit upon our arrival that will be refunded at the end of our stay in case of damage, etc to the apartment.

I am a little uncomfortable just handing over a stack of euros in an envelope to a complete stranger. What steps should I take to maximize a safe transaction for all involved.. Should I request a receipt? Give him the deposit in some other format? personal check? international money order? Should I also request a list of items that would result in the money not being refunded?

When is the best time to buy a vacation package to get the best deal?

sevenyearlurk — Sat, 23 Feb 2008 06:25:18 -0800

When is the best time to buy a vacation package to get the best deal? A friend and I are planning a week's all-inclusive resort vacation for March, and we're starting to get psyched out trying to figure out when to pull the trigger and buy the tickets to get the best deal. We missed one good deal already, and now it seems like the number of options available are rapidly diminishing and increasing in price. Can we expect prices to fall again closer to the travel date? We're flexible enough to be okay with last-minute options but worried that these much-ballyhooed last-minute deals might be more myth than reality. If it matters, we're in Toronto hoping to go to the Mayan riviera in Mexico but we'd consider going somewhere else if a great deal came up.

Recommendations for a financial advisor/accountant for a young couple?

scazza — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 13:51:24 -0800

Recommendations for a financial advisor/accountant for a young couple in NYC? We've read a lot about finances, but I would like to sit down with a person. I'd prefer someone who can do it all; to slog through all of our financial life, to ask questions of, to plan, to do taxes, not just someone interested in investing. I don't know if it should be someone who specialises in freelancers (arts and computing) if there is such a thing, and I think I'm looking for someone independent because I don't want to worry about prejudiced advice.

We both have irregular careers: his as a specialized-but-underpaid programmer doing both freelance work and a day job that changes every couple of years; hers currently studying but eventually working in a performing art that involves lots of travel and work accomodation (apartments) paid out of pocket (but tax-deductible) and pay on a performance-only basis.

With this in mind, we have no idea how to achieve our goals. We are relatively good at our basic budgeting and financial management but need help with saving for retirement (IRA) and a baby someday, managing his 401K (503b), improving credit, buying a home as soon as practicable (we feel like we're throwing money away on NYC rent), affording travel to stay close to family on three coasts of the US, plus the UK and NZ, and very necessary vacations. A wedding would be nice too but it seems too complicated already.

Thanks!

Biking through Europe -- money, food, and transportation?

fjardt — Fri, 07 Dec 2007 18:21:02 -0800

I need advice on how to get food and money while traveling through Europe, and how to transport my bike. I'm planning a trip to europe from the US. I want to do this probably in february until.. who knows, open ended. I have, naturally, some questions.

I want to bring my bike and plan to do a lot of cycling to get places. I am comfortable with long distance cycling/touring. Will i be able, though, to bring my bike on the planes, trains, and boats? How will this affect cost? Will my beloved (i work on bikes, the one i'll be taking is custom built) be damaged?

Naturally i want to keep things cheap, and i am already investigating things like WWOOF and Couch Surfers for food and stay, but what other ways are there? I know there are things like farmers' markets, but are these generally expensive? Where else would be cost effective to buy (hopefully good and fresh) food?

I also plan to camp places. I have read that in most places unofficial camping is ok, as long as i am quiet and pack up and clean up quickly. What have you heard?

I would like to stay in some of these places more than my budget allows, so this would mean getting a job. What sort of jobs would be available? I mean, "under the table"? Could i realistically get a work visa?

My stats: completed a semester at my state uni, leaving for adventure. I speak German and English, and i have basic understanding of Spanish, Swedish/Norwegian/Danish and am very interested and passionate about languages (i'm a linguistics major), and i can learn quite quickly.

Countries i am interested in visiting: Ireland, Sweden, Netherlands, Germany (i have friends in all of the above), Spain, and Italy.

If there are any details You might see in my statements above that would lend themselves to a good response that i may not have asked directly, please feel free. Any resources are appreciated!

Thanks Metafilter!

Is there a lawyer on the plane?

Weebot — Thu, 11 Oct 2007 15:32:12 -0800

[JobFilter] Hivemind, decide how much I should be paid. I recently flew out of state to attend a conference with a my supervisor and a couple of my co-workers. I flew out of California Sunday afternoon, and flew back from Colorado Wednesday afternoon. I'm now looking at my bi-weekly time card, and I do not know how I should report the time. None of my co-workers have this problem: they're salaried, while I'm an hourly worker. There wasn't any real tracking of what hours were explicitly on-the-clock and what was off-the-clock, and those hours seemed to bleed into each other anyway. The travel expenses have been taken care of.

I talked with accounting, who seem a bit unsure about this as I do; they eventually said to list seven hours each day plus the hours for the plane flights. That seems like I'd be underreporting to me. I do want to get paid for as much as I can, but I don't want to exaggerate the claim (I work for a non-profit, so I'd loathe to take money for hours I didn't work.) It seems like at one end, I'd be paid for all the time I spent out-of-state (which sounds like way too much,) and on the other end, I be paid as if it were just a normal work day (which sounds like way too little.) Does anyone have any advise regarding this situation? Does the FLSA say anything about hourly workers sent out-of-town on business? Is this something I just have to negotiate with my employer where we just agree that I worked a certain amount of hours and leave it at that? Is there a formula somewhere I could use in this situation?

How can I make money while traveling?

leftfooter — Fri, 31 Aug 2007 14:22:50 -0800

I have no money, but can travel for free.....could this work? Here's the deal.....I have (almost) free worldwide travel for the next year to go pretty much anywhere in the world, bar Africa & Russia. Eg., India, China, Japan, Phillipines, Bali, Argentina, Brazil, Venezuala, Columbia, Equador, Peru, All central America and All of Western Europe with the USA as my hub.

The Problem is I don't have much money. I was thinking that maybe there is a way to make some money by buying stuff in one country and selling it in another, while not getting in trouble with the relative authorities, and traveling on the proceeds. I'm not looking to screw people, but I'd like to travel to these places and this was just an idea I had about financing it.

Would anyone have any suggestions of good products\items to look into? Or a particular item that is cheap in one place and more expensive in another?

Obviously the volume would have it's limits as would the legality......not looking to become a drug mule!

Thanks for any suggestions, I really am looking forward to doing some traveling!

Advice for living overseas but getting paid at home

Nothing — Thu, 02 Aug 2007 12:03:35 -0800

I'm looking for advice on banking while living overseas but getting paid in the US for a year. The details: I will be working for a US company and being paid to a US account, but I will be living in Dakar, Senegal. I need to be able to get to my money for living expenses without paying ridiculous fees for the transfer / currency conversion. Almost everything is done in cash in Dakar. Online banking is a must, of course, but local access is just as important.

I have heard Citibank is pretty good for this kind of thing. And I have a PenFed account that might be useful. I plan to call my current bank and talk to them too. But I am sure anyone who has actually done this before will have lots of advice.

Carrying lots of cash in Africa?

gottabefunky — Mon, 09 Jul 2007 12:06:45 -0800

What's the best and safest way to travel through some rather sketchy parts of Africa with a sizable chunk of cash? I'm going on an extended trip through East Africa this summer.

Most of the places I'm going won't take travelers checks or credit cards, and I'll only be able to hit an ATM every few weeks at best.

So I'm going to have to carry a decent amount of cash on me, as in probably $500-1,000 at a time.

I'm wondering about some clever ways to do this - cash in the shoes? among the bandaids? two money pouches at a time? - and any other general tips on money security in sketchy regions.

I'm trying to plan for worst-case scenarios (entire bag gets stolen, etc).

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

ageispolis — Thu, 05 Jul 2007 13:44:33 -0800

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.

I really don't like these headline/titles. I think it's pretty clear in the question.

greta simone — Wed, 11 Apr 2007 18:10:44 -0800

What can I do for a month this summer that will get me out of the country, cover my costs, and cover my bills back home? I am starting a graduate program around the middle of August in the same town where I already live. My temp job is ending June 30th. So essentially I have about a month and a half this summer to do something interesting. I could get a job waiting tables and just dick around for a little while, but that just won’t cut it.

What I really want to do is to go abroad for about a month (ideally Florence, Italy). The catch: it has to be pretty much close to free and would hopefully make me some money. I have to be able to cover about $1600 in household expenses to cover a month of my absence (I can’t sublet, I love my roommate too much to do that to her) and afford airfare and whatever expenses there will be once I get there. In an ideal world, someone would pay me $3000 to housesit in Florence for a month. But since that probably won’t happen I need to come up with ideas of somewhere I can go for a month that will give me $3000 to do it, and put set me up with a free bed in the process. Short of winning the lottery (which I have tried a few times, damn scratch-offs), there is no way I could save even 10% of that amount by the end of June. I looked into au pair programs but those seem to require more time than I have and pay very little.

I know this is a ridiculous hope, and I don’t expect anyone to have any answers, but if you have ANY off the wall ideas to get me out of town (anywhere, I’m presently in NC) for cheap (or for pay!) for a month this summer, let me know. Or if YOU need a housesitter or au pair where ever you are and have $3000 laying around….