Going on a career break is the perfect opportunity to take some time out, discover new things and meet friends for life – but they can work out on the expensive side as you tot up the cost of travel, accommodation and food and drink whilst away.
That’s why it’s important to budget accordingly and save plenty of cash to fund your trip. So instead of playing Sunset Beach on SuperCasino to get a taste of what’s it’s like spending time on that sandy shore, get counting those pennies and book a flight!
Length of trip
The first thing to consider is how long do you plan to travel for? A year away will require a substantial amount of savings, while a couple of months will call for considerably less.
Are you hopping on a plane and working things out when you get there or are you signing up with a tour operator who plans everything out for you?
Whatever your plans, saving up enough money to pay for things before you leave will help when you get out there, so all you need to worry about is paying for food, drink and those last minute excursions.
Initial funds
A savings account is the best way to save up and keep track of your funds before you go travelling, be ruthless and put every available penny away. It might mean missing out on a few things but it will all be worth it when you have plenty of cash for your trip and aren’t scrambling for pennies before you leave.
Make sure you take out a bank account you can access whilst abroad as well as a credit card with a low interest rate for emergencies (wanting to buy some extra cocktails does not count as an emergency).
You could also look into a prepaid overseas card, which will save you money on transaction fees and only lets you spend a certain amount of money because it works like a pay-as-you-go card.
Travel and work
You can of course fund your career break whilst travelling by taking on work in the country, this will involve applying for working Visas and looking for a job before you go away so be prepared to call lots of recruiters and spend time looking online.
Australia is a good location for working whilst travelling, bear in mind that jobs will usually involve manual labour and work on temporary contracts, Japan is another popular career break destination and offers plenty of English teaching jobs, which pay well. If you’re planning a road trip across the US then summer is the ideal time to head there to work in one of the country’s many summer camps for kids.
Travel options
Whilst it might be a nice idea to hop on planes and trains to make your way around your desired location, luxury travel can work out very expensive. For example, in Thailand coaches are the best way to get around, with trains and taxis amounting to huge bills and being very slow at the same time.
Hiring cars and bikes can also work out to be costly so look around for ways to get about and if the trip takes a little longer but reduces your costs significantly use it as an opportunity to sightsee along the way.
A year-long career break doesn’t have to be pricey if you are sensible about your spending and are willing to be a little frugal in the run up. Shop around for deals, pay up front and most importantly go and have an amazing experience.
