So, in spite of how it may seem at times, the original purpose of this blog is to narrate how I’m going to manage to spend the summer in Mexico without a lot of money. Like I said, I’ve saved about $1600, which is, by my way of thinking, a lot of money, but when I search travel websites and look at how much they CLAIM it will cost, I realize that maybe I’m a minimalist. Either way, from experience, I can say that once you know a few key facts about the country that you’re planning to travel to, you can greatly reduce the cost of your trip!
I found a really amazing website once that provided a list of free and low-cost volunteer sites throughout Latin America. I’ll find that for you as soon as I can, but I just want to emphasize here that there are a ton of big-name companies that will charge you an arm and a leg to be a volunteer in a foreign country, while you can often travel to a location and go through local organizations for a much better deal. That’s actually my current plan. I’ll let you know how it works out this time around. 
I did something similar in Japan and ended up meeting a group of wonderful families with children with special needs who will be my friends forever! Also, my volunteer work the first time I went to Oaxaca really opened my eyes to a part of the community that I wouldn’t have had access to otherwise. There’s so much you can do if you just network, network, network!
I’ve gotten a bit off-topic here.
So, how do you pull together $1600? In my case, about 3 months ago, I didn’t have any of it! Here’s where it came from:
- Babysitting!
- DVD Player sold on Craigslist.com
- Books sold at local used bookstore
- Last month’s paycheck w/student “fee relief” bonus
- Moving out of apartment – no rent payment + security deposit (hopefully! Couch-surfing during the first two weeks of June)
- One more paycheck on the way
- Trying to sell various other items that I own on Craigslist.com to cover food expenses for this month and to pump up my financial situation for when I get back…
Subtract from that the one-way ticket that I purchased for approx. $300, and you’ve got about the amount that I calculated I would need in order to survive for the summer! The most important point? Be creative! Got skills? Advertise them! I love kids, so I’ll happily babysit. What’s your talent? What junk do you have lying around? Are you really going to use it? If you really want to make it happen, you may be surprised at how innovative you can be.
*By the way, if you’re a student, look for scholarships and grants! Let me know if you want tips on how to win ‘em because I’ve done it! I’m actually waiting to hear on a grant to do a little extra research while I’m south of the border. If you qualify, don’t be afraid to give it a shot! It’s rewarding to be able to pull together the finances yourself, but if you can get someone else to pay, even better! (I went to Japan and earned great money as an English teacher.) Take advantage of the opportunities that are out there waiting for you!
4 Comments
May 20, 2008 at 6:57 am
Have you heard of couch surfing…. sounds odd might be the answer to the wanderlust and possibility the money running out before your travel desire does.
there’s a website..
couchsurfing.com
There are tips and such…
So you don’t end up in a bathtub full of ice missing organs.
check it out.
May 20, 2008 at 4:20 pm
Thanks for the tip!
May 20, 2008 at 4:23 pm
Oh, and I forgot to add that you can search Craigslist.com and talk to your local job service about finding temporary jobs to earn some extra cash! There tend to be lots of people who need help around the house, or farmers with short-term, seasonal work. You may be able to find something that will fit around your regular job. Even better if your family can join you!
May 21, 2008 at 5:06 am
You may be wondering…doesn’t this girl have COSTS in her life? How the hell can she include her entire paycheck in that list?
Ok, so I DO have costs, such as my student fees, which I’m putting off until next term to pay, but I’m lucky in that I don’t have to pay tuition. I am a graduate teaching assistant, which means that my tuition costs are waived.
As for food, yes, indeed, I have food costs! I spend about $50-70 every two weeks, and it’s getting more expensive every day with this economy. So, that’s part of the reason I’m selling off some of the junk that I own – to help balance out my current costs.
I had rent costs, but since I paid first and last rent when I first moved in, and I am currently in the process of moving out, I won’t be paying anything this month. Also, I had a refundable security deposit. Consider a kind of long-term savings account…
I hardly spend money on anything else. I walk a lot instead of driving. I fix stuff when it breaks. I’m low-maintenance, I guess.