Backpacking - Save money, become healthier
We live in a world of sin (a nice positive note to start on I know), I’m just a guilty as anyone, I love a beer. It’s not good for me, but I drink it anyway. Its rare I stop at just one beer either.
When you think about it, very few things we spend money on are actually very good for us, or the planet.
When running out of money towards the end of my gap year I was faced with a choice.
There were 3 main elements I had to consider and 1 of these had to go if I was to be able to afford the rest of my trip. My list consisted of accommodation, food and drinking. Now that might seem like an easy choice and yes in the end I stopped drinking, but giving up drinking and in effect probably the most social aspect of our tour was a little gut renching (no pun intended).
But needs must and I didn’t drink at all for the rest of my trip. The result was as intended, a roof over my head each night and food in my belly, but along came an added bonus, my belly actually shrank. This was good!
I guess what I’m trying to say is that by giving up a ‘sin’ can not only help you save money for/on your travels, but it can also prove beneficial to you as a person. Two birds with one stone.
Most people work a dead end job or sell all their worldly possessions to save their travel money, but why not challenge yourself to give up something that’s bad for you and save money that way?
So, to my list i've complied, they’re all expensive and all bad for you, why not give them up and put the money you would have spent on them in your travel piggy bank?
- Booze - £3.00 a pint and a bad head the next morning
- Smoking - £6 for 20 cancer sticks
- Recreational drugs – I don’t know prices but I imagine its fairly expensive and they can’t be good for you.
- Starbucks - £3.00 at least for your daily caffeine dose
- Ice cream - £4.00 a tub and another tyre around your waist.
- Kebabs - £5.00 for each serving of greasy crap
I’m sure there’s more, which would you give up? Feel free to make suggestions.
Written and contributed by BackpacksAndBunkBeds
www.backpacksandbunkbeds.co.uk
Comments
Regular Booze
I guess an occassional pint of beer now and then is ok for the health. Beers in UK is fairly cheap and I used to enjoy a nights out with the dudes. Here in Malaysia things are...
Oh yeah, now i have some
Oh yeah, now i have some money again I indulge in beer and a spot of ice cream. When i was struggling to cash though, it made sense to give up the things that were bad for me...
To be found on traveldudes.com
@Thristhan
Beer in the UK can be cheap, not so much in London though. £4 a pint isnt uncommon. Stopping drinking will save you a lot of cash!
How much is it in...
Beers in Malaysia
@backpacksandbunkbeds Yeah, I'm from Malaysia. Beers in Malaysia cost from RM40 per jug onwards (probably 2 pints in it). The good black beers could cost upwards to RM70 per...
giving up sin
I hope you still indulge in the occasional beer..I would be hard pressed to give it up entirely. I have reduced the amount I eat ice cream and eating out in general.