This is the first post in my blog about traveling on a dime; something I've grown accustomed to and am learning more about all the time. A little over two years ago I made the decision to get out of my hometown and do some traveling. Not having a job that allowed me to do so or really any means to, I set out to work hard, save up, and learn how to live frugally.
"It is a different sort of traveling than you usually dream of. It is rich in experiences. I walk a lot, I take the train, I go to discount shows and free museums, but I prefer it that way. I think you get more of a sense of the culture. You get to walk around like a local. Like someone who lives there and lives paycheck to paycheck, like we all do. It's not getting picked up in a limo at the airport, or even renting a car so you can get anywhere you like. It's improvising, exploring, enjoying small things like landscapes and street music. It's simple and it's beautiful. And that's what I'll write about here."
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I've always been thrifty. I prefer to buy my clothes used (I love clothes too much to afford to shop in department stores), and find other ways to stretch my money out as far as I can. This set me up to be able to afford to move around. I was accustomed to a thrifty lifestyle already, and I enjoy it.
So when I sold all of my things, packed what I needed, and moved across the country with my sister, I knew I would be okay.
We landed in New Jersey and for quite a while we worked part-time, minimum-wage jobs and got along without a car. To be fair, we were in a very good place as far as transportation goes. We lived seven blocks from the train station and we would walk there, board the train, get off at the bus station, and begin our 40 minute bus ride to the Cherry Hill Mall to work at Victoria's Secret. It was hard to make ends meet at this time, and we were often exhausted because of our hour and a half commute, but we pinched pennies and made it all work. And boy, did we have fun.
Soon we were taking the train into Philadelphia and working in the city, but that didn't make us millionaires either. So I've obtained some experience for getting around on a dime.
I moved back home to Idaho in August of this year. Luckily I had my old car parked at a friend's while I was gone and I picked it up and was mobile again, because there isn't any public transit in rural Idaho. But my traveling days are not over. In fact, they've really just begun. I am writing this from a hotel in England, where I am staying for five days before heading to Amsterdam for another five.
This trip almost doesn't count, as the most expensive part was paid for by my business colleague. My flights and half my hotel is covered. I am lucky on that part. I started working for my good friend, Joe, about a month and a half ago. I do administrative work for him from my laptop in the living room in my grandma's farm house. It's nice to have family that'll put you up and friends who will fly you out! I've worked hard to keep mutual relationships in my life that all parties benefit from. I have had such great support from those around me and I'm always keen to support them in any way that I can. With my grandma I help out around the house, run the kids to school and take them shopping, etc. That's how I pay my way. And with Joe, we work it out as we go. He doesn't pay me an hourly wage, not yet; actually he hasn't paid me at all to date. But since we're such great friends it really is my joy to help him with things he is too busy to do. I want his business to be successful because I care about him, so anything I can do to make his life richer is something I'd like to do anyway. So it's worked out this far.
These are things I can't give you as tips. Everyone has a different situation, and the fact that I don't have many monthly bills really allows me to be free. I know most people pay rent or a mortgage, and many other things. But that's just not my lifestyle right now. Even after I had to move from New Jersey into Philadelphia, I didn't pay rent. I was looking for living options when I found the hostel. For a commitment to work there for 26 hours a week, you could live there for free. So that's what I did. I worked two jobs, nannying in Jersey and making beds at the hostel, which afforded me to live in the most beautiful part of the city. A zip code I could have never afforded otherwise. I was in Old City, Philadelphia, blocks from the Delaware Riverfront. It was fantastic. It was a lot of fun, and it was hard work.
But this blog will hopefully give people in all different situations a little bit of insight on how to go to the places you've always dreamed of, and how to afford it. Of course, you're going to want to cut down some unnecessary bills if you want to do a bit of traveling, or you have to give yourself enough time to save for the big expenses like flights and lodging. After that, you can do it with very little cash. Believe me.
It is a different sort of traveling than you usually dream of. It is rich in experiences. I walk a lot, I take the train, I go to discount shows and free museums, but I prefer it that way. I think you get more of a sense of the culture. You get to walk around like a local. Like someone who lives there and lives paycheck to paycheck, like we all do. It's not getting picked up in a limo at the airport, or even renting a car so you can get anywhere you like. It's improvising, exploring, enjoying small things like landscapes and street music. It's simple and it's beautiful. And that's what I'll write about here.
Cheers!
Alison Maglaughlin
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