Working & saving in UK vs working & saving abroad
Working & saving in UK vs working & saving abroad
Im in the early stages of planning my gap year. I have 2 friends that are travelling from September for 6 months and I was hoping that I could save up in time to go with them. However, I’m desperate to leave my current job which is high-stress and very long hours plus a fair diesel-guzzling commute. So, I was considering looking for a new job before travelling. Given the state of the job market though, this looks like a slow option.
Mulling things over, it has occurred to me that perhaps I’ve been looking at things a bit back-to-front; I’m basing my gap year opportunity on others’ time constraints. If I quit my job/career, I effectively have no time constraints or commitments, so why not go for longer than 6 months and go earlier?
My question therefore is: is it feasible to head to australia in the next couple of months with view to utilise my working visa and get a job over there to help me save to then continue my travels? I have over 15 years experience riding, owning and working with horses in several countries, so I suspect that it woul not be difficult to get some work in this field.
Any thoughts?
I could then hopefully catch up with my friends once they arrive in oz to do some of the travelling with them.
Thanks in advance :)
Hey :)
I am doing something similar. I have saved a bit up to take with me to Oz but will need to get a job when I am over there to help the travel part and to keep me in the lifestyle I hope to become accustomed to haha.
I have been looking for jobs Perth side recently and although there are a few posts on here saying the job market isnt great I feel pretty positive about saving some cash up over there.
My thoughts are that as my job here ends in April and the job market sucks, I am no worse off going to Oz (apart from the flight and whv/insurance costs) which the parents are kindly helping with.
I will take whatever I can get when I reach Perth, save like mad then move on. I go on 21st April if you fancy the West Coast :)
Great idea, why not go to Oz early and make the most out of the experience.
I found working with Horse’s really easy to find in Australia and I did a 5 day course to get used to Australia standards.
Here is the link to the course I took in Tamworth, totally worth it.
plus the experience and meeting new people was really fun.
Once you’ve finished they are really friendly and phone around to all the local farms to see if they are looking for new jack hands, once you’ve done the course they know your up to standards and hire straight away.
hope that helps
happy travels!
Hi both,
Thanks for your encouraging replies. Are you getting one way tickets or factoring in RTW plans?
Re: equine course - I have both English and French pony club qualifications plus a relevant BSc degree - do you think I’d still need to do the course or should those suffice at all?
When you turn up in Australia its hard to get the foot in the door with finding a job on a farm as all the local farms work together like a network.
It was more the networking that helped. I met new people, gained some farm work skills (sorting out fences, sheep sheering, horse grooming act)
and the farmer had a whole portfolio of numbers and contacts that he recommended who were happy to take workers from that school as they knew they was a trusted source and everyone had be trained to the respected standard.
its more of a refreshers course than training and pretty much comes with work guaranteed.
of course you can go it alone I just found this method both fun and easy,
you can try WOOFING as an alternative but its mostly volunteer work.
Thanks. I’ll look more into that option.
How did you find the rates of pay for horse work? Is it enough to sustain travelling?
I have a return ticket, which I may or may not extend depening on how I feel at the time. Going to just get out there andsee what happens after that :) when do you think you will head out there?x
Well, I’d like to go ASAP - i’m just trying to work out sums and logistics really.
Also, I don’t want to stop at Australia, i’d like to carry on through NZ, Thailand, Singapore and it would be amazing if I could make it all the way to Central and/or South America.
I’m desperate to get to STA to speak with somebody but i’m working solidly now for 2 weeks so won’t get a chance until early March.
Do you have a known budget of what you’re saving up before heading out there?
It depends what you want in a ticket, but I got a return with Malaysia Airlines for 700. I did it online so you may find a deal without going to STA? I dont have a budget but for me I would like to work first travel second as that way I know what I have to play with. I went to Oz last year but havent seen anything of the West coast. I also want to go to Fiji and Bali and maybe back to NZ before heading to Thailand. I will do that later after I have been to Oz though. It depends on how much money you already have and how much you save when working over there as to whether you will manage all of your trip in one go. Oz is a great place to go to places from so you could start in Australia and then head to NZ/Thailand for holidays etc? Where in Aus do you plan to go to?
Well, I’d like to go ASAP - i’m just trying to work out sums and logistics really.
Also, I don’t want to stop at Australia, i’d like to carry on through NZ, Thailand, Singapore and it would be amazing if I could make it all the way to Central and/or South America.
I’m desperate to get to STA to speak with somebody but i’m working solidly now for 2 weeks so won’t get a chance until early March.
Do you have a known budget of what you’re saving up before heading out there?
Hey,
I’m heading to Oz on the 17th March and arrive on the 19th March!! I have only booked a one way ticket through STA, it was pretty cheap I thought!
I also haven’t booked a return flight as I want to also go NZ, Asia and Amercia… not sure if I will have to come home before doing this or whether I’ll have enough to carry on!
Be good to hear from you about how your plans are going!!
MC
There is lots of work available in Australia at the moment, just need to look in the right places. It will always be harder to find work in Perth because of its location. A lot of backpackers land in Perth after travelling thru Asia and spending all their money, therefore need work asap.
However, there is a lot of work in the West outside Perth. I would recoomend to anyone on a WHV to work in a hotel or resort in a remote location for between 3 and 6 months. I was saving $3000 a month easily after tax and beer, food and accom, and that was just doing bar work. For me it’s a no-brainer, work remote for 6 moths, leave with upwards of $15000 and use that money to travel oz.
If you need or want to work again on your WHV you still have plenty of time to.
There is lots of work available in Australia at the moment, just need to look in the right places. It will always be harder to find work in Perth because of its location. A lot of backpackers land in Perth after travelling thru Asia and spending all their money, therefore need work asap.
However, there is a lot of work in the West outside Perth. I would recoomend to anyone on a WHV to work in a hotel or resort in a remote location for between 3 and 6 months. I was saving $3000 a month easily after tax and beer, food and accom, and that was just doing bar work. For me it’s a no-brainer, work remote for 6 moths, leave with upwards of $15000 and use that money to travel oz.
If you need or want to work again on your WHV you still have plenty of time to.
ACE thank you for that! Can I ask how you found work, was it through workstay (if thats what its called) for outback pubs or just through notice boards etc? Im sooo up for doing this and getting a new experience etc :)
There is lots of work available in Australia at the moment, just need to look in the right places. It will always be harder to find work in Perth because of its location. A lot of backpackers land in Perth after travelling thru Asia and spending all their money, therefore need work asap.
However, there is a lot of work in the West outside Perth. I would recoomend to anyone on a WHV to work in a hotel or resort in a remote location for between 3 and 6 months. I was saving $3000 a month easily after tax and beer, food and accom, and that was just doing bar work. For me it’s a no-brainer, work remote for 6 moths, leave with upwards of $15000 and use that money to travel oz.
If you need or want to work again on your WHV you still have plenty of time to.
Again, BRILLIANT advice, thanks. Also interested to learn same details as Daisy.
I’m torn atm between working in Oz or working in NZ - any advice on that?
If I work in Oz then I will go to NZ and then back to Oz before Asia, whereas if I work in Nz I will then just go to Oz and then Asia. RTW didn’t seem to think it would make masses of difference price wise (approx £80) but it just seems a bit illogical.
I just want to get out there ASAP and get saving so I can travel. Need to get out of the rat race !
How easy is it to get bar work in remote areas if you have absolutely no experience and know next to nothing about drinks…..............?
Hi All.
If you head over o the Oz board you will find my post there which is essentially asking the same questions. I am (+the gf) on the same train of thought.
I was considering getting over there with as much as I can save by July and taking a 0% interest credit card. The way I saw it was, save here or save there. Just need to cover the initial period of job finding ...
I think we need a response from the guy who worked in the resort. I was also thinking remote first to save, I have bar experience through Disney World, Orlando when I worked there for one year, also waitering experience alongside it from the same place.
My very vague concept was work Oz trying to save, on to either NZ or Canada to work+save and finally South America for a few months and home with little to nothing haha. I think we are thinking in the same way.
I am doing a lot of research/budgeting this weekend to try and figure out a few things. But any news/info on jobs away from the main tourist WHV hot spots would be great. Thats the only real threat, getting work quick.
If I was going for just the year I wouldn’t worry. I am sure you can grab a weeks work here, a month there and subsidise enough whilst moving around. But I want to try and save ‘something’ ...
Glad I found this post lets keep it alive and update with any info we find. I am aiming for July, as stated. If you guys do go out early PLEASE Don’t forget to update.
When I get out i’ll write a comprehensive guide/review to sticky here for all future readers!!
Hey- where in Oz are you planning on? There are a few of us going to Perth to work/save etc. I hope to earn a bit then use it to travel.
Starting in Perth then heading to the outback to up the earnings and experience something different.
Cost wise if you earn $20.00 ph on a 40 hour week you will clear about $650per week.
Rent depends on where in Perth you are but go from $100 upwards sometimes including bills.
Travel from around the city is about $30 per week if you buy the perth version of the Oyster card.
Food shopping you can look online on www.woolworths.com.au - I worked out about $60 pw but that will be less if you share with others!
Then it is paying for fun activities and enjoying yourself! Again I think if you are in a house with backpackers this is easier as you can share costs and do things as a group. Look on fb for Perth2012 group if you fancy joining us :)
