Yahoo Finance British backpacker ‘on track’ to save $100k
After spending ‘way too much’ money on partying, the 24-year-old made some serious money moves.
After coming to Australia for a gap year when she was 18 years old with just $6,500 to her name, this British backpacker is on track to have $100,000 saved by the end of this year.
The now 23-year-old said when she first arrived she spent three months travelling the east coast and, while she made plenty of friends, she also admitted to spending “way too much” money partying and drinking.
“I couldn't believe that after the first three months alone, I only had $300 left. [With] my bank account almost empty and not knowing what to do, I felt like I hit the jackpot when I scored a job on Facebook that offered $30 an hour,” the woman said in a now-viral TikTok.
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Her new role also provided free accommodation, and it was at this time the TikToker realised how much “opportunity Australia had to offer”.
After a few months of “living luxury”, the backpacker was then faced with the same issue as many other backpackers wanting to stay in the country for another year - she needed to complete farmwork.
She admitted she wasn’t able to save any money during that time because she was earning minimum wage on a grape farm and had to pay for accommodation herself.
“But then [the] tables turned and I scored a job on a solar farm. I worked on the farm for five months and the pay was amazing,” she said.
“Our food and accommodation was covered by the company. I was working 60 hours a week. It was the greatest opportunity that I had been given. I had $30,000 saved up in no time.”
After this, she was able to travel around Australia and Indonesia without any money concerns and began doing three months of work and three months of travel.
She said she and her partner purchased a van together for cheap accommodation as they travel around the country for work. They are now “on track” to have $100,000 in savings by the end of the year.
“This just blows my mind because I never went on to further education. I never planned to stay in Australia any longer than 12 months. But I guess the moral of the story is Australia is full of opportunities and you don't need much money to start off with,” she said.
“If you can put your life on hold for a little while to go and work out in remote areas, this will hugely benefit you, not only for the experience but for setting yourself up for the future.”
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