Are you considering a gap year? Would you like to travel the world? Then the next questions will be how much money do you need to do all the things you would like to do? Xtreme Gap will help you answer this question and help you get the most out of your budget.
How to determine your budget
One of the main costs are flights. Especially if you are travelling during major holidays flights can be expensive. Your budget also depends on the continent you are visiting. Asia, Africa and South America can be cheap. Australia, Europe, Japan and USA are more expensive. Just ask us or check the country pages for budget advice. Below you will find all the programs.
More advice how to get the most out of your money
Gap year budgeting is an essential part of any gap year. If you are the sport of person that hates maths, and planning and thinks “I’ll just see how I get on” – rethink! Money, unfortunately is the life blood of any gap year. With out it you are stuck, and can’t do all the things that will make your gap year a trip of a lifetime event.
Putting together a gap year budget does not have to be difficult, actually it is incredibly easy, and the important thing to remember is it will change during your travels, but it is good to know how much money you have to go away with and then try to plan what you can do with it.
Book your big expenses up front and boost your gap year budget
Booking your gap year programme upfront, especially with us will save you money (our prices are considered to be the best value in the industry, and on several programmes Xtreme Gap Year is several hundred pounds cheaper than rivals real gap. People may tell you to wait until you are out there to book, but they are not always correct. On average, booking gap year Australia programmes will save you 10 – 12 % if you book before you travel, this is because agents based outside the country are generally put on an “international rate” with incentives built in to their pricing structures, enabling them to attract people to the countries.
This makes sense when you consider that a backpacking bus network in Australia is competing for your money with a backpacker bus company in South Africa if you are still deciding to go on your gap year. If you wait until you arrive in country, expect to pay more.
How to plan your gap year budget
Firstly you need to know the realistic costs involved with the destinations you will be visiting. Thailand gap year costs are much less than Australia gap year costs for instance. If you are unsure you are easily able to research this on the internet, or ask us.
The best strategy is to write down all of the things your plan to do, including the once in a lifetime adventures – like doing a skydive, or learning to dive, and work out how much they cost. Then work out how much money you need to survive on each day – food, accommodation and travel. Anything extra is a bonus. If you have enough to cover your basics, book your big expenses including flights, courses, gap year programmes and arrival packages – these are usually open dated or flexible – and then you really know how much your gap year budget will be and you will not have to sacrifice anything in the mean time.
Next divide your number of days by the total amount you have left, and then a just the amounts according to your destination, knowing that you will spend more in the USA thank in Asia on a round the world trip. This will give you a good indication as to your gap year budget.
If you are looking a little short for one leg of the trip, either spend less time in that country and more in a cheaper destination, try to save more, or re-evaluate what you can do. Remember over stretching yourself can detract from the enjoyment of your gap trip.
Remember half the challenge of planning a gap year is working out the finances and saving up to do it. Be creative, sell stuff you really don’t need, work extra shifts and ask for help with funding the trip for your birthday (travel insurance may not be the most exciting birthday present, but the 200 saved will buy you alot of stuff in Thailand).
Finally cut back. Drop all your expenses if possible, stop going out so much, or if you do, do cheaper things. If you spend £50 on a Saturday night, take out £25, and leave your cards at home, that extra £25 will last you 3 days in a third world country, and you will have a lot more fun spending it!
If you need any advise or assistance on planning your gap year or gap year budget, give us a call and we will happily talk you through it.