Written by The Leap on 09 / 02 / 2022
Gap Year Advice
This will come as no shock to you reading this - the best way to save for a gap year is to get a job. While we know that many industries have suffered throughout the pandemic, hospitality is in need of waiters, bar staff, front of house team to welcome back its punters. Now is your time to get applying.
Step 1 - you need to set yourself a budget. Think about exactly how you want to enjoy your gap year, where you want to go and in what kind of style. Don’t forget to factor in things like visas, vaccinations and insurance.The rule of thumb is to earn £300 per week in your job.
Ok, so now you have the budget in place it’s time to work out how you are going to produce all the money you need?
A good place to start is by setting up a new bank account just for your travel savings. It will make keeping track of your money that much easier and will hide it away so you can’t dig in, plus savings accounts often have better interest rates… every little helps. There is no point having your travel funds mixed up with your every day spending account - it is all too tempting to spend it.
Our friends at Zety - your one stop shop for resources for your CV have got some great articles to help you get sorted. Click here to view their top tips on writing your CV. Particularly useful is this article all about how to tailor your CV to the specific area you wish to work in, e.g bar tending, teaching or construction to name just a few examples. each CV will have a different requirement for each area, make sure you nail it.
Get involved in wedding and event catering - the pay is good and the hours are regular. Find out more about gap year catering jobs here. You should also consider advertising yourself on Radio HP - so many families will be looking for childcare over the summer holidays.
Don't fancy the expense of a team program? Use our contacts overseas and book your own personal adventure through them directly. We have hosts all over the world - from reserves in Zimbabwe to scuba diving in Guatemala or teaching in Zanzibar - we have so many options waiting for you in Leap VIP.
This is a great one if you are going to be doing some volunteering. You can set up a Go Fund Me account and share it with your friends and family or write begging letters to your school, big businesses and your local authority who often have pockets of money stored away to sponsor young people in charitable causes. Don't just state you are going to climb a mountain - be speciifc and tell them exactly where their money is going.
For example if you were going to Cambodia, you could write about the importance of the project bringing clean water, sanitation and education to communities that are still in recovery following the horrors of the Khmer Rouge Regime.
This could be anything from a car boot sale, selling your old clothes on eBay or even running a marathon to raise some funds for your volunteer adventures.
If you have a Christmas or a birthday between now and when you leave either ask for money towards your flight costs or some gap year gadgets that you’ll need for your travels. Check out this blog for some gap year gift ideas…
This might not be a popular one but go teetotal when you’re planning and saving, then put all the money you would be spending on beer in the pub into your travel account… you’ll be surprised how quickly it adds up.
Working abroad is a great way to keep yourself going when travelling and make your adventure last that little bit longer.
The list of options is long, from working on a ranch to behind a bar. There’s something to suit your background and experience. Just remember to make sure you have the right visa so you’re working on the right side of the law.
I can promise you now, your gap year will be worth all the money spent and all the saving so don't feel overwhelmed. With the right organisation and saving strategy, anything is possible...
Now you know how to build your travel kitty it’s time to put it into action, click here to see our open gap year programs.
