with Lene M.,
Århus, Denmark
- Call your parents together for a conference, detail an unrealistically low budget, and then tell them you'll hitchhike back. (Works especially well for over-protected daughters.)
- Tell your parents you've always had a burning desire to study Dutch, Italian, Thai, or whatever, but never had the opportunity. (Which is also one of the reasons you dropped out of school?)
- Tell your parents employers really respect applicants who have spent several years on the road, and that without such experience it will be difficult to make crew chief down at Burger King.
- Tell your parents you are on a serious mission to discover your "roots" in Europe, Asia, Africa, or California, and you will take lots of pictures and look for lost relatives who might invite them over for a big reunion. (Play that last part for all it's worth.)
- Tell them the Jones' kid next door went last year.
- Depending on your popularity, tell them you might not come back.
- Tell them to think of all the money they'll save while you aren't around.
Photo: This Californian bought his bike direct from the factory, rode it all over Europe for several months, and then had BMW ship it home. Buying it there helped defray his hellacious-good-time expenses. Campground overlooks Oslo. |
The fundamental ingredient for travel is not money or time, but will. Most lucky citizens of developed world can get the jack for world backpacker travel.
10. Sell your sports car, then use public transport, a bicycle, or a '79 Honda Civic
9. Sell your furniture and live Japanese-style
8. Spend your nights in a Salvation Army shelter while still going to work
7. Hire-out your body to medical science (worked for both of me)
6. Stop watching television (along with Guinness, this solves/cures a multitude of problems/ailments)
5. Save more than you spend
4. Get a job
3. Move back in with your parents (then threaten to stay)
2. Write a book millions of people want to read (yeah, right)
And the #1 traveler-proven way to get travel money...
#1. VISA GOLD!
Photo: I never had travel money until I sold my sports car (okay, so it was only a Fiat) and got this super economical '79 Civic.
Bottom Ten Really
BAD WAYS
To Get Travel Money
10. Sue somebody
9. Defraud welfare system
7. Move back in with your parents (unless they're unbelievably cool)
6. Visa Gold 24.9% (compounded daily)
5. Write a book (unless you can save on zero cents per hour)
4. Creative application of student loan
3. Deal crack
2. Spam universe requesting donations
And the world-wide, #1 really bad way to get travel money...
#1. SPONTANEOUS SERIES OF CONVENIENCE STORE ROBBERIES!