Category Archives: Travel Tips

How Much Does a New Zealand road trip cost? New Zealand Budget post

How Much Does a Road Trip in New Zealand Cost?

Our road trip through New Zealand was a spontaneous decision. I had planned on doing the road trip solo in October 2018, but I didn’t want to lose the chance to experience the trip with a great friend. The last piece of my decision was the budget. I knew I’d save up a bit of cash while I was working in Brisbane (retail pay rates are absolutely wonderful compared to the US,) and after I set some saving goals, I booked the flight and was on my way to New Zealand.

What I didn’t do beforehand was realistically think about the cost of gas, food, and excursions. Sleeping in a car at campsites sounds like a low-budget trip, but there are many expenses that come alongside camping and traveling. (Luckily, I was able to freelance on the road trip and support myself while I was traveling.) I certainly spent more than I thought, so if you are planning a road trip throughout New Zealand, be sure to budget carefully before getting a car.

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what is a copywriter

“So…What Is It That You Do?” – The Life of a Copywriter

As the holidays wrap up, so will my time at Lush in Brisbane. My sixth Christmas slinging bath bombs gifted me amazing friends and a wild appreciation for Australian pay rates. I’m sad to go but have to move on to New Zealand. While Becky and I are taking a big road trip in the Ilanamobile, I’ll be working about 10 hours a week for my copywriting job (I was doing about 5 while I was working at Lush.) The 10 hours of work will go toward day to day expenses (although I have a majority of them saved up from Lush,) and American taxes.

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backpacking tips

Five Habits to Kick Before You Go Backpacking

Backpacking doesn’t follow the timeline or the rules of everyday life. You often have to condense all a country has to offer into a month or a week. Days of the week don’t mean a damn thing. A free towel or breakfast makes or breaks your accommodation decisions. This adventure can change your life, but you’ll have to adjust the way you live it for a few months as you travel.

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housesitting sites

Housesitting: Get Free Accommodation While You Travel!

I had never been so happy to put away dishes. My remains of my breakfast waited patiently to be washed down the drain as I emptied the dishwasher. I thought about the last time I had touched a dishwasher. Two weeks ago, I was praying that I wasn’t going to open the door to a squat toilet. Now I had a bathtub.

My itinerary for the day included opening an Australian bank account, getting an ice cream sandwich, and wandering around the Gallery of Modern Art. If the itinerary was pushed back or completely washed away by the rain outside, I wasn’t going to get upset. The train would be running tomorrow, and banks, museums, and bars would be open for the next five weeks. Plus, I hadn’t had a job yet; the longer I stayed in the dining room listening to King Krule and drinking coffee, the less money I would be spending.  I wanted to knit, but Baymax was sleeping on my yarn – I knew if I was sleeping, I wouldn’t want to be disturbed over a (potential) scarf. I hadn’t been up for more than a few hours, but I was ready for a nap too.

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Trec: Get Local Advice In a Facebook Message!

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post, but all opinions are my own.

Hey friends! If you have ever talked to me one-on-one about places I’ve been, you know I love giving travel advice. Why else would I have a travel blog, right? Once I find a cute coffee shop or great live music venue, I want to share it with everyone. (If anyone needs me to plan their trip to Austin, Texas, I will make sure you are well fed and your ears are filled with great music.)

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KindMeal is a must-have app for vegetarians in Malaysia

KindMeal Is a Must-Have App for Vegetarians in Malaysia

Southeast Asia is a foodie’s paradise, but I have to admit, I was a little nervous to start eating street food, or any type of food, as a vegetarian. I have been a vegetarian for close to four years now, and love my meat-free lifestyle. I have to admit that when I meet other vegetarians, or hear that a friend has cut meat out of their life, I do a little happy dance!

Vegetarian travelers, never fear. I have had no problems sticking to meat-free meals while in Southeast Asia. I’m happy to say that Kuala Lumpur (where I will be staying for the next few weeks) has been the easiest place to eat vegetarian in Southeast Asia. Why? I have the help of a fantastic app called KindMeal.

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How Much to Budget for a Trip to

How Much To Budget For A Trip to Siem Reap, Cambodia

Let’s make a budget! Sexy! Exciting! Totally going to go as planned!

Budgeting isn’t fun, but it’s essential for beat, broke backpackers like me. Hindsight is 20/20 and about $20 more than I thought I was going to have to pay to visit Angkor Wat. I loved Siem Reap, Cambodians are super sweet, but there were a couple hidden expenses that I would like to share with anyone making a budget. So let’s begin!

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Weird Ways to Make Money As a Writer

I’ve got an exciting update: Andrew and I have planned our route! We’re doing a circle for about 5 1/2 weeks, hitting Bangkok, Koh Phagnan, Siem Reap, Phnom Penh, Ho Chi Minh, Dalat, Chiang Mai, and Pai. Phew!

Having this part of the planning completed has revealed the reality of other parts of the trip for me. Namely, oh my god I have to go fly to Australia and get a job and not run out of money but maybe stay in Southeast Asia for a bit first and get a job I need to get a job it has been 2 weeks since my last full-time job oh my god. 

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