The major sticking point for most people planning an expedition is money. Right?
How they can fund it and who will sponsor them. Yet, I’ve never been on an expedition that had enough money or, for that matter, met anyone else that has.
Few are the groups who can afford the latest and greatest bits of kit they’ve been dreaming of and scarcer still the team who arrives in the Himalaya fresh from a pampered flight in First Class.
Expeditions are rarely flush with money and they’re all the better for it.
Who remembers the trip with the nice clean hotel that didn’t leave you feeling dirtier after you got out the shower? The pleasant coach ride that wasn’t at double capacity and largely due to the goats? Or the swanky bit of kit that never required mending with duck-tape and cable-ties?
Low budgets have their downsides but they can also test you in a way that the same trip with a fat wallet wouldn’t and force you into situations that you’d simply shy away from if you had the choice.
So this month, we live frugally.
Set yourself a budget and stick to it. Take £100 out at the start of the week – £50, £20, whatever – and give your credit card to a trust worthy friend because you are not going to need it.
Take the train to work? Heavens no – that costs as much as two days’ food! This week I’m cycling.
Popping into Pret for a sandwich and mochaccino? No, sir. Pack your lunch box, by a loaf from the supermarket or just go hungry. That little indulgence could be another night in the hostel.
And, why, I hear you cry, would I want to do that?
Here’s why:
- For the things you’ll have to do and the situations in which you’ll find yourself
- For the reminder of how little you actually need
- For a test of your initiative in a world that so rarely requires it
- For the reminder of how lucky you are and how good things are
- For the effort required which brings reward of its own
- And for the opportunity to save some pennies for the next adventure
It is December and the last month in the Year of the Everyday Adventurer.
It is Christmas and I compel you to join the chorus:
Bah humbug!
One Comment
Michael Halls-Moore
It is actually quite incredible how much can be saved this way. In fact, the benefits do not stop there. Living frugally can actually make you healthier, less tired, give you more time and be more fun.
Case in point: I gave up coffee recently and I estimate I have saved approximately £300 since doing so in September. £300 is a cheap flight to the US! Not only that but each coffee I had was 180 calories in total. Less time at the gym required! I’m not often tired anymore and have a much more balanced daily routine because of it.
I also gave cycling to work a try. This one is crazy, as it saves me £4.60 on Tube fares every day! I have estimated that I have saved approximately £90 since starting this two months ago. Not only that, but I get a reasonable amount of exercise just by travelling to work and back (it’s a 35 minute/5.5 mile cycle). I have definitely noticed the effects when running – I can go just a little bit faster and shave more time off my PB.
Also…Pret is an absolute cash sink. I can easily rack up a £6-7 lunch bill in Pret, with all of the calories that go with it. That’s £30-35 a week if done every day. This can easily be substituted with some food prepared the night before. A loaf of bread is incredibly cheap and will often last the whole week. Throw in some lettuce, tomatoes and some chicken and you have lunch sorted for a week for less than a fiver.
I should be writing a blog post about this…but I’m glad Tim did instead! Cheers lad.