Category: Budgeting & Finance
-
Self-Employment: A Life-Changing Tool for Freedom & Adventure?
I am not a rich man in the traditional sense. (Money…? What’s that?) But self-employment has given me enough of the modern world’s most scarce resource — time — to have spent my twenties on the kind of adventures that most cash-rich, time-poor nine-to-fivers can only dream about. I believe that embracing self-employment (not necessarily poverty, I might add) has the potential to unlock unlimited doors to adventure for a great many people. Continue reading →
-
How I Got A Touring Bike, Gear & Luggage For The Price Of A Round Of Drinks
I believe a lack of funds should not be an obstacle to setting off on a cycling adventure. But rather than spend a few thousand words arguing my case, I decided to demonstrate the principles of no-budget cycle touring by doing one myself. In this, the first post of a series (which I’ll warn you right now is going to require at least two cups of tea), I’ll demonstrate how I gathered everything necessary to set off on a big bike trip for the price of a round of drinks. And by a round of drinks, I mean £25.14. (That… Continue reading →
-
Cycle Tour Sponsorship: The Good, The Bad & The Ugly
Imagine the following entirely hypothetical situation. Several months into your round-the-world cycle tour, you are still glowing with what you see as a victory over the whole of capitalism — when something goes wrong. A piece of equipment isn’t doing its job properly, and you need one particular sponsor’s help to replace it. So you write to them. They don’t respond. You spend a small fortune to call them from a public phone booth. But the person you want is not available right now. And after endless weeks of being fobbed off because someone in an office somewhere is still in… Continue reading →
-
How To Make A Living As An Adventurer
I received the following email the other day: I am a little bit confused as to what exactly you do for a living. I know that you are an adventurer, but I don’t get where you get your ‘everyday money’. Sponsorship is one thing for a trip, but if you don’t have a 9–5 job, where do you get the daily money from? It’s a good question. But what exactly might my correspondee think ‘adventurer’ actually means? Types of ‘Adventurer’ (or Explorer, or Expeditioner) (Warning: one or more of the following stereotypes may be considered offensive.) Continue reading →
-
How To Get Sponsorship For Your Cycle Tour
When planning an extended cycle tour, many people go in search of sponsorship. Some come back empty-handed. Some are successful. But let’s be realistic: In the world of expeditions and corporate sponsorship, bike trips are small fry. Having said that, if I want to (and only if), I can now comfortably rely on getting whatever equipment I need for my trips either at a big discount or free of charge, in return for providing publicity and/or feedback to people whose good work and principles I believe in. By sharing the lessons I’ve learnt to get to this point, I hope that… Continue reading →
-
How To Plan Financially For Long-Term Travel (And Stay On The Road Forever)
When I left home in 2007, it was simple. I had 700 Euros stashed in my luggage, a current account containing £3700 GBP with a Visa Debit card to get at it, and a couple of emergency credit cards. I’d be as stingy as possible, because it wasn’t much! But it was all I had, and I aimed to make it home before I was in the red. Now, my bank balance is actually higher than it was when I left. I’m going to share with you some of the ideas I’ve learnt from others and put into practice myself in order… Continue reading →