Meg Goes Global

Australia is expensive. It’s probably up there with the first few things people say to me about moving to Australia along with ‘aren’t there loads of snakes and spiders’. What I would say is don’t let either of those put you off coming here because firstly, you’re mostly not going to have heaps of run ins with dangerous creatures (unless you’re in whoop whoop, or you include magpies in that list) . And secondly, expenses in Australia felt pretty similar to in the UK especially with cossy livs and the difference in wages.

Even so, here are some tips to save your coins as much as possible.

be realistic with your budget

There is nothing more demoralising than ‘overspending’ every single day and feeling helpless so first things first, manage your expectations. The amount of backpackers that head from South East Asia straight to Aus and then struggle so much is crazy. Naturally it is going to be a lot less budget friendly so if you stay in that mindset you won’t get very far. I’d say 70AUD a day could be achievable but this is assuming you are booking in advance, staying in hostels and not doing loads of activities. Don’t miss out of incredible experiences like sky diving and boat trips because you are panicking about sticking to your budget.

cook as much as possible

It’s pretty self explanatory but eating out in Australia gets super expensive so this is where you can save the most. Pretty much every hostel in Australia has kitchen facilities and a lot of them are pretty decent, they even have air fryers in them! So definitely take advantage of these so you are not eating out for every meal. You can get very well priced food and you shouldn’t be too far from the local Woolies or Coles to stock up.

If you really aren’t one for the kitchen there’s lots of options for affordable ready meals too which are a tenth of the price that you would pay in a restaurant.

work for accomodation/ house sit

Working for accommodation is a great option if you are sticking around in the area for a while, and also an easy way to make friends whilst saving money. The work is on average 20-25 hours and shouldn’t be too taxing so still allows you to have another job if you want to. I’d definitely mention to find out how much work is required to find out if this is actually worth your time over working a normal paid job.

One of my favourite times in Australia was house/pet sitting in the Gold Coast. Not only did I get my own space which was a massive luxury moving from hostels, but I also got to live in a beautiful house and spend all my time how I wanted. I got this opportunity through friends of friends but there are plenty of sites to sign up to that would be a great option if you are slightly more flexible with the exact location and time frame etc. This leaves all your days free to work a job alongside so would be great way to save money.

drink goon

If you haven’t heard of it already, it won’t take long before you know about it all too well. Goon is super cheap bagged wine that is very popular among backpackers for obvious reasons. No it’s not the nicest wine you’ve ever tasted but if you are still super keen to have some nights out then this is your best way for sure. Alcohol is one of the highest expenses in Australia so pre drink to the max!

take advantage of op shops

People often say don’t go to Australia with a full backpack because the shopping is so good but this doesn’t just apply for the mainstream shops. The second hand stores or op shops have so many hidden gems from older seasons etc. at super cheap prices. If you’re an avid shopper definitely hit these up before anything else. Not only will your bank balance thank you later, so will the environment.