Frugal Travel
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Complete Guide To Housesitting
I have been housesitting almost full time for the last four months and whenever I mention it I always get a tonne of questions. Trust me, I was exactly the same when I first heard about it. Like, you can stay in someones house while their away for free? Crazy!! Disclaimer: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links meaning if you go through them to make a purchase I may earn a commission. This comes at no extra cost to you <3 In the past four months I have spent a week in Chicago, a month in Seattle, two 5-day stays in Portland, a week in Cambridge…
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£5k Budget Update – December 2022
December, month four of my gap year and the first month I’ve spent fully abroad and zero nights crashing at my parents house 😂. As I’m following where the housesits take me to save on accommodation costs, I spent all of December in the Pacific North West. I’m here until mid-January then I’ll be flying over the east coast for the remaining 3 weeks of my time in the US. Disclaimer – This post contains affiliate links which means I may receive a commission if you use them. This comes at no extra cost to you <3 New here? Let me give you a little context... I graduated from uni…
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£5k Budget Update – November 2022
November has been an absolute whirlwind of a month! I surprised my parents, saw my first West End show (by myself 😱), slept in an airport, spent two crazy days in NYC, took a 48hr train cross country just to name a few things 😂 But how has this craziness affected my £5k budget, let’s break it down and see! Disclaimer – this post may include some affiliate or referral scheme links. This means I will receive a commission at no extra cost to you <3 New here? Let me give you a little context... I graduated from uni this past summer and have chosen to take a gap year…
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2 Nights in NYC – New York Money Diary
I recently spent two wonderful nights in NYC but as the budget conscious traveller I am, I was a little concerned about its spenny reputation. If you’ve read my plan to only spend £5k on my gap year, you’ll know that I only get £10 per day spending money. Obviously this wasn’t going to cut it in NYC. So I started hoarding little amounts each day in the two months ahead of the trip. By the time the trip rolled around I’d amassed a nice little pot of money and was ready to explore. So here we go, my New York money diary. Exactly how much I spent during my…
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£5k Budget Breakdown – October 2022
Well, October has been a spenny month! Only two months into my year-long gap year and I have already spent over 20% of my £5k budget. Just writing that percentage down is a little panic inducing BUT surprisingly my projections have me still in budget! New here? Let me give you a little context... I have just graduated from uni and have chosen to take a gap year before deciding what to do next, career wise. I will be spending the entire year travelling and have set myself a strict £5k budget which needs to cover all costs and last the entire year! Seem a little tight? Check out this…
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6 Easy Finance Moves To Boost Your Savings
Saving money can sometimes feel like a slog, especially if your numbers aren’t increasing as fast as you want them to. Enter this blog post! Six easy finance moves you can make today to boost your savings. Most of them are as simple as setting it up and forgetting about it, just watch the money roll in 🤑. Disclaimer – this post does include some referral links. Meaning I will benefit it you decide to use my link. I would never recommend a product/account that I don’t use and love. Thank you for supporting BST! Save for your deposit in a Lifetime ISA Instant 25% return on your money –…
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Cheap Dining Out: How To Save Money Every Time
Dining out is one of those things that people assume you can’t do if you’re on a budget. This is not true at all! Being on a budget doesn’t mean you can never eat out again. But it might mean that you need to become a little more creative and intentional. And in this article I’m going to share 4 easy tips to save your money everytime for cheap dining out! Related Reading: Budgeting often gets a bad rap as being restrictive and gloomy. At its bare bones, budgeting is simply making a plan for your money. You are taking back control over your money. If done correctly, your budget…
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Travel Hacking a £145 Flight to NYC
Yep, you read that right, £145!! For a flight from London to New York worth £1,800. Do I sound smug? I’m feeling a little smug. But getting a deal like this has been twelve months in the making. How? Two words – travel hacking. Disclaimer – This post may contain affiliate or referral links which means I might receive a commission if you follow them. This comes at no extra cost to you! What is travel hacking? Travel hacking is the art of collecting points (such as BA’s Avios) which are then redeemed for discounted travel. Travel hacking is very popular in the US but there are deals to be…
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5 Golden Rules Of Credit Cards
Credit cards are an incredibly valuable financial tool if used correctly and strategically. Not only will they do wonders for your credit score, but many come with additional perks, like cashback and free travel. But underneath the fancy perks they are all essentially the same and there is a right and a wrong way to use them. These five golden rules will ensure you do the most positive damage to your credit score! #1 Pay the full balance off every single month Without fail. No excuses. You must pay your full balance off every single month. Using your credit card like a debit card is golden rule number one! You…
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7 No Spend Challenge Tips: How To Smash Your Goal
When I was first beginning on my finance journey, doing a no spend challenge was one of my favourite things to do! And I’m going to spend all my no spend challenge tips in this post! I would set myself a no spend goal each month – whether that was a number of days or a set category – to reset my spending habits and become more intentional. This is not something I still regularly do as my mindset is very different now compared to when I started. I no longer need the challenge element to keep me focussed and intentional, that thinking style is now second nature to me! But…
