Moving is always an exciting new adventure that comes with plenty of work and preparation. Making sure you focus on the more important aspects of relocation can help you save time, money and stress. Continue Reading
With the growth of the “sharing economy,” the popularity of car-sharing has also increased. Through the use of a smartphone, you can “borrow” another person’s car and move around without the inconveniences of transport. With the many benefits of car sharing, some of them have been discussed below. Continue Reading
During the 1990s, the famous American writer David Foster Wallace found the cruise industry guilty of having ‘nearly lethal comforts’. Travellers around the world have been writing off cruises for being ‘too mainstream’ and the epitome of crass tourism. However, the modern cruise industry has changed a lot and emerged as one of the most luxurious yet culturally enriching vacation experiences. The 21st century cruises are much more than only buffets, silly pool games and beaches. Nowadays, whether you are travelling cross country on a mega cruise or sailing off into the sea on a yacht, you will surely have plenty of opportunities to immerse yourself into the unique, local cultures of the places you are visiting. Here are 5 reasons why you must try going on a cruise holiday for your next trip. Continue Reading
By: Lindsay Hogg
Are You a Mooch?
I would like to take a moment to steal Margyle’s In the News column and share with you, what ‘really grinds my gears’. All backpackers try to save money where they can, cut costs, etc. This is because we want our budget to take us to as many far and exciting places as possible. I worked very hard to save money for my around the world trip. I saved, so I could experience everything I wanted too and be able to have fun while doing it, to not worry about money every minute. I need a new sweater, I buy it. I want to go on a tour, I go. I want to have some beers, I drink them.
I’m not saying you shouldn’t travel the world if you can’t afford to do everything you want to. I have met backpackers with very little, to no money and I find it quite brave to be honest. But to wait for another bus that comes in 1.5 hours because it is one soles cheaper is kind of ridiculous. Yes, cut costs everywhere you can, but that’s $0.35 USD.
Getting to the point, what REALLY pisses me off is when travellers complain about having no money and try to make you feel bad for them. Sure, I do feel bad, but it’s not my responsibility to buy you a meal, or a beer just because I DO have money. I won’t lie, I have spotted a few travellers a beer or some food, and I bet many others reading this have too. How often do you come across someone who is ass-broke and has not eaten in 2 days? You think, aw… I’m a traveller too, I get it, I’ll buy you a sandwich. But I’ve seen this all too often now and it’s starting to get to me. People constantly asking if they can bum a cigarette… seriously, if you can’t afford to smoke, maybe you should quit.
In Beijing, there was a group of about 8 to ten of us who had bonded quite quickly. We spent the daytime visiting touristy areas around town and the nights down ‘bar street’ a short walk from our hostel. One of the guys who we referred to as ‘Frenchie’ (he was from France, if you didn’t catch that), never had any money. We were always spotting him a beer or a smoke, because we all wanted to have a good time, everyone to be included and have fun. But the guy was a total mooch, the next day he would get a full on breakfast from the hostel and freshly squeezed juice. Meanwhile, the night before he was playing the ‘poor me fiddle’, getting all us suckers to fund his drunken fun so he could afford the highest of breakfast for himself. He had money and he could afford to budget a night out.
He was a nice guy, and that’s why the group could be easily suckered. He could have had toast for breakfast and paid for his own night out. I guess we encourage moochers like this when we allow ourselves to give into them. When we are all leaving for the bar or dinner and someone is just sitting at the hostel alone, ‘I can’t afford too, I will just stay here tonight’. It’s hard not to say ‘Ah, man… come on, I’ll buy you a beer’.
I feel like an asshole now, because I have come across this so much that I have little heart for those broke travellers. The conversation now plays out like this:
Moocher: “I can’t come out guys, I have no money”
Me: “Sucks buddy, see you tomorrow then”
Does this make me a bad person? I don’t think so. I saved up enough money so that I could be comfortable, go on adventures, tours, fund my own nights out and buy my own cigarettes. I could have worked 1/2 the amount of time I did to save up, and travelled around playing my ‘I can’t afford to fiddle’. But I didn’t… why? Because I’m not a mooch.