Saving money travelling the world
 

Hi guys!

I am planning my gap year and I've saved money for flights, insurance and the odd beer :). My aim is to go through South America where I can practice my Spanish and immerse myself in Latin culture! However, I am also looking at ways to save money to extend my trip for as long as possible.

Having spoken to several people who have travelled a lot, they said I should consider volunteering in a hostel. So I help out at the bar/reception/cleaning etc and get accommodation in return, which sounds awesome! Anyway having scoured a few websites, has anyone used HelpX or Worldpackers?

HelpX costs €20 or something for access to their hostel community. However, Worldpackers is not only free, they seem to notify you when a hostel has a vacancy going in whichever country you may be travelling to.


Would really appreciate some feedback if anyone has used either?!

Cheers,
Steve

No, and before you do, better check whether it would be legal without a work permit in the countries you're visiting.

But why are you asking that here and not on Lonely Planet's thorntree?

I haven't used them, but I can help you with other tips for saving money. For example, you could prepare your own meals and avoid eating in restaurants or fast-foods. This can save you a lot of money. Also, you could consider coach-surfing for cheap accommodation. Pay with your credit/debit card as much as you can so that you can avoid using the ATMs and paying a lot of fees and taxes. Your idea of volunteering for accommodation is also good, but read the reviews first, so that you can be sure that the deal is safe.

Read NomadicMatt's 'Travel for $50 a Day', lots of good money saving tips in there.

Also, remember to always have enough in your bank account for an emergency flight home!

Some things are obvious like buying supermarket food rather than eating in restaurants etc. I don't see any need to discuss that.

Work on the other hand is worth discussing. The short answer is that you cannot legally work anywhere without a work permit. Doing so, you risk the potential consequences if caught. That's not a risk anyone can (or at least should) tell you to take. That someone else has done so and not been caught is not a guarantee that you will not be.

Profit making companies like HelpX are in the business of selling memberships for profit. HelpX specifically says it is for 'Working Holiday' makers and requires a visa for each country you want to work in. http://www.helpx.net/workingholidayvisas.asp

How many such visas do you plan to get?

We did look at Helpx during our last visit to South America. i know a couple of hostel owners in Peru that source all their volunteers in this way. One hostel we looked at was providing a very nice room and some meals in return for approx. 4 hours work per day. this mostly involved helping out generally - checking in guests, helping with luggage etc. although the plan was for us to run the place for them for a few months. Unfortunately, our plans changed an d we didn't take up the jobs. we found this opportunity via the helped website but didn't use them as it was easy to work out which hostel it was from the information provided.

is a visa required? Yes. Does anyone bother? No

On another trip to SA we spent a month volunteering for a charity who in return, provided us with free accommodation. Visas were not even discussed and i do doubt that they would have been required anyway.

travelling in South America is pretty cheap anyway so i wouldn't spend too much time working at the expense of not seeing the continent.

have you considered WOOFING - willing workers on organic farm. Brendensadventures, who posts on the south america forum has been doing that whilst travelling around SA. if i can find the link to his blog, i will post it here

Crellston, advising someone to ignore the law is probably against the terms of use of this forum. It is also irresponsible in my opinion. While thousands may indeed flaunt the law and get away with it, you cannot guarantee the OP that he will get away with it.

WWOOF is a prime example of just how easily the naive can run afoul of the law. WWOOF is in the business of selling memberships. They are not in the business of warning you of potential risks you run if you participate. In most countries where WWOOF exists, it is illegal for a foreigner without a work permit to participate and yet very few of the WWOOF websites (each country is a separate company) make that clear.

An example is the WWOOF USA site. If you dig, you will find they talk about it in legalese that the average 18 year old going on a GAP year can't even understand. What it says in simple English is that it is your responsibility to insure what you do is legal. Here is the actual text on their website:
"If you are traveling to the USA as a foreign national, please be aware that WWOOF-USA cannot help you obtain a visa. It may benefit you to secure your visa first, and then join WWOOF-USA. Most WWOOFers enter the USA using a tourist visa; however, it is your responsibility to determine the correct visa for your visit. Please keep in mind that WWOOF is NOT paid work or volunteering. WWOOFing is an educational experience, and WWOOF members are guests of their hosts. The United States has extremely strict labor and immigration laws that prohibit foreign nationals from “working” or “volunteering” in the country without a work visa. Most international WWOOFers communicate their intentions to visit the USA to immigration officials and enter without any problems. However, if you say that you are coming to “volunteer or work on a farm” and you don’t have a work visa, immigration probably WILL NOT LET YOU ENTER THE USA. If you are traveling from another country, please be aware of this important distinction: as a WWOOFer, you are a TOURIST, NOT a WORKER or VOLUNTEER. Please understand the laws and clearly communicate your intentions when you enter the country. WWOOF-USA is not responsible for any problems you may experience with immigration."

That's about as clear as mud. Someone intends to work 4 hours a day on a farm for free room and board. HOW can anyone try to say 'I'm not coming to work or volunteer, I'm coming to visit as a tourist and guest of a farm'. Yeah right, try telling Immigration that story. Here is what happened when one young traveller from Quebec, Canada tried it.
http://www.lowdownonline.com/border-...bec-volunteer/

What amazes me is that the focus of anger is against the Immigration officers when in fact all they were doing was enforcing the law. It is WWOOF who the anger should be directed at in cases like this. They KNOW what can happen at the border if the person is questioned.

That young woman has now got a file with US Homeland Security that indicates she attempted to enter the country to work illegally. What do you suppose that will mean if she tries to enter the USA again?

Responsible advice should always indicate the potential risks involved in doing something illegal. It should never suggest that it is OK to flaunt the law.

WWOOFing or the like (HelpX, Workaway, working in a hostel, etc.) are illegal in the USA. Canada on the other hand have passed a specific law that allows it for periods of up to 30 days. http://www.wwoof.ca/FAQ

New Zealand considers it work and requires a visa. But note how the WWOOF site does not actually come right out and say you must get a visa.(hover over, "what type of visa do I need") http://www.wwoof.co.nz/faq.php

The WWOOF Australia site is even more difficult to understand.
http://www.wwoof.com.au/wwoofers/visa-info

WWOOF is not some big international organization with the clout to lobby governments to enact legislation. WWOOF USA for example (last time I checked) is registered as a company in California and owned by a one woman band who lives in another state altogether (I forget which state). ONE person, who runs a website and collects membership fees.

Bottom line, it is up to the individual to do their own due diligence to determine if what they are thinking of doing is legal and then decide if they want to proceed or not. Advising anyone otherwise is IRRESPONSIBLE.

By the way, no travel insurance will cover anyone who is working illegally in a country. So have an accident, end up in hospital and guess who is going to be paying the bills.

Sojourntraveller - if you actually read my post you will see that I was not advising anyone to do anything. I was simply answering the OPs question. You, on the other hand seem to be providing your opinions based on what may, or may not, be the case in North America and New Zealand, the relevance of which escapes me - have you even been to South America?

I provided the facts based on my own personal experience of travelling for long periods throughout South America. I can only provide the facts. I cannot provide anyone with the intellectual capacity to understand those facts. My approach is you assume that people have the basic common sense to make there own decisions on important matters based on research from a number of sources. Yours, appears to be to lecture people, based on what experience I really do not know..

I disagree crellston and do not write, "if you actually read my post". What you provided was not the 'facts' as you put it. What one person is willing to do does not change the fact regarding the legality of someone else doing something.

I on the other hand provided the facts about working abroad. The fact is it is illegal in most countries and I gave examples of that.

If you want to provide the 'facts' about S. America, then please do so. Provide links that show whether it is legal or illegal to work in a given country.

You mentioned Peru where it is in fact illegal as you yourself admit. "is a visa required? Yes. Does anyone bother? No"

I find it somewhat disingenous to be aware something is illegal and not know that if someone is caught there will be consequences.

I find it irresponsible to say something is illegal and not say that doing something illegal is not a good idea. Whether you would be willing to risk doing so yourself or not does not change that.

Many people hear(read) only what they want to hear. Saying you expect people to make their own decisions after you have actually stated people do work illegally and implied you would do so as well, is like telling a kid you would steal a cookie from the cookie jar when you know they have been told not to do so. What do you think the kid would then do?

I think your expectation of how someone who has no money and is looking for a way to travel without money, will behave if given any encouragement at all, is unrealistic.

Fortunately, your comments are now not the only ones the OP has to consider. The OP now has the 'facts' as provided by me and the 'flaunt the law' choice as provided by you. Now the OP can indeed make an informed choice.

Working in a hostel or through WWOOF, HelpX, etc. is illegal in most countries without a visa that allows you to work and there are potential consequences. That is the fact the OP needs to know. Leaving that fact out in a response is irresponsible. End of story.

my goodness - you do write in the style of an un-named former Fodorite.

"End of Story" = >>My opinion is the <i>only</i> valid opinion<<

What is a Fodorite? I'm not sure I wish to be classified as one. In fact, I'm pretty sure I don't want to be.

"End of story" I do hope so, your rambling diatribes are of absolutely no interest to me.

>>I'm not sure I wish to be classified as one. In fact, I'm pretty sure I don't want to be.<<

A bit too late for that don't you think? Unless you de-register yourself and go away, you <i>are</i> a Fodorite.