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Wouldn’t it be great to drive a new car without worrying about the bills that come with the benefits, or take a holiday without paying for accommodation?
Living life to the full on a tight budget is becoming more of a reality thanks to the rise in social entrepreneurships, the “free” economy and innovative low cost options.
No money? No problem – check out these wallet friendly ways to get ahead:
1. Study at some of the world’s leading universities
Want an introduction to Mathematical Thinking? How about a History of the world since 1300? Wherever you’re based, as long as you have internet access you can follow in the online footprints of thousands of global students.
Coursera is an online portal housing short courses from some of the world’s leading universities, including the University of Melbourne. Whilst the courses themselves don’t lead to qualifications, it’s a great way to learn something new. You can tune in to video lectures at a time that’s convenient for you and choose as many courses as you like. And the best part? It’s totally free!
2. Drive around in a new car
The cost of maintaining a car can be thousands of dollars a year. Add in car loan repayments and fuel and the numbers sky rocket.
So how would you like all the flexibility of a car with none of the financial headaches? Whether you’re a regular road user or only need a car once in a while, car schemes such as Go Get mean you pay for a vehicle just when you need a ride.
3. Take a sustainable holiday
Fancy a week in the countryside with free bed and board? Turn your next trip into a working holiday and volunteer to pick strawberries for a week in return for accommodation, meals and experiencing something different.
Holiday volunteerism is gaining popularity amongst travellers – and there’s no shortage of farms looking for assistance during harvest season. Check out www.wwoof.com.au for details.
4. Learn a new language
With the favourable exchange rate, holidaying overseas has become more affordable for many Australians. So why not get your holiday off to a flying start by learning some of the local lingo? Skill Exchange is a web based service where you can learn something new in return for teaching someone a skill. So you could, for example, offer English lessons in return for French. It’s free to sign up, and it’s free to learn.
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