'I worked five zero-hour jobs at once to save enough to travel'

A woman worked five jobs to save up to travel the world.

Going on holiday is not cheap. Research commissioned by travel insurance provider Staysure showed that families have had to slash their holiday budgets by an average of £941 in recent years, with the cost of a holiday now just over £2,800. As a result, 44% are now more likely to opt for a staycation than a trip abroad.

The desire to travel is still incredibly strong despite the costs going up. Holiday bookings have risen by about 10% in the UK this year, according to the Advantage Travel Partnership, despite overall growth hanging around close to zero.

One person determined to get away despite the cost is Lauren Wright. The 20-year-old from Essex started working at 15 purely to fund her travels.

“I am very fortunate to have such supportive and loving parents who made my saving process easier than most. I had very minimal outgoings, and therefore, every penny I made, I was able to save for my trip. I reached out to friends who had taken very similar trips and asked how much they had saved, setting myself a goal of around £14,000 as I never wanted to run out of money or feel like I couldn’t participate in a once-in-a-lifetime activity while I was away. I have always been good at saving my money, saving more than spending, from the time I started working at 15," Lauren told Omeo.

"I combined the money I had been saving since the age of 15 with the money I made during the six months I spent working various jobs, in order to make sure I had the money I needed in the pot. I worked as a lifeguard, duty manager, team leader, receptionist and recreational assistant in various roles, most of them being zero-hour contracts, which allowed me to work as much or as little as I wanted. I jam-packed those six months, sometimes working 60-hour weeks and 18-hour shifts, going straight from one job to another throughout the day.”

Saving to travel didn’t come without sacrifices, either. Lauren cut back on a number of things she considered luxuries in order to keep her savings pot growing.

“I stopped eating out as much, reduced the amount of takeout coffee I would buy whilst out and about and started making more at home to save money. I also reduced the number of pub trips I went on with friends. Most importantly, I stopped all unessential shopping unless I was buying something that I was going to be able to take on my travels," she continued.

Lauren's best advice for those wanting to save money to travel the world is to research other people's journeys on social media, especially TikTok.

“I did a lot of TikTok research, watching videos on how much money people spent per location and for their entire trip. I used all these figures to set a budget for myself. I budgeted around £30 a day while I was in the more ‘budget-friendly’ countries such as Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Malaysia and Laos. This £30 a day would include my hostel or hotel, food, activities and basic fees such as my SIM card and laundry. I had a separate budget for activities, which was definitely needed to make the most of my trip," Lauren added.

"In the more expensive countries like Singapore, Indonesia, New Zealand and Australia, I would attempt to budget by seeing how much I was spending daily and trying to stick to that average, like £60 a day, which also included accommodation, which was much more expensive in these countries. I also didn't eat out as much in Australia and New Zealand, and often opted for grocery shopping and cooking in the hostel's kitchen.

Thanks to her savvy saving, Lauren has managed to visit many countries around the world.

“I have backpacked to Dubai, the Philippines, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Australia and New Zealand, as well as being lucky enough to travel a huge chunk of Europe, too. I initially started travelling with my boyfriend, but we broke up on the trip, causing me to travel solo, which taught me so many lessons and helped me to meet amazing people I may not have met otherwise. I wouldn’t change my travels for the world, and I can’t wait to see even more of the world as I continue to grow," she said.