We All Want Something For Nothing

Photo by Stephen Chapman

Exercising some restraint from spending our hard earned cash on unnecessary luxuries when at home would probably serve to benefit many of us, in terms of general happiness and satisfaction but also in terms of travel opportunities. Being frugal and being a cheapskate are two quite different approaches to financial management. It’s one thing to budget wisely, it’s quite another to bargain agressively over small amounts of money and seek products and services for free. There’s a growing trend that suggests in order to forge meaningful connections and have genuine experiences when travelling money shouldn’t necessarily play a part. I think we’ve all learned lately though that money certainly helps to make the world go round, not credit or good will alone.

The internet is awash with companies and start-ups finding that they are having to offer services for free and find other ways to support their enterprise. We all expect to get something for nothing these days. The rise of Couchsurfing is an example of frugal travellers networking in order to obtain free accommodation all over the world. Are they being frugal or simply trying to find an in-road into another cultural experience? The answer is both, the two go side by side because the most rewarding travel experiences are the independent, budget ones you plan yourself – the ones you can’t buy, can’t sell and can’t replicate. As we’ve said before, this type of travel is not a commodity that can be packaged and sold, there is no business there (read A Ticket To Ride That’s All You Need and The Essence Of Travel, No Additives Or Preservatives).

It’s all for a good cause, will you pay for my trip?

Projects like Twitchhiker and The Day 12 Project that attempt to travel on the back of an altruistic mission and essentially get a free ride feel a lot like a new level of cheapskate travel. One that verges on the exploitation of a situation for personal indulgence. There’s always a kicker thrown in to disguise the nature of these types of trips – The Twitchhiker is fundraising for Charity: Water, Day 12 is promising to talk with NGOs, universities and local people about ‘how we can make our journeys more sustainable and contribute positively to the places we visit’.

There has been a huge increase in people combining travel expeditions with charity fundraising over recent years, many of which are worthy of praise, support and respect for their endeavours; but when fundraising becomes an excuse for seeking a free trip the project starts to look a little less noteworthy. We’d all like to travel more but it costs money to leave home to satisfy our wanderlust. Many of us will save hard for months in full time jobs to pay for our travels. The idea that a personal trip can be funded entirely by someone else sounds fantastical. Travel is a privelege. Anyone who cannot get hold of travel visas, or travel as freely as we can in the UK will tell you that. Filling your travels with a range of experiences is definitely encouraged, save money where you can, be creative and embrace the good will of people but don’t exploit it.

Further reading:

It’s all for a good cause, will you pay for my trip?

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