Going to Australia with €10,000 savings. Am I wasting my money?

roro1990 · 29-01-2015 03:29PM #1

What's up AH? I'm 24 and disillusioned with life at home. Social life is sh*t as mates are all whipped, weather is ****, hate my job and I love travelling. I have 10k in the bank and am thinking of going on the 1 year Oz working holiday visa.

My plan is to spend a month in Thailand, a country I've been to twice and adore. My spending will be minimal as the previous 2 times I drank way too much. This time i'm there for relaxation, food and gym.

After that I plan to fly to Sydney on 14th March. I've no idea what job I even want over there and that's the part that worries me. I'm going without a real plan of action. I've also heard Sydney is extremely expensive so i'm starting to doubt if I should even start there. Maybe go to the farms and build up more savings doing the fruit picking work?

Or alternatively, maybe I shouldn't go to Australia at all. I had been thinking of going teaching English in Thailand or possibly South Korea but the issue with that plan is that i'm shy as **** and the thought of standing in front of a class right now terrifies me. Another idea would be to try my hand at starting an online source of income while living in Thailand.

If anyone has any actual advice on my situation that'd be nice. I expect a lot of piss taking posts with this being AH but hopefully some decent perspectives.

Generic Dreadhead · 29-01-2015 03:33PM

*place holder joke about Lady boys here*

29-01-2015 03:34PM

going to a place full of Irish people drinking in irish bars, only jobs you can get is working with other irish people on a farm. Think about it.

whiskeyman · 29-01-2015 03:34PM

Try the works & Jobs forum for serious answers!

or sit back, and enjoy the puns and fun that awaits...

Philo Beddoe · 29-01-2015 03:36PM

roro1990 wrote: »

Maybe go to the farms and build up more savings doing the fruit picking work?

Fruit picking work is poorly paid, back-breaking labour. It's only a reasonable option for people passing through who haven't a pot to piss in, and there are always plenty of those.

Dr. Mantis Toboggan · 29-01-2015 03:36PM

The worst thing about Australia is that it's full of Australians.

FTA69 · 29-01-2015 03:37PM

F*ck it, do it; it'll be the best thing you've ever done in your life. A year working in Australia having the craic will be brilliant and it could well set you up to put in a few months travelling around Asia. Go to Nepal, it's great craic.

Oranage2 · 29-01-2015 03:39PM

Do it, I've done something very similar teaching English in Asia, saved the same as you and travelled the world first.

best decision I've ever made.

RobYourBuilder · 29-01-2015 03:43PM

I had been thinking of going teaching English in Thailand or possibly South Korea but the issue with that plan is that i'm shy as **** and the thought of standing in front of a class right now terrifies me. Another idea would be to try my hand at starting an online source of income while living in Thailand.

Have you got a TOEFL or CELTA qualification? Look into getting one before you leave if you don't.

After that I plan to fly to Sydney on 14th March

Days before Paddys day. Pound the pavements with your CV and try all the Irish pubs. Should be able to get a start somewhere, even if it's only collecting glasses or working as a KP.

dRNk SAnTA · 29-01-2015 03:45PM

OP, I was in your exact position 3 years ago when I went to Australia.

From my experience:
- Given current exchange rates, your euros don't go very far over there. So just get on the plane and make your money in AUD rather than Euro.

- You'll need the euros you have to get your first hostels, find a job etc. Go to Asia on the way home, not the way there. Otherwise you'll probably blow too much of your money on cocktails and massages and you'll regret it when you're panicking for a job in Sydney/Melbourne/wherever.

- If you've got enough resources to last a few weeks in Australia without a job, then you'll have time to search properly and pick something half decent up. I'd just graduated and it probably took me 4 weeks to get something decent, it all worked out in the end.

- Worst case scenario is you come back home early. No big deal.... Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

SuprSi · 29-01-2015 03:46PM

You're 24 and you've 10k savings? That could partly explain your **** social life!

Potatoeman · 29-01-2015 03:48PM

FTA69 wrote: »

F*ck it, do it; it'll be the best thing you've ever done in your life. A year working in Australia having the craic will be brilliant and it could well set you up to put in a few months travelling around Asia. Go to Nepal, it's great craic.

It can be but it can also not work out. You might not make as much as you think. I had a friend return after a year worse off and another that had problems meeting people until moved cities. It can be great or terrible.

super_furry · 29-01-2015 03:48PM

Two questions to ask yourself - why are you going and what do you want to get out of your time there?

roro1990 · 29-01-2015 03:49PM

Philo Beddoe wrote: »

Fruit picking work is poorly paid, back-breaking labour. It's only a reasonable option for people passing through who haven't a pot to piss in, and there are always plenty of those.

I heard it's horrible but easy to get and means you can get a second year over there.

roro1990 · 29-01-2015 03:50PM

super_furry wrote: »

Two questions to ask yourself - why are you going and what do you want to get out of your time there?

Because I love travelling. I hope to meet loads of new people, have great experiences and I hope to open my eyes to possible new career paths as I don't particularly enjoy my current one. I'm in this sort of quarter life crisis of not knowing wtf I really wanna do in life in terms of my career.

thelad95 · 29-01-2015 03:50PM

roro1990 wrote: »

What's up AH? I'm 24 and disillusioned with life at home. Social life is sh*t as mates are all whipped, weather is ****, hate my job and I love travelling. I have 10k in the bank and am thinking of going on the 1 year Oz working holiday visa.

My plan is to spend a month in Thailand, a country I've been to twice and adore. My spending will be minimal as the previous 2 times I drank way too much. This time i'm there for relaxation, food and gym.

After that I plan to fly to Sydney on 14th March. I've no idea what job I even want over there and that's the part that worries me. I'm going without a real plan of action. I've also heard Sydney is extremely expensive so i'm starting to doubt if I should even start there. Maybe go to the farms and build up more savings doing the fruit picking work?

Or alternatively, maybe I shouldn't go to Australia at all. I had been thinking of going teaching English in Thailand or possibly South Korea but the issue with that plan is that i'm shy as **** and the thought of standing in front of a class right now terrifies me. Another idea would be to try my hand at starting an online source of income while living in Thailand.

If anyone has any actual advice on my situation that'd be nice. I expect a lot of piss taking posts with this being AH but hopefully some decent perspectives.

You seem very disillusioned with life in Ireland, have you considered returning to education to try and further your career opportunites instead of squandering that money by travelling to the other side of the world?

In saying that, life is short and you may regret not going someday. This year out could turn things around for you, give you a new pep in your step and travel does really broaden the mind, even if it is only to Australia. Maybe you'll gain nothing from the trip but at least you'll be able to say you did it and at least have a few tales to tell to the grand-children. It'll be one less thing you may regret not doing. You also seem to have a genuine plan which is a massive positive.

I say go for it. It could be the best year of your life.

bangkok · 29-01-2015 03:51PM

go to Australia, best year of your life, also travel to new Zealand, Fiji, south America, you wont regret it

roro1990 · 29-01-2015 03:51PM

whiskeyman wrote: »

Try the works & Jobs forum for serious answers!

or sit back, and enjoy the puns and fun that awaits...

I can take the puns and all that jazz, I knew this forum would get more answers so that's why I posted here. among all the piss taking there might be solid advice

Daenarys · 29-01-2015 03:52PM

SuprSi wrote: »

You're 24 and you've 10k savings? That could partly explain your **** social life!

I'm shocked this wasn't the first post! OP how in gods name have you got 10k saved at 24 years of age???

RobYourBuilder · 29-01-2015 03:53PM

Daenarys wrote: »

I'm shocked this wasn't the first post! OP how in gods name have you got 10k saved at 24 years of age???

How do you not? I'd a deposit for a gaff at 22(thanks, in part to a redundancy package. But still).

OneArt · 29-01-2015 03:54PM

Go teach English in Asia for a bit. Almost any native speaker can get a job and it's a piece of piss. As well as that, you'll generally earn good money and can save, as well as travel around.

WARNING: DO NOT turn TEFL into a career. Do not do it in Europe. The industry is dying and it won't be long before Asia follows the route of Europe. TEFL nowadays is just a gap-year job, or something to do part-time for extra money. Turn it into a career and you'll be eating pot noodles for the rest of your life.

roro1990 · 29-01-2015 03:54PM

Daenarys wrote: »

I'm shocked this wasn't the first post! OP how in gods name have you got 10k saved at 24 years of age???

I'm from a working class background I got a scholarship to go to university of 7,500 a year for doing well in the leaving cert...it's called The All Ireland Scholarship. and I've been working for the last 10 months.

anncoates · 29-01-2015 03:55PM

Could you not just buy some GAA shirts and deck out your local pub with sun lamps to recreate the Irish Australian experience on the cheap?

Daenarys · 29-01-2015 03:56PM

RobYourBuilder wrote: »

How do you not? I'd a deposit for a gaff at 22(thanks, in part to a redundancy package. But still).

Paying back student loan, Rent, Bills, Car insurance,tax, mechanic, fuel barely enough for socialising after that when I was 24 not to mind save. I guess OSI is right all 20 somethings now must stay with Mammy & Daddy!

roro1990 · 29-01-2015 03:58PM

anncoates wrote: »

Could you not just buy some GAA shirts and deck out your local pub with sun lamps to recreate the Irish Australian experience on the cheap?

I don't even like GAA. Not all Irish people are the same, shockingly

Daenarys · 29-01-2015 03:59PM

roro1990 wrote: »

I'm from a working class background I got a scholarship to go to university of 7,500 a year for doing well in the leaving cert...it's called The All Ireland Scholarship. and I've been working for the last 10 months.

Well done on getting the scholarship, not to easy to get those! Go to Australia, it's the best thing I ever did and I went with 2k in my pocket

drumswan · 29-01-2015 04:00PM

Bitterness from the wageslaves is strong in this thread.

Agricola · 29-01-2015 04:01PM

I'd say if you've already been to places like Thailand and have some travel experience under your belt, (I had gotten to the Uk by 24!) then maybe use that money for something more sensible like more education in order to get into a field of work you actually like. You will still have plenty of time to see the world in a few years time. Maybe not time for bumming around for a year abroad but enough to enable you to go every year for a spell anyway.
Thats the point of view of someone who would abhor the whole "lets go to Oz and get twisted with other Irish people on a fruit farm" idea. But if you are that way inclined, at 24 with zero commitments and plenty of dosh, go right ahead.

roro1990 · 29-01-2015 04:02PM

Daenarys wrote: »

Well on getting the scholarship! Go to Australia, it's the best thing I ever did and I went with 2k in my pocket

Cheers. any particular recommendations for places to live in? I'm torn between Syndey and Melbourne. Did you do farm work at all? How long did the 2k last?

jimgoose · 29-01-2015 04:04PM

You might as well, get it out of your system and such. Be prepared to have a horrible time and come back broke. Then you'll be delighted when it goes reasonably well, as it probably will.

jester77 · 29-01-2015 04:05PM

Go and check it out. If you like it stay, if not move on. Life's short, in 15 years you'll most likely have a family and not the opportunity.

Going to Australia with €10,000 savings. Am I wasting my money?

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