Loving the idea of one of our epic schoolies adventures but don’t think you can afford it? Think again!! All you need is a little commitment, and anything is possible. Saving cashola for an international escapade is something you’re probs going to be doing a lot of over the next few years, so funding your own schoolies trip is a pretty boss idea. The more ownership of the trip you take, the more independent and powerful you’ll feel. And trust us, it’s the most amazing feeling of freedom. Imagine being able to say at 18 years old that you funded your own overseas holiday. That’s dope!!

Set your goals and get organised early. Start off by working out a basic-as budget, how much have you got? How much more do you need to save? To keep you motivated, print out a photo of your dream Schoolies Reimagined destination and slap it up over the Justin Bieber poster above your bed. Visualising your end result will keep you motivated and on track throughout your stressful senior year. 

The easiest way to guarantee savings is by getting a casual job. While casual work can seem to be in the “too hard” basket while you’re at high school, a part-time job can actually teach you some pretty important stuff you can’t pick up from a book – things like how to deal with people, solve problems on the go and work in a team – all things you’ll need regardless of what your next step is. Plus having a little extra coin lining your pockets every fortnight is pretty awesome too. It might seem a little impossible while studying but think about it like this:

1. How many hours do you spend scrolling through your phone per day? (let’s be honest now)
2. Swap that 2 hours of scrolling for work and there is already $30 a day. 
3. Let’s say you pick up 3 x 2-hour shifts a week for a year, BOOM there is already $4,680!! That’s your trip paid for plus spending money for time you didn’t even realise you had because it was wasted on the ‘gram or TikTok. 

If you’re keen to get the cash flooding in but haven’t had much luck on the job front yet, Frisbee those resumes  around town, speak to family and your parents’ friends who own businesses and see if they can help you out or get a mate to put a good word in for you. These are all worth the effort – the more cash you pull together early, the less stressed you’ll feel around crunch-time.

Below we have helped you maximise your savings with some hot tips from our thrifty travelling staff. 

• Fire up a fundraiser and share it on the ‘gram – Presidential fundraisers are $1000 a plate — and the food isn’t any good! Asking for $50 in exchange for some great local cuisine (and a worthy cause) seems much more reasonable.
• Got an 18th coming up? Ask for cash for your trip (instead of gifts). Let your family and friends know you are a size window seat on a Schoolies Reimagined trip. Ask your parents, your mates and your cashed up friendly Aunties and Uncles to donate cash to your trip instead of buying gifts. You can do this for Christmas prezzies too!
• Put your social media A-grade skills to good use for once, and design your own FundMyTravel or GOFUNDME page. Tell people what you’re doing, where you’re going and who you’re going to help – and ask for a little support.
• Clean out the closet and start selling some old stuff – flood facebook marketplace with your Year 6 formal suit and collector’s Barbie Dolls.
• Get your creative juices flowing and start a side hustle. hand-make scrunchies, dresses, sell your unique art pieces, start baking dog treats or tie-dying and selling all your brother’s clothes.          
• Create a community service organisation at your school – Get together a group of like-minded students who are also interested in doing something meaningful for their Schooliesl. Lead the group and work together to raise money for a “community service trip fund.” 
• Don’t forget the classics, car washes, bake sales, raffles, and garage sales are a great way to bring people together, have fun, and raise money for your worthy trip. 

Don’t forget we have a payment plan which means you don’t need to fork out all the money at once (kinda like Afterpay). You can choose to pay it off earlier as well if money sitting in the bank is way too tempting. We’re stoked that you are thinking of joining us for schoolies and we’re ready to support you in any way we can.

Stay motivated, get creative and plan early – we promise, it’s totally worth it.