Hey everyone! This is my first time posting on this website, but I feel like I need some guidance. Also, please let me know if I'm posting this in the wrong place, and I'll be happy to delete and go elsewhere. (a different thread, website, forum, etc.)
I've never walked to
camino de santiago, but I've been interested in walking it for years. I've looked into it now and again since I was probably about 20 years old (I am currently 28 years old), but recently, the urge/calling/will (whatever word you want to use) has been overwhelmingly powerful.
Over the past 6 months or so, I've thought about it multiple times a day. I won't go into all the detail I want to about the signs I've seen and heard that have lead me to believe I need to go asap, but I feel as if it needs to happen soon.
All that being said, here's my dumb question: how do you all finance your trip? I live in the United States, so just the plane ride over there is going to be pricey. I have absolutely no equipment purchased, no plans, and no money saved. (Well, some money, but certainly not close to enough to get me from Connecitcut to SJPP)
I'm recently coming back from being unemployed for close to a year. My savings are shriveled up. I currently have a part time job, and I'm hoping to stash away as much as I possibly can. So any money crunching/saving tips would be greatly appreciated. And any dollar amounts you all spent (from equipment, to airfare, to food while walking, etc.) would be hugely helpful. So I know how much I need.
Thank you all so much!
Buen Camino,
Sara
Hi, Sara and welcome to the forum!
Lots of good advices in previous posts and I'll try not to repeat them.
I've been freelance artist almost all my adult life and constantly fighting with financial situation. Some years were better and some worse but since the beginning of this last financial crisis it's even worse. Still I managed to do 2 whole Caminos in past 4 years. I guess my great wish to do them was the best
spiritus agens. How did I saved enough money? I'm still asking that myself
Here are some tips:
- after my first unfinished Camino (2009) I realised how little material things I really need and that all those years I was moving lots of my stuff from one leased apartment to another and haven't used most of them for years. So I decided to sell them online. First year of doing this I got 800€. In three years one of my Caminos were paid-off.
- not only that, I also began to collect and sell other peoples used stuff, but I do have a car and storage, so that was kind of easier for me. Apart from living in an apartment that looks like a storage unit
- I simply stopped to buy brand new things or at least narrow the list down to minimum. For example, in last two years I bought exactly four new items: spare part for my car, two pairs of shoes and smart phone. Clothes, PC, furniture, even pots & pans I got for free or second hand. In this way I also kind of excuse myself from over-buying and making even bigger heap of garbage as it is common in these days in "modern" world. Not to say that things made years ago are in general of better quality - today most of them are made to brake down and you have to buy a new one. One other example: torned and bleached old T-shirt can be adequate kitchen towel and also you don't have to buy those paper towels.
- Although books are my great love and have plenty of them I stopped buying them, instead I go to the library.
- I rarely eat in restaurants, instead I buy ingredients and prepare meals at home. It's true that I have always enjoyed that but in last couple of years I increased home-cooking. And also I feel better because I get ingredients from family garden or buy them from farmers. Another love of mine is beer and hanging out in the taverns, pubs, bars. But if I drink let's say 3 beers per visit, that would be 7€ whereas for three cans of beer I buy in a market I pay about 2€. So I saved 5€/day (with the same amount of beer I've drank).
- I don't buy stuff when "sales" or "reduction" signs appears, because salesmen know that you'll be tempted to buy more than really needed. Therefore I buy only when I need something.
- It could be a nice surprise once (or more) a year if you regularly put minor spare change (cents in €) in a tin-can. You wouldn't notice it day-by-day but I get additional 50€ each year
And when on Camino:
- I'm not really familiar with overseas flights but I do remember from posts on this forum that return flights are cheaper if your flights are in&out from the same city in Spain. Bus and train connections within Spain are very good and still cheaper even than low-cost internal aifares.
- You don't have to buy a guide book especially if you're planning
Camino Frances for your first Camino. All informations are available on the web. You just need some time to collect them, put them in some sort of a book and print it.
- It has been said before something about equipment. I haven't bought single part of it, I just use what I have. If that means 100% cotton T-shirts, so be it. But that works well for summer months, otherwise cotton wouldn't dry as quickly as modern type of fabric without help of the sun and heaters!
- Keep an eye on your belongings where ever you go, even in the shower. It can ruin your Camino if something would get stolen. Just don't get panicky over this
Statisticaly there are (x 1,000,000) much more forgotten or lost things than stolen on Caminos
I hope you'll soon be able to live your dream, urge, need, whatever you name it.
Ultreia!