Monday’s Money Saving Tips: Never Pay for the Internet, take advantage of as much FREE Wi-Fi as you can, and if you have a laptop travel with it of course!
I know this is a tough one in this modern day and age as most of us rely on the internet now during our travels, but take your laptop with you and make use of as much free Wi-Fi as you can. Today’s Monday’s Money Saving Tips is on making sure you never pay for the internet. OK in emergencies you may have to – but you can get by. When I started travelling I never took a laptop or a phone so I always ended up having to pay for the internet. I now take a laptop with me (but still no phone – it’s a bug bear of mine…) and I rarely pay for the internet. The last time I paid to use the internet on my travels was in Laos in July last year. I don’t plan to pay for the internet again anytime soon.
Using FREE WI-Fi at the airport to update my travel blog and Facebook pages.
So how can you do it? Well here are the important things to do when you have internet:
– When you have internet do as much as you can so that you can do without it for a few days:
– e-mail friends
– upload photos –
– e-mail important clients
– upload your latest blog posts
*** But the important thing to remember is DON’T DO ANYTHING YOU CAN DO OFFLINE. Don’t get Wi-Fi then start typing a new blog post (you can type it offline), don’t get Wi-Fi then start transferring photos onto a hard drive (you can even do this on a bus!)
Make the most of your time OFFLINE – here I am typing one of my blogs on a train in China. I didn’t have internet but I got THREE blogs written ready to go up!
Here is what to do when you DON’T HAVE INTERNET:
– Use your laptop as much as you can when you DON’T HAVE INTERNET.
– Take the time when you have no internet to write e-mails ready to send (copy and paste jobs from WordPad documents)
– Save and store your travel photos onto hard drives (giving folders names and arranging the folders)
– Write all your travel blog posts when you are OFFLINE. Did you know you don’t need to have internet to be a travel blogger?? Yes that’s right, in the last 10 years of my travels, for 4 of those I never owned a laptop and for the 6 years where I’ve had a travel blog, it has appeared to people that I am ALWAYS online – I’m not. I type my blogs offline most of the time (just ask my girlfriend – she thinks it’s crazy! Well it is, but it saves time and money) and then when I get online I fire them up and attach the photos! I’m used to it now…
– Write a list of things you MUST do the next time you get online and stroke them off as you do them
Quick coffee Wi-Fi stop on my travels! OK so essentially I’m paying for it, but I get a free coffee 😉
Here are the places to get FREE Wi-Fi and make sure you NEVER pay to use the internet on your travels:
– Hostels you stay in (and guesthouses and hotels)
– Airports
– Friends houses and flats
– Some modern bus stations have them
– Onboard some buses (I know that COT had Wi-Fi on their buses when I was touring Uruguay and uploading on the road, literally!)
– Coffee Shops (OK, so you have to buy a coffee – but coffee is great – it’s one of the best travel drinks and you can pick the cheapest one and use the Wi-Fi for hours
– Pubs (this is my favourite one as I LOVE sitting in pubs updating my blog with a pint of Guinness – I know this might sound anti-social and it is, but remember my blog is my nomadic office – I live and work around it. I don’t sit with my laptop out when I’m with my mates watching the football – more when I’m on the move and have a few hours to kill)
Guinness and a pub with a view with FREE Wi-Fi. This is my travel blog heaven, leave me to it…;-)
– McDonalds (I used to hate them, but now I’m prone to a Big Mac and a Coffee just to get free Wi-Fi. I take advantage of companies like that)
– Computer shops – just pop in and check your e-mails now and then
– Other bars, coffee shops and restaurants (Wi-Fi is rapidly on the increase – Wi Fi networks crop up EVERYWHERE!!)
From this post I want you to remember just the two main things though:
1. Utilise the time when you have internet very wisely. Don’t waste it. You never know how long it will be before you’re online again.
2. Do as much as you can on your laptop OFFLINE to make the online time easier and faster (I can’t be the only one who types e-mails offline and sends them later).
Safe travels folks! I’m in Borneo (the Malaysian part) at the moment, heading to Brunei soon, after the Kota Kinabalu hike. If you have some expert money saving travel tips for my readers, for me, or for my blog, please get in touch. I LOVE advertisers and sponsors. E-mail me or contact me using the information on my contacts page and advertising page.
#2 is an awesome tip and one I hadn’t thought of till a recent bus trip where Wi-Fi was spotty. Thanks for helping me be efficient!
Thanks Maria – I even type up my blog in cars, on buses and anywhere. I work faster offline believe it or not! Jonny
Hi:)
First let me say that this is a really great and informative blog you have written! Thank You very much!:)
I want to ask you, how can I make a living blogging? I would love to be able to blog for a living and just quit the whole idea of a regular payroll job! I love being on my own time and just the thought of working this way makes me feel GREAT!:)
Thanks for reading, have a great day!
~Shaina
Hi Shiana, thanks for your comment. I wish I knew the secret to making lots of money blogging, but 6 years into my blog, I’ve broke even on the money I spent on it and earned a small amount on top of this which is cool. Some of the best marketed travel blogs are making a load of money! I’ll just keep backpacking and writing knowing I’m really travelling and really writing about it. Nomadic Matt is a top top blogger and a great guy, I reviewed his eBook about making money blogging here: If I ever get the time, I’ll concentrate more on the marketing side of blogging rather than just telling people what places to go and what to do etc… safe travels, Jonny