We all dream about it. Sitting at our desks, twiddling our thumbs, and dreaming of lands far and wide. Envisioning ourselves dropping it all to circle the globe. We won't be gone forever, unless one of the lands we globetrot to holds us captive by its beauty. But few of us have the guts to do it. We're scared that once we get back our work will have dried up or promotion opportunities will have dwindled. Most universities offer the opportunity to qualify for paid sabbatical leave as an employee benefit, but what if you're not a professor? Is there a way to take a break from work without going broke?
1. Save Your Cash
If you're planning on taking a sabbatical from work without going broke you have to save your dough. Plan about a year ahead of time and save every penny you can for that year. That means bring your lunch every day, make dinners at home, sell items that you no longer use, and avoid buying any cloths that you don't need. Put money in a savings account that's hard to access for when you're feeling especially weak, and resolve to avoid using your car and wasting gas wherever possible. Turn the heat down, the AC up, and drop all your extra change into a big glass jar to be counted at the end of the year. You'll be absolutely amazed at how much you can save. However you plan to save, set up your savings plan and stick to it. Also consider that the cost of taking a sabbatical is often less than your real life because the places that you choose to go can often be cheaper than the U.S. Decide how much money you can survive on per day and stick to your budget once aboard, or you could get yourself into a real pickle.
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2. Look For Sabbatical Leave
According to Forbes, hundreds of companies, including Boston Consulting Group, eBay, and Blue Cross Blue Shield, offer paid and unpaid sabbaticals for employees who want to improve their health, recover from job burnout, develop new skills, or clarify what they want to do with their lives. Just be sure you are an asset to your company.
"The concept of working for 40 years and then retiring is outdated," says Elizabeth Pagano, cofounder of YourSabbatical.com. "People should be able to inject bursts of time off into their career paths."
3. Think Eat Pray Love Style
While you likely can't get a book deal like Elizabeth Gilbert which funds your trip to Italy, India, and Bali, you can write your way around the globe. Consider writing for a travel blog and documenting your travel adventures along the way. If travel writing isn't for you, consider writing for a blog that covers your particular expertise. This could include anything from biking to law and everything in between. Unless you're a seasoned blogger and have been doing this for a while, it likely won't support you, but it will at least provide beer money while you're away.
4. Cruise Around the World
Take a sabbatical from your current career on a cruise ship. According to JobFinder, cruise ship jobs are another option. I know that this may seem strange but you can find plenty of cruise ship jobs which cover all industries from chefs and servers, to housekeeping staff, entertainers, spa therapists, and child minders. Your job could also include free lodging, medical aid, and free transportation but you should take into consideration the hard work and the hours. Shifts can last up to 12 or even 15 hours, so be prepared, according to the site.
For more great ideas on living aboard cheaply read:
5 Ways to Travel and Live Abroad for Free (Or Very, Very Cheaply)
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