Picture this, you have just finished your last exam ever with people who you have shared blood, sweat and tears with, what do you do now? PARTY, CELEBRATE, LET LOOSE! That is when Schoolies.com steps into help you out on booking the best week of your life.
Now come back to reality, its first day of grade 12, you’re 17-year’s old, with little to no cash money in the bank account. I mean, you’re just about to start your final year of school, maybe don’t work a casual job because you’re too busy trying to balance a social life, school commitments, 8 hours of sleep a night, exam pressure all while trying keep up to date with your favourite shows on Netflix.
How on earth are you going to afford Schoolies?
If you have learnt one thing from school, after all those tears, late nights, constant stress, anxiety and pressure it is that ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE. You can make it to Schoolies on a budget and I am here to tell you how.
Pick your group wisely…
You may be thinking that your Schoolies group is already sorted and it’s inevitable that the friends who you hang out with now will still be your friends by the end of year 12. Nothing could ever break you apart. Unfortunately that’s not always the case. Hate to break it to you but, sh*t happens. Peoples paths change, their ideas and vibe may not be in tune with yours anymore. In life, things pop up unexpectedly, just like when your teacher throws an assignment at your face on the first day of year 12 and expects it done by the end of the week. You just never know! I suggest picking a few people who you know are trusting, easy going, love to party and you know will have your back through the whole Schoolies process. These will probably be friends who you have known the longest, if they have put up with you until now, you know they will be able to put up with your super excited self on night 1 of Schoolies! The trusted friends are also the ones you are most likely to be about to work out a fair plan for Schoolies that will suit all your budgets, and will be understanding when you have to have conversations about what you can all afford individually, and as a group.
Book as early as possible, and then put it on layby!
You may be thinking ‘I’ll book something in the weeks before Schoolies, I’m too busy to think about it now’. Well, I’m telling you right now you are going to put yourself through so much unnecessary stress if you think that you are going to round up your squad, get it paid off in time, organise your flights (if needed), convince the rents, and budget for food & drinks, all within a short amount of time. You’re going to want to book as early as possible, so you know how much you have to save, and have plenty of time to do so. Also, you will find as the year goes by there are less options available to choose from. You need to take into consideration that everyone will be looking for the best options in their chosen location, and the best budget accommodation books out fast. So, once you know your group, get together one weekend or at lunchtime and scroll through our website. You can lock in your room for a deposit of only $150, and then pay off the rest in small amounts month to month with our free layby [hyperlink to www.Schoolies.com.layby] plans. The earlier you book, the less your monthly repayment is, layby plans start from just $30 a month!
Finding solid accommodation that won’t hurt your bank account.
The accommodation you choose is so important when trying to get the best bang for your buck. But when you quite literally only have a buck in your bank account this can be difficult so, BE SPECIFIC. Go to our website, choose a destination, year and week. Use the ‘advanced filter’ drop down to select how many guests will be travelling. Hint: each hotel will have a maximum and minimum amount of people allowed in the room. If you have the maximum amount of people in the room, then you will be paying the cheapest price for that room. If you have the minimum amount, then you will be paying the most expensive price for that room. So keep this in mind when choosing a room. For instance, if booking a 2 bedroom for 3 people you will be paying an expensive price because you have space for more people. Most 2 bedrooms you can fit up to 5 or 6 people.
So, you may have to book a 1 bedroom for 3 people to get the cheapest price, and I know what you’re thinking, how can 3 people fit into a 1 bedroom? Well we would never leave anyone stranded on the floor! There will always be a rollaway or pull out sofa bed in your room. Don’t underestimate how good a rollaway or sofa bed is. Ask any schoolie who has had to sleep in the loungeroom on a rollaway bed and I bet you most of them loved it because they had a whole quiet space to themselves, a bed to themselves and are closest to the kitchen (for those midnight cravings).
Check out alternative accommodation styles
Don’t be fooled into thinking you have to stay in 5* accommodation, to have a memorable Schoolies. Consider the many other accommodation styles such as camping, cabins, villas, backpackers, or motels. What are you going to remember when you think back to your Schoolies? If the bathroom had a marble finish, or the television is a 60” flat screen tv? You are there for one reason only and that is to celebrate and make memories for a lifetime. It will not just be the room that you will remember in years to come, it will be the friends you make, the fun you have with your mates and the new experiences that you will gain. Once you settle in and get ready for the big first night ahead, the party vibes will kick in and all you will care about is having a bed to crash out on at the end of each night. So check out some of the alternative accommodation styles Schoolies.com offers at each destination, because simply said you will spend most of your time out of your room anyways, whether that be partying, at the beach, shopping or activities.
If you’re still having trouble figuring it out, GET IN TOUCH!
Our reservations team are here to help! They are SO passionate about making sure each and every school leaver can celebrate their graduation with an amazing Schoolies week. If you need someone to assist you in figuring out how to get the best Schoolies experience on your specific budget, you can email them on info@Schoolies.com or give us a call on 1800 300 797.