The holiday that pays for itself?

Anyone who has ever been on a self-supported bicycle tour with an open mind is well aware of the conventional reasons for doing so. The chance to see and truly experience a place at your own pace, interaction with the locals, the freedom to go literally wherever you like (whenever you like) without having to follow the itinerary of some tour guide. The chance to be self-sufficient also teaches you a lot about yourself, and sometimes provides the opportunity to develop new skills.

This is where it begins paying for itself. From the time I arrived in New Zealand (about five months ago), I have been finding new things to break on my bike on a regular basis. After spending a heap of money on Glacier walks, Fiord cruises and all manner of other things, my bank balance took a hiding. Shortly after my return, things happened which mean that I had to move apartments, giving me not only the expense of moving (which is substantial), but also a higher weekly rent bill. Two years ago, the combination of these events, and the cost of replacing things on my bike would have left me with a financial crisis.

As things stand, I don't really have a problem. I started learning new repair skills in New Zealand (simply because without them I would never have made it out of Christchurch airport). With those skills has come a confidence to tackle more repair jobs myself, and I've started to find that a lot of them aren't nearly as daunting as I feared they might be. This is actually saving me substantial amounts of money, which means that as far as next year's trip to Scotland and/or Wales is concerned, I might just be able to afford it, even after having some substantial dental work done later in the year.

I honestly never expected a holiday to pay for itself.