Ann-Marie Cahill
My husband and I love to travel, especially with our three children: showing the world, creating new experiences, and building an 'all-rounder' approach to life. As our kids grew, they developed their own interests. Our eldest has always been interested in marine biology. Our second is obsessed with Lego in every shape, form, and medium. Our youngest is passionate about axolotls and ancient history. Each of them dreams of far-off places, and for a while, we thought it would remain a dream until they were far older. But what if we could help them save up for their ideal holiday, my husband and I wondered? Not only would they travel, but they would also learn all of the skills and responsibilities that go with it. What an amazing life lesson it could be!
The initial idea was simple: At the end of Australian primary school (around age 12), each child could travel anywhere they wanted with one parent as a chaperone. However, they need to fund themselves, and plan the entire trip. The parent would cover their own costs. Our eldest (then 10) loved the idea and chose the Galápagos Islands. To be honest, we had expected something a little closer to our home in Sydney, Australia. This led to the following question: How would he fund this trip?
Inspiration was found on our city streets: busking, the act of performing in public places for tips. Our kids loved music long before we ever came up with, what we refer to as, the 'travel project.' Sydney is a fantastic city for street performers, with daily office workers and tourists from around the world covering the streets. Sometimes, we would stop and chat with the buskers, learning about their music path.
Around 8 years old, each kid has asked to join their school training ensembles and we have paid for private lessons to help them hone their skills. By the time they are 10, they have all had enough confidence to try busking themselves.
Ann-Marie Cahill
Our eldest started with Christmas carols at the local mall for 30 minutes. There were no special rules or requirements, and many of the nearby shopkeepers were happy to have him there. He received around $30. While it was a relatively small amount of money, it was a big achievement for him. Suddenly, he realized he could save for his dream holiday to the Galápagos Islands. But there was more to it for us than simply busk-and-save.
As he gained more confidence, our son also looked for any new opportunities. Different locations have different rules and requirements. To busk in Sydney's central business district, he needed to purchase a 12-month permit; a cost he made back in his first city performance. Some locations waived the fees for kids, while others require public liability insurance.
It was also important to have the right gear for busking. With their father's help, each child has assembled their own 'busking kit' to carry their gear: a pull trolley, a white board and artists easel, a music stand, and a growing collection of music.
There were also some homemade banners to explain their busking adventure and share updates on social media. The banners are possibly the most effective part of the kit, with many people stopping to chat and eager to learn more about what our kids are trying to accomplish.
We have all learned some key factors from this experience. First, travel is expensive. It is a privilege, not a right, that needs to be part of a greater planning process. For us, traveling from Australia to almost anywhere for a two-week holiday has cost around $6,500 all-inclusive per person. That's a lot of money for a 12-year-old to save up.
This leads to the second factor: knowing your worth. In that first busking session, our eldest learnt how much he could earn by playing his trumpet for 30 minutes. Each time he went busking, he learned (and earned) a little more. He noted which music attracted more attention, where the best locations were, and the most profitable time to busk. Their dad helped each of them set up a simple spreadsheet to record everything, both incoming and outgoing. With the data they collect, they can assess and adapt their busking. It helps the kids visualize the project's growth, making a big goal seem far more achievable.
There were other small wins along the way, too. Once, while shopping, our eldest picked up a video game and asked if we could buy it. Then he stopped. "I'll leave it for now. It's $65. That's, like, an hour of busking. It looks good, but I'm not sure if I want to busk an extra hour for it. Did you know I could spend the same money on a tour of Sierra Negra?"
After two years of busking (and 3 of music lessons), our eldest travelled to the Galápagos Islands with his dad in 2019. They spent a little over two weeks diving, snorkeling, hiking, and meeting incredible people. He is now 18 years old, taking a 'Gap Year' to work and travel before studying marine biology at university next year.
In 2021, our middle child travelled to Denmark to visit Lego House and Norway to chase the Northern Lights. He continues to busk on weekends and recently purchased his own Bass Clarinet (worth $4,500) rather than renting one from his school. It is his first investment in his future, as he continues to plan for travel and university.
Ann-Marie Cahill
Our youngest recently started her busking journey. She performs with her cello, saving for her evntual trip to Mexico to see axolotls in their natural habitat. Because she's seen what her brothers accomplished, she has a better idea of what's ahead, but that doesn't make the journey any less exciting for her.
For those doing the math, our kids each saved around $6,500 from busking for travel. Over the same period, we spent approximately $4,800 on music lessons. When you consider the travel, the experience, and the sense of achieving a big project goal, the music lessons have been the best investment we made for our kids.
