Saving $122k in 18 Months in Australia: My Working Holiday Report

I saved $121,920 in 18 months on a Working Holiday in Australia.

In February 2023, after a year of road-tripping around Australia, I accepted a job in a remote store in an Aboriginal community deep in the Outback. I couldn’t anticipate how much it would change my life. I got in my car and drove 2,700 km from Sydney to the remote APY Lands in northern South Australia, near Uluru. By September 2024, 18 months later, I had saved AU$121,920 (approx. US$82,915 or €74,194).

Note: All the following amounts are in Australian dollars.

Detailed Breakdown of Earnings

• Employer 1: Mai Wiru – Amata, SA
• Position: Casual Retail Employee (Retail Award Lvl 2, current rate: $33.95/h)

	Gross Income	Net Income
03/2023 – 06/2023 (17 weeks at $29.90/h)	$23,919	$17,672
07/2023 – 02/2024 (35 weeks at $31.61/h)	$62,595	$47,438
Total		$65,110

In accordance with Australian employment rules (called Awards), my rate increased for weekend work or overtime exceeding 38 hours a week, up to $44.26/h and $56.90/h. During my record 60-hour work week, I earned $1,688 net ($2,365 gross).

In February 2024, I received an offer from another company. They covered my relocation flights from Alice Springs to Darwin, and then on to remote Arnhem Land in the Northern Territory – passing over the famous Kakadu National Park and Cahill’s Crossing.

• Employer 2: Outback Stores – Maningrida, NT
• Position: Assistant Store Manager – Salary: $75,000/year ($2,885/fortnight).

	Gross Income	Net Income & Salary Sacrifice
03/2024 – 09/2024 (27 weeks)	$47,819	$43,689

My Expenses

Out in the bush there is literally nowhere to spend money. My total spend over 18 months was only $6,010.

• Accommodation: Subsidized at $40/week initially, then free in the second role. ($40 * 52 = $2,080)
• Food: Averaged $200/month by cooking all meals. ($200 * 18 = $3,600)
• Phone: Telstra/Boost for the best remote signal. Telstra Casual at $35/180-day plan. ($35 * 3 = $105)
• Insurance: I paid $150/year for travel insurance from my home country. ($150 * 1.5 = $225)

Tax Optimization

• Working remote qualifies you for a Zone Tax Offset, which is an extra $1,173 each tax year in your tax return.
• Some not-for-profits offer Salary Sacrificing, which allows you to make up to $16,900 of your annual income tax-free, resulting in potential tax savings up to $5,088.
• As a foreigner not entitled to Medicare, you can apply for a Medicare Entitlement Statement (MES) and get back a 2% levy exemption in your tax return.
• Starting work in the middle of a tax year (e.g. January) keeps you out of the 30% tax bracket and allows you to take full advantage of tax-free threshold in case of certain nationalities.
• When departing Australia, get a $15 Amaysim SIM card with a 365-day expiry. This will be helpful if you have issues with your online banking or the ATO website.

As I arrived in Australia from New Zealand during the time of Covid restrictions, I applied for a 408 (Covid) visa (now discontinued) instead of a standard Working Holiday visa. This had the following benefits:

• The visa was free.
• I did not have to worry about the 6 month work limitation nor the 88 days of regional work needed to extend the visa.
• My Departing Australia superannuation payment (DASP) was taxed at 35% instead of 65%.

Summary of Savings

Mai Wiru (Net Wages)	$65,110
Outback Stores (Net Salary & Salary Sacrifice)	$43,689
Tax Return 2022/23	$4,325
Tax Return 2023/24	$3,733
Tax Return 2024/25	$3,581
Superannuation Payout (DASP)	$7,492
Spendings	-$6,010
Total Saved	$121,920