UK expat reveals she earns more as a cleaner in Aus, than as a teacher back home, banking $40k in 8 months

A UK expat has revealed how she was able to save $40,000 in just eight months while working as a cleaner in regional Australia — something she says she couldn’t do as a teacher back home.

Jessamyn Jaime says she was able to put away an impressive $5000 a month by doing low paid rural work, foregoing jobs in big cities like Perth, Sydney and Melbourne altogether.

“I was able to save more working as a cleaner in Australia than I did working as a teacher back in the UK,” she told Yahoo News.

“Once you’re outside the big cities, there are far fewer temptations to spend, and many rural jobs come with perks like free accommodation and meals.

“That means you can keep your living costs low and save much more of what you earn.”

The 28-year-old worked as an all-rounder at a motel in rural Victoria with her partner and frequently shares posts online about how they were able to save so much.

“My role included housekeeping, reception, general motel maintenance and relieving the managers on their day off,” she continued.

Regional hospitality jobs, including housekeeping, are among the most popular jobs for travellers in rural Australia, alongside fruit picking, farmhand and station work and work in caravan parks.

The traveller, who regularly uploads videos with tips on how to make money and save while on a visa in Australia, revealed the secret to her success was in contract work.

“I was on a casual contract, which meant my hours varied from week to week, but I was paid casual rates of pay (which are higher),” she continued.

On weekdays, she earned $31.19 a hour, which bumped up to $43.66 on Sundays. On public holidays, her hourly rate doubled to $62.38.

“I also worked part-time at a local pub some evenings of the week, doing a mix of waiting tables or working behind the bar. I saw the ad for this job on a local Facebook page, popped in to show my interest and started working the following week.

“I’d highly recommend it to anyone. I honestly feel like I learned more during my time in Australia than I did in my three years at university.”