20 Things I Would do if I Didn't Have to Pay Rent for a Year

by Sabrina Bertazzo

I just entered Spotahome's Home Tester competition and I'm already savouring my victory by chilling on the sofa drinking a prosecco thinking about how I'm going to spend my €1000 per month.

Well, I thought I'd come up with a list of things I would do with €12000 to inspire you and maybe get you to enter the competition too. Full details here.

1 - Book Twelve Short Trips

Well, you know how much I love travelling so, of course, the first thing I would do is to book a lot of flights to... wherever. One for each month of the year, at the very least.

Here are some great ideas:

2 - Get a Puppy!

With the idea of having one home-base for a year, I would finally get a puppy. You all know how expensive it can be to have a furry friend with you in tow. But, with 1000€ per month, I'm sure I'll have plenty of money to look after it!

3 - Buy Vintage Furniture

I do, I do. I have a weak spot. Even if I'm a minimalist and I rarely buy stuff, if I were to win the Home Tester competition at Spotahome, I would definitely invest some of the money in cool vintage furniture for my new home.

4 - Go to Fancy Restaurants

Ok, I have more than one weak spot. But, who doesn't? I love food. And I love fancy, out of the ordinary food. Thanks to my job as a digital creator, I've been lucky enough to try some of the best, Michelin-starred restaurants around the world. However, a new culinary experience is always welcome and I still have a long restaurant bucket-list to fulfil. If I had €12000 I'd definitely book a table at Arpège in Paris, Disfrutar in Barcelona and probably go back to Lyle’s in London too.

They say that love is more important than money, but have you ever tried to pay your bills with a hug?

5 - Start a Non-profit

If I had my rent paid for a year, I would love to finally start a foundation that would give money to causes close to my heart like human rights, equality, education and freedom for everyone.

6 - Learn to Horse-back Ride

When I was a teenager I tried horse-back ride for a few weeks, but it was really expensive and I had to give it up. I'd love to get back on a horse and learn to ride for real!

7 - See the Northern Lights

The Aurora Borealis, also known as the Northern Lights, is a phenomenal light display which only happens in high-latitude regions like the Arctic and Antarctic. Iceland, now very popular thanks to Instagram, is one of the best places to go and see it.

8 - Invest in Further Education

It's been a couple of years now since I got the idea to go back to Uni for another degree. This time it would be for pleasure only. Nothing related to my job or career. I'd like to read philosophy or history or literature. #justforfun!

9 - Yoga Retreat in Bali (or wherever!)

I've already done a couple and I definitely would like to do another. Even if just for a week or a weekend, a yoga retreat is perfect if you want to unplug completely, meditate and reconnect with your self.

10 - See Cherry Blossoms in Japan

Another dream of mine is to explore Japan during "hanami” season, which means flower viewing in Japanese. And I'd definitely want to be there to see the “sakura”, or pink cherry blossoms. Can you imagine having picnics under trees with the incredible smell of flowers?

11 - Fly First-class

I believe it's a posh-plus and I've never tried it before (Simply because I'd rather fly further than comfier?). However, if I had money to splash, why not try it once?

12 - Volunteer in Africa

You might be thinking, "Why would you need money to volunteer?" Well, the truth is that most volunteering programmes ask you to pay a fee. So, since I've long-been dreaming about going to Africa to help people in need I'd save part of the prize-money to finally do it!

13 -  Go to the Maldives

Ok, I know. I'd probably blow the entire budget to tick this one off, but hey, who hasn't dreamed of the Maldives at least once in their life?

14 - Change My Career (again)

I've already left my first career in London when I was 30 and now I'm planning to open a cafe/bookstore when I'm 40. So, if I get the money, I wouldn't wait that long to do it, would you?

15 - Train for a Marathon

It's been a dream of mine since I watched I-don't-know-which movie, but it sure inspired me. Ever since then, I promised myself I would run a marathon before I die. However, training and completing one is not an easy task. With the Home Tester competition prize, however, I could join a team, or hire a personal trainer to kick my a** when I'm feeling lazy!

16 - Learn to Snowboard

I know how to get-up on a surfboard and I'm hoping this skill might help me in the snow as well. As you know, skiing and snowboarding are quite expensive sports so I'd try and take a slice of my €12k to get better at them!

17 - Snap Some Photos at the Great Wall of China

I've seen some incredible pictures of the Great Wall of China and now I can't stop thinking about going there and taking a few shots myself. Are you coming too?

18 - Buy a Piano

Have you also always wanted to learn how to play an instrument? Me too! And a piano has been that always-too-far dream of mine. So, if I'm going to win €12000 from the Home Tester competition at Spotahome, I'd probably buy one the day after I get the check!

19 - Hike the Inca Trail

The Inca Trail is one of the most famous treks in South America and is also rated among the top 5 treks in the world. It starts from Chillca and follows a route to Machu Picchu, The Lost City of the Incas.

20 - Learn About Wine

Even if your favourite drink is beer, it doesn't mean you can’t appreciate wine and how it's made. You can either go the full swing with a sommelier course or just learn a bit more with a few wine tasting events.

And you? What would you do if you suddenly had 12000€ in your pocket? Let me know in the comments below! I'm so curious!

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