Thursday, December 26, 2013

Money Woes and Ho Ho Ho's

As my last post was a tad gloomy, I figured I'd better fess up about some of the dramas we've been having since our arrival in Berlin.

Finding an affordable room in Berlin proved
harder than we thought
It all began about two weeks into our stay, in the cosy apartment we'd secured via Airbnb. We began talking with our host via the Airbnb site back in October, as we weren't having much luck responding to rental advertisements on Craiglist or the local website WG-Gesucht.de.

I figured if we contacted hosts directly and asked whether they wanted to secure a tenancy for 1-2 months, we may get a better deal. And I was right.

Our host offered us the room in her 2 bedroom apartment for the same daily rate as 2 dorm beds in a hostel. We figured this was a good deal as we would have the autonomy/privacy of our own room in a quiet apartment, rather than sleeping a noisy hostel dorm with 10 other people. In addition, the location was fantastic - walking distance to the East Side Gallery and the nightlife of Friedrichshain and Kreuzberg, 3 stops from Alexanderplatz and Mitte and literally one street away from where my friend lived.

Tuesday, December 10, 2013

What Travel Fatigue Feels Like

The weather matches my mood
It's been a tumultuous week for us here in Germany and just as the weather has dampened and darkened, so too has my enthusiasm for this trip.

I know from previous travels how important it is to listen to these feelings and not ignore them, as the remedy can often be as simple as laying low for a little while and licking your wounds... just until the desire to explore returns and your stamina is restored.

In the days leading up to our flight to Berlin I imagined the weeks ahead involving little more than nights spent cruising from one graffiti-covered bar to the next, with days spent recuperating inside the countless museums and serene art galleries that inhabit this city.

But the truth is, in the month we've been here we're yet to set foot in a museum and the big nights out have been few and far between. This is in part because I no longer have the stamina for it (the partying I mean - I can quite happily sit up all night watching movies and scoffing chocolate, but my days of swilling endless jugs of beer and dancing fervently until dawn are sadly over) and in part because what we've really been missing is the same dull, predictable, domestic routine we left behind 6 months ago.

It may sound inconceivable, but after almost half a year living out of bags and hustling our way across foreign countries I really just want somewhere to lounge around in my trackies and sip cups of tea.

Boring, huh?

Sunday, December 1, 2013

How to Get Free Accommodation

Accommodation can be one of the single biggest travel expenses you'll face. It can also have a major impact on your enjoyment of a trip - particularly for long-term travellers who are more prone to bouts of boredom (yes, even travel can get boring), loneliness, isolation and travel fatigue.

Budget accommodation is often very basic
I remember meeting a very worldly traveller in Cambodia who described needing to "take a holiday from travelling" and splash out on a nice hotel, as she'd simply had enough of budget rooms and basic amenities (and in South East Asia basic can mean basic - as in no flushing toilet, cold showers, a single lightbulb and a mat on the floor). 

Certainly nothing recharges those wanderlust batteries quite like a night of luxury - as I experienced first-hand this week when my partner surprised me with a gorgeous room in The Circus Hotel in Mitte for my birthday. 

The Circus Hotel in Mitte, Berlin
Although we haven't exactly been slumming it in our apartment in Friedrichshain, it was still wonderful to feel like holidaymakers instead of travellers for 24 blissful hours. We relaxed and sipped wine from our chic suite overlooking the courtyard; watched movies on the big plasma TV from the confines of our king-size bed and washed away the frosty Berlin winter (and our hangovers) with a lengthy hot rain shower in our serene en-suite bathroom... 

Whilst such luxury is definitely not going to be cost-effective over the long term, you can still treat yourself every now and again - particularly if you can get some of your other accommodation absolutely free.

How? 

It's not as difficult as it sounds...

Wednesday, November 20, 2013

Saving on Accommodation

One area that has traditionally distinguished budget travellers from other holidaymakers is the quality of their accommodation. When many people think of travelling on a budget, they presume they will have to compromise on their level of comfort and envisage flea-ridden hostels or tacky budget motels.

Many solo travellers in particular might expect that if they want to save any money at all, they're destined for nights in shared dormitories being kept awake by the snoring of their bedroom companions.

This can often be a deterrent to long term travel - particularly once you've secured a cosy apartment, or found some awesome housemates, or finally paid off your mortgage...

So as I sit here on this dreary winter's day from the warmth and privacy of our bedroom in Berlin, it has occurred to me how much of an impact your standard of living can have on your overall enjoyment and memories of a trip.

Saturday, November 9, 2013

Turkish Market Heaven

Yesterday marked exactly one week since we joined the exodus of Melbournians in Berlin and we've settled nicely into our cosy apartment in Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg, an inner city borough that straddles the former East Berlin (Friedrichshain) and the former West Berlin (Kreuzberg) following the fall of the Berlin wall in 1989.

Our apartment is within a short walk of the East Side Gallery, the longest remaining section of the Berlin wall that is covered in graffiti and street art (much like the rest of the neighbourhood). The area is notorious for being a creative haven; indulging the growing digital startup scene and being home to countless artists, students and entrepreneurs. Entire buildings are used as blank canvases and the bustling streets are dotted with art galleries, chic boutiques, boisterous bars, leisurely cafes...

So whilst undoubtedly a bohemian and fashionable (i.e. hipster) area, regular markets and a large Turkish community ensure that it's still easy to eat cheaply here.

In fact, even without self-catering Berlin is a fabulously cheap place to eat. Street corners are dotted with currywurst and doner kebab vendors (the latter being invented in Berlin apparently), Vietnamese phở is in available everywhere (much to my delight!) and even a cafe brunch (an indulgent pastime that I'd forfeited in order to save to travel) would only set you back €5-8.

Still, all that eating out does eventually add up and now that we know how much we've actually spent so far on this trip, we're even more determined to stick to our budget over winter.

Fortunately just as our meagre food supplies were almost depleted, it was Türkischer Markt (Turkish Market) day!

Monday, November 4, 2013

Doing the Maths

Today marks exactly 5 months since we arrived in Europe, so I figured it was as good a time as any to look at our budget. Spurred on by a less-than-anticipated tax return (thank you Australian Taxation Office!) I meticulously logged all cash withdrawals, electronic payments and transfers into a calendar so I could see how much we've already spent and where we've saved money. 

Travel days can be costly
Whilst we always pay attention to what we're spending, dutifully logging every single expense is simply too tedious and time-consuming. Not to mention misleading - as many days our expenses are high (e.g. on travel days, or when checking into accommodation) but that is often because we're paying in advance for goods or services.

On other days our spending may be low, but that doesn't mean we go on a spending spree either as we'll need those funds at a later date.

Instead, I prefer to keep a running total that I update every few days and at the end of the month I simply divide the total by the number of days covered. 

Also, by entering this information into a calendar I am looking at where and when we spend our money, rather than trying to make sense of abstract numbers and dates on a bank statement. I can clearly see which countries and cities cost us a little more and which activities caused a spike in our spending. Conversely, I can also see which countries are cheaper and what cost-saving measures have paid off in the long term. 

So - how much have we spent after 5 months in Europe? 

Wednesday, October 2, 2013

Food Glorious Food... On a Budget

Sheep's cheese dumplings in Slovakia
A few weeks ago I was sitting in the fabulous Gülen Pide in Cannakale laughing with some new travel buddies about my ongoing obsession with food. I happily showed them my collection of photos showcasing our favourite dishes on this trip: sheep cheese dumplings (Bryndzové halušky) in Slovakia, fresh mussels with tomato and garlic in Bulgaria, chicken liver pasta in Hungary (I admit, I was anxious ordering that one - but it was so worth it!) and one of the best burgers I've ever had in the city of Prague.

It is not uncommon for travellers to Europe to come back a few kilos heavier. The vast array of food choices is overwhelming, with both local and international dishes in abundance. Personally, sampling all the different cuisines is one of my favourite aspects of travelling. In Chiang Mai, we adored the Green Mango cafe so much we spent a day with the owner visiting the local market and having a cooking lesson. In fact, visiting the local market is something I always try and do - I adore food markets, and the ones here in Europe are enough to make you weep!

Sunday, September 29, 2013

The Dangers of Fast Food

Our first weekend in the Czech Republic was spent in the picturesque bohemian town of Loket, where we scored a bargain of a room by walking around their Old Town door knocking. A faded cardboard zimmer frei sign in a window led to 3 days overlooking the river in a quaint and dusty penziony, like something out of a 1950's film. It was owned by a chain-smoking old woman who didn't speak a word of English, but would bring us her delicious home made cakes and sickly-sweet fruit teas daily.

Upon returning to Prague we quickly scanned the internet for a cheap hostel, settling on one a bit further out from the centre: the fabulous Sir Toby's. I'd stayed there once in 2009 and loved their underground bar and all-you-can-eat buffet breakfasts (and I'm not talking about mere cornflakes and toast either - they had that, in addition to muesli and yoghurt and juice and chopped fruit and bacon and eggs and pancakes…) So I was happy to discover that they were still one of the cheaper options, particularly if you opted for one of the bigger dorms.

But we'd arrived late and after dumping our bags I was desperate for something to eat. So we immediately headed out, grabbing one of the hostel's custom-made maps that showed where to eat in the area.

Saturday, September 21, 2013

The Decision to Head East

After flying into Munich from Australia (thanks to a vastly cheaper flight with Air China), we were initially planning to hightail it straight to Budapest in Hungary before moving east into Romania and Bulgaria. This was because:

a) We found the cost of accommodation in Munich is quite high compared to neighbouring countries, with dorm beds starting at $30AUD/night (although we'd secured a great deal on a double room for our first night via airbnb);

b) We would be returning to Germany at a later date (to visit friends in Berlin) and wanted to reach the Black Sea coast for some summertime fun, as it would be considerably cheaper than the Mediterranean (even in the high season). 

However upon arriving at the Hauptbahnhof we learnt that recent flooding in Europe meant that trains between Germany and Hungary weren't running that day. So we joined a queue of panic-stricken travellers trying to get refunds and find alternative routes, until it was finally our turn.

Friday, September 20, 2013

Forewarned is Forearmed

Well we're actually 3.5 months into our trip now - which is generally how long it takes me to completely disconnect, so I can simply while away the hours lying around reading a book. Which is precisely what I've been doing the last few days. I wake up with the sun and enjoy a light breakfast (instead of hitting the alarm multiple times and dragging myself out of bed), then my day is spent swimming, reading, listening to music... with little else. No matter how much I snooze in a hammock or doze on a sun lounge throughout the day, I'm still exhausted by bed time and can sleep uninterrupted throughout the night. My mind slows completely, my imagination is ignited - with no anxiety or endless 'To Do' lists running through my head.

This is what makes all the hard work saving and planning for a trip worthwhile. But it takes time for this feeling to set in - and that is what makes travel different from holidaying. Not that holidays aren't relaxing, or great fun. Of course they are. But for one thing, they're generally shorter - which means inevitably you return to the reality of home or work sooner. And in these days of smartphones and free wifi, many people remain 'connected' for the duration of their holiday, so it's harder to obtain the sense of peace I described earlier. 

Sunday, September 8, 2013

Glass Half Full

In my previous entry I talked about frugal living and some of the measures we took to save for this trip. I just want to clarify that most of our cost saving measures involved changes to our lifestyle, as there was little we could do about fixed expenses like rent and bills (we already kept those as low as we possibly could). And obviously we didn't have a mortgage and didn't have any children - so any lifestyle modifications we made only impacted on ourselves.

I do understand that many people feel they're already doing it tough - be it because of unemployment, or because they're studying, or because they're raising a family - and so there's little room for saving when they're just trying to make ends meet. However for many of us, there's possibly a few areas where changes can be made to save money. And the only point I want to make is that instead of being daunted by the challenge of saving money (and forfeiting your goals), try and be inspired by it. Because frugal living can actually be liberating and rewarding...

Thursday, August 15, 2013

Frugal Living

As mentioned previously on this blog, I was no stranger to budgeting and frugality. I've spent much of the past several years working in media production, where budgeting is par for the course. Prior to working in the media industry I balanced my studies with part time administration work - so I've spent many hours reconciling my employers' spending and balancing their books. I'm good at it. I get paid to do it. And believe it or not, I actually enjoy it.

Combined with the fact that I HATE any form of waste, I like to live as sustainably and self-sufficiently as any urban, inner-city professional can and I try to be as healthy as possible - frugal living comes pretty naturally to me.  I'm also pathetically, hopelessly, BAD at shopping (no seriously, I am). A trip to the supermarket can take hours, as I scan the shelves for every available option before intently reading the list of ingredients and weighing up the health implications versus the potential savings of every item I put in my basket. As for clothes shopping... 99% of the time I get so overwhelmed and exhausted by the vast array of choices, I end up leaving having accomplished nothing more than circling an air-conditioned mall for a few hours and getting sore feet.

Regardless - being tight-fisted is one thing, but saving enough to fund a few years without income is a completely different matter. That required a whole new level of frugality. I explained in my previous post how we came to reach the figure that we did ($30,000). Now without going into too much detail, let's just say that's close to half my annual salary (as a freelancer, the exact figure goes up and down). So that meant living on half my annual salary (or less) for at least one year. The first step? Knowing how much I was currently spending.

Wednesday, July 10, 2013

How Much is Enough?

Once the decision was made to uproot ourselves and head off into the unknown, there was just the small matter of how we were going to fund such an adventure... Because as much as I'd wished otherwise, taking a hiatus from your career to drift aimlessly around the globe can be a costly exercise (at least initially).

Of course, I could always be true to the stereotype of the irresponsible, consumerist-driven Gen Y and simply put the lot on a credit card to be dealt with in some far off, distant future. But I'd deliberately avoided ever getting a credit card. Throughout my 20's I'd taken pride in never owning one, so I wasn't about to start now. Truth be told, I was far too much of a control freak to ever be comfortable with debt, no matter how minuscule. I'd spent much of the last few years at work forecasting and managing budgets, so I had developed a fascination with frugality and saving that bordered on the obsessive...

Combined with the fact that I worked in a notoriously precarious industry (of which I'd been burnt in the global recession of 2008, when I'd been made redundant and couldn't for the life of me secure further employment), saving "for a rainy day" may well have been tattooed on my forehead, it was so ingrained in my thinking.

Saturday, April 27, 2013

Turning 30

I just turned 30. Well, 5 months ago actually - much like the decade that preceded it, time has flown and without realising it almost half a year has passed already.

I was quite excited about entering my 30's. Despite all the jokes ("So you're turning 29 again, right?") I wore this milestone like a badge of honour. I felt exactly where I was supposed to be at this age. I had a Bachelor's degree and Post-graduate under my belt, my career was on track with a steady flow of work coming my way... and I was in a loving relationship with a man I adored. Plus - I was free of debt (well, if you discount that annoying HECS debt) and even had some meagre savings stashed away. Suffice to say I was pretty chuffed - cocky even. "Bring on the next decade!" I thought.

Then it was the holiday season. My partner and I had only two weeks before we had to return to work, so we squeezed in a visit to our respective home cities. We spent the first few days in my home town catching up with some old mates - discussing new mortgages, new engagements, who was getting married, who was having (or had) children. As I hadn't been back to Sydney for over a year, a lot had gone on - seemingly overnight. It seemed that we had suddenly reached that age where everyone was making big decisions and big commitments. Sure, some friends and acquaintances had started early - Facebook had conveyed a steady stream of wedding photos and baby pics and engagement announcements over the last year or two. But they were the exception, not the norm. Now it seemed that I was the exception, with no mortgage or engagement ring or pregnancy to boast about.