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.

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!

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? 

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!