The focus of this blog entry is to explain how me and my study group are trying, failing, and sometimes succeeding on living and traveling on limited budgets. The issue of money comes up almost everyday in our conversations, as the UK is much more expensive that the US of A. For example, we nearly had a party in honor of the fact that the pound is not doing well and the dollar is. Though we are all fortunate enough to have generous and caring parents who sent us on this adventure in the first place, we all feel as though we owe it to ourselves and our parents not to go crazy on our spending. We are at the age where we are required or feel obligated to pay our parents back for the money they dump into our happiness and growth, and for me personally, it is hard knowing that I can't afford to live here by myself. I need my parents' help. In a contradictory note, we all want to enjoy ourselves and see Europe, which means paying for expensive travel. So we try to do things as cheaply as possible, and some of us our rookies in the budget life.
Laundry- laundry here is ridiculously expensive. It is two pounds to wash (almost $4!!) and one to dry, and the washing machines aren't that large. As a result, I have taken to doing laundry in my sink. I bought laundry detergent that can take low temperatures, and things seem to be going well. I also plan not to dry my clothes that frequently. Hopefully I will find room to hang things to dry. Jackie had a little bit of trouble doing that the first week, and I have heard that Ken's roommates hang their wet clothes from the ceiling tiles in the hallway. It doesnt help that I cave every week (MESSY) and kayak twice a week (chlorine smell=icky).
Food- the first time we went to BIG Tesco, we all had panic attacks. There is a lot of food in big Tesco (the giant grocery store) and were had no idea what to buy to cook. At least I didn't. We all bought way too much food and spent way too much the first time. I have never had to cook for just myself, and it is hard knowing how to cook enough. This past week I had a bit of a fiasco with cooking. I am really enjoying cooking; it isn't something I have been able to do a lot of in the past. So this last week, I decided to cook some simple lentil soup. It came out really well, but I made a MASSIVE amount of soup, and have been eating it for days since. Classic cooking faux pas. It is also difficult to shop for just one person; the bread and produce expires extremely fast. I have cheated the system by freezing my bread. It still isn't easy, and it means frequent trips to Tesco. We also go out to eat a lot, which is a bit of a problem. Food isn't terribly expensive in pubs, but it adds up. We eat as cheap as we can, and often split meals. The biggest killer is when we sit in cafes between classes; it is almost impossible not to get a snack in the three hour break.
Travel- Travel is, of course, our most expensive venture. Thankfully, it is pretty reasonable to fly to certain cities out of Cardiff and Bristol. Certain airlines like ryan air, bmi baby, and easyjet get us flights for under $100 pounds, sometimes both ways. The problem with these budget airlines is the prices skyrocket if you have any luggage, pick your seat, or check in at the airport. We were sweating bullets on the way to Edinburgh for fear of the 30 pound handling fee that we would get nailed with if our bags didn't fit in the teeny tiny luggage bin. Besides that, we stay in hostels and actively exploit the free breakfast that we turn into a free lunch. We seek out everything free in cities, and even turn down paying 5 pounds to get into a superbowl party. Thankfully, this means we get a unique and exciting experience when we travel. Seeking out the free things often means seeking out things off the beaten track. We also try to walk wherever we can. Today, (I will blog about it later) we walked close to 6 miles to get to a castle, got into the castle free on our Cadw cards, and took the train back for 2 pounds 60 pence. Almost a completely free day trip!
There are a lot of benefits of living on the cheaper side of life. As I mentioned above, it makes for more unique travel experiences. It also helps us bond more as a group, and teaches us just a little about living. Someday soon we will be taken from the life line that our parents have provided for us, and we will need to be thrifty. By walking everywhere, and limiting our food and drink consumption, we are also being healthy and green!
So thanks parents for helping us have a great time. We will pay you back as soon as we can!
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