It fluctuated between this rate and $1.35 during my time in Europe. Needless to say, that sucked for me. I repeat: it sucked for ME, not my parents.
While Mommy and Daddy Mollohan have not given me everything I ever wanted, they have always gotten me everything I ever needed. I would never claim to have struggled fiscally in my life, but I feel it necessary to mention that my parents did not give me any money to travel in Europe this academic year. I am not bashing students with a monetary umbilical cord (since I am a little jealous of them) but I want to be clear that all the experiences I have written about were planned and followed through based on what’s in my personal bank account and no one else’s.
So, how did I afford to do all the traveling I did this year?
The answer is pretty boring: working, saving and budgeting.
I started summer 2010 with about $2,000 and proceeded to work three jobs plus any odd jobs I could possibly find on the BU online job-board. While working an average of 65 hours a week for three months, I was able to make $7,000 additional dollars (and spent only $250 during the entire summer, since I had included housing with one of my jobs and also worked in a restaurant which got me a lot of free food).
Well, nobody knows how to spend $8,752 (6,095 Euros) in ten months like I do. I was able to go everywhere I wanted by conserving money in every way possible. I walked EVERYWHERE (avoiding paying for public transportation and never using taxis), utilized hostel kitchens, only went to clubs that I could get into for free, stayed in the cheapest hostels (even if they were “gross”), etc. OF COURSE I splurged on a couple things to keep my sanity. I bought the slightly over-priced leather bag in Morocco, I went to a nice dinner in Paris. I bought those expensive airline tickets and ferry tickets during spring break in Greece.
Also, sorry to be a bubble-burster, but get that “the best things in life are free” idea OUT of your head. This silly maxim is even less true in Europe. That being said, working from 9AM until midnight 5 days a week during the entire summer was ABSOLUTELY worth it for the year I experienced and I would do it again and again without a second thought. With the unbelievable year I had, it’s hard to care that I currently have $195.45 to my name.
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