Oh, so that's why I'm broke

I sat down today with a glass of sparkling rose wine and a piece of chocolate cake to make the process of going through my finances easier.

And I discovered why I'm in around -70 euro in debt on my French bank account and why I'm around 450 in debt on my Canadian bank card.

Two nouns.

London. Paris.



I spent waaaaaaayyyyyyy more money then I had planned to.

The biggest purchases on that trip was all the train rides, with me taking the wrong train and everything. In total I payed 215.58 CDN and 78.20 EU for transportation. That's a lot, and next time can be avoided by booking early, not travelling during peak periods, not getting lost, (being less careless is something I have to work on in general!!) and booking trains only with my French account--> which I didn't have a choice of because at the time my debit card hadn't activated.

I spent around 100 Euro on food and beer, which can easily be avoided by NOT EATING OUT!!! Sometime it is very tempting, but I have to learn to control myself. I think next time I can get this number down by half, which will still allow me to eat out a few meals.

I have 50 euros, 150 USD and probably 20 pounds in cash unaccounted for so I have no idea where that money went! Probably ice cream knowing me...

I can't stress how important it is to write down what you spend, either when you are spending it or at the end of the month. For me, it opened my eyes on where I can easily save and where I am overspending. And it only took about 20 min, so its pretty painless. I was kind of in denial before, but now I see how careless I can be. I know what mistakes I won't make again like.....

1. using my Canadian cards
where the exchange rate makes everything 1.5 times more expensive. To my credit, this couldn't be helped because my French card randomly stopped working for a few days in London.

2. Bank fees.
I spent a total of 17.7 on bank fees. Every time you purchase something in a non-Euro zone my French bank charges me 1 euro. It would have been better had I taken out a wad of cash, for which they would have only charged me 3 euro. Of course, knowing me I would have lost all the cash so thinking about it, I would rather spend money on bank fees!


Things I did good

1. Tourist Sites
I only spent 16.07 on tourist site, and that was for ONE entrance fee to the Tower of London. All other touristy things I did for free including walking tours, museums, and markets. This just takes some research time on the internet.

2. Hostels
I spent 40.68 on accomodation. it would have been only 20.65 had I not taken the wrong train and had to pay for a hostel in Nantes.

Now I can budget for future trips with a better estimate of how much I really need and not a fairy-tale version.

Pics from my one day in Paris

So I went to Paris for a day, due to me booking the Eurostar too late for me to catch a train back to my hometown. See what I did on that one, fateful day: (okay it wasn't fateful at all, I mostly just shopped)





C'est Moi in front of the river Siene. The picture doesn't really show how pretty it was. It was actually raining, and my feet hurt and I was cold and worried about my hair curling, but you can't tell from this picture. I think the rain added to the atmosphere. It made everything all dreary and made me want to duck into a cafe and write my miseries away and pretend to be Hemingway or Simone de Bouvoire. But those cafes are pretty expensive and I don't really understand how to order food since the set meal always has meat in it, so I went to Starbucks instead.




Please look at this random, sketchy statue. It's so sexual. In a lopsided, Dali kind of way.



Look at the beautiful pasteries. The colours! The menu! Such a classy French boulangerie. Don't you think?

Think again!
Its MCDONALDS!!!!!!!!!!



A homeless man in front of the Pompidou.



This is the second-favourite-bookstore mentioned in my last post-Shakespere and Company.. It's right across from the Notre Dame and is famous. Well, as famous as a bookstore can get. To be fair to me, I stumbled across it innocently my first time in Paris. The second floor has books that you can't buy, but can only read in the store. A lot of them are signed or valuable copies I guess. The first floor has a mixture of used and new books. And there are ladders. Any bookshop with ladders rocks in my book. ooo a pun!

Pics From London!

This is me on Halloween. I won't tell you what my costume is, you will have to guess. I think it is hilarious, but I am easy to amuse. I realize now that those stripes are not doing me any favours though. I am standing beside a ubiquitous (did I use that word right?) telephone booth. Its adorable. I don't even know why people in London have cell phones, they should just make calls from these all day long. And wear Mad-Men-Style fedoras. G-d I want to live in an early 1960s movie.




This is the book that I am obsessed with reading. Though this picture is from London, from Waterstones in Oxford Circus, I finally bought it in Paris, at my second favourite bookstore in the world, Shakespeare and Company, which is across from the Notre Dame.





This is my friend Kat in front of Darwin, at the Museum of Natural History. I actually learned a lot while I was there! Also, last year in school I became really interested in evolution and natural selection so it was nice to see Darwin's ideas basically proven in this museum.




This is a Yemeon Warder at the Tower of London. If you have read Philippa Gregory books about the Plantanageta and Tudors (The Other Boylen Girl, The Virgin Queen, The White Princess etc.,), you will understand why I had to see this, never mind the 14 pound entrance fee. It was totally different then I imagined. I literally thought it was a tower, but it is really an enclosed compound (enclosed partly by an ancient Roman wall) with several different buildings, including one that Yeoman Warders live in. They have been the guardians of the tower for like, forever. All the executions happened in different places and each scaffold was built especially for that person. The places where they were executed is very small! Its just a smallish green patch of land, way smaller than my backyard. I guess since they were all aristocrat, they didn't want lots of spectators.

As opposed to the non-aristocrats who were hung, drawn and quartered in the streets for all of London to see. Gosh there are just so many benefits to being royalty.



This is from Henry's Blog, a book from the Tower of London gift shop that is from the very mouth of Henry VIII. Read it. It kind of makes me sad for this generation. But it also made me laugh.

Everything that Went Wrong

Okay so I had a great time in London and Paris, but I want to tell you everything that went wrong in this post to get it out of the way and then I will tell you about all the fun stuff I did.

1. Blew My Budget

So much for my budget. At first I was really good about food, but by the middle of the week I was eating out one meal a day, plus snacks sometimes. I need to take my own advice. I just have this compulsion to try all the British chain store food like Pret A Manger, Wagamama, Eat. I also had a few beers out, around 4, so that added up at about 3.20 a pop.

2. My French Debit card stopped working

When I first arrived in London my French Debit/Credit/Blue card wouldn't let me take ANY cash out of the machine but it would let me purchase things. The second day I couldn't even purchase anything! I had to use my Canadian credit card and American cash that I had brought along just in case. So everything for a few days ended up costing me almost double because of the exchange rate. Miraculously, my card started working again on the 4th day and I was so happy that I just started spending like crazy. I kinda thought "fuck this! Its in Euros! It's a great exchange rate" But money is money and now I only have a little left for things like food and appt. decorations that I wanted to buy.


3. I missed my train

I didn't realize that the "Please arrive 30 min before your train" on my Eurostar ticket was more then a suggestion. It took me so long to FIND the Eurostar platform in the Paris station. Like...30 min. of walking from the metro, that station is HUGE and the Eurostar platform is upstairs, with no signs informing anyone of that.

The women informed me that since my train left in 6 min I couldn't board.

"WHY NOT!? That doesn't make ANY sense, I still have plenty of time to catch it, its not even HERE!"
"No."

And she sat back with her arms crossed. Then I started bawling. Nothing. She told me I would have to catch the next train, an hour away and I pleaded with her. Nada. Then she told me that it would be free.

Why didn't she just SAY so?

So I got another ticket and it all turned out fine.

4. I got on the wrong train

This one did not turn out fine. It was in Paris, on my way to Sablé that I got on the direct train to Nantes instead of the one that makes stops.

I found out when it was supposed to stop, and it didn't. I started bawling again. (this was a week later then the first bawling episode so its okay). It was too late to take another train to Sablé.

5. I got lost on the way to the hostel

So I had to sleep at a hostel in Nantes. The guy at the train station told me that it was very close. I asked him if I should take a cab and he said definitely not. He told me to turn left outside the station and walk straight. I confirmed these directions twice. Turn left. Walk Straight. So I did. In the rain. With my luggage. About 2km in I realized that this was definitely not the right way. I looked at my map. I was not supposed to be beside the river. The guy had forgotten to tell me I should turn left outside the NORTH entrance of the station, not the SOUTH entrance which I was at. So I walked backed to the station. In the rain. With my luggage. Bawling. And talking to myself.

6. I got yelled at by a cab driver

I decided to take a cab to the hostel once I made it back to the station. 1 min into the drive he starts violently swearing at me in French. I have no idea why. Just yelling really loudly at me. I started to bawl AGAIN. He continued to scream "MERDE" at me.

I kept one hand on the door handle in case he intended to murder or rape me.

This is fast becoming the worst night of my life.

Eventually after driving a very obviously way to long route he dropped me off infront of a nondescript building. Then he wouldn't give me change, claiming the extra was for 'baggage' even though the baggage was in the back seat with me and no cab driver in France has charged me for baggage before.

Then I had enough and started screaming and swearing at him.

FUCK YOU YOU FUCKING FRENCH CAB DRIVER YOU PIECE OF SHIT FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUK YOU I HATE YOU.

I walked around the building and found the hostel, by this time wet and crying and had snot coming out of my nose because I also happened to catch a cold in England.

The receptionist simply informed me that there was tissue in the bathroom and checked me in. No "are you okay?" No "hmm did something happen while you were on the way to the hostel "

She just gave me a room key, told me that I had the absolute last room in the entire hostel. That was my one piece of luck that night. If someone had gotten that room before me I might have just killed myself.

I think French girls must cry a lot since no one in France seemed the least bit perturbed by the fat that I was literally sobbing in a body-shaking kind of way.

The next morning I took the CORRECT train back to Sablé, not without spilling my coffee all over the floor of course, and went to go teach class.

Train Versus Plane

Contrary to Backpacker belief, I am a fan of the train, which is what I will be taking when I go to London.

Firstly, the train is MUCH friendlier on the environment. Truly, flying ruins the planet. Eurostar even automatically carbon neutralizes your trip.


Secondly, the train can be more expensive, but only marginally so once all other factors are added in. If you want a cheap flight the airport is going to be far away from the city. The buses to the city center are usually 10 euros, sometimes less sometimes more. That's an extra 20 euros at least to the cost of your flight. Also, on cheap airlines everything costs more.

Hungry? 3 Euros for a Coke and 6 Euros for a sandwich. Food in train stations are much cheaper then airports usually.

Thirdly, flying takes more time! Seriously it does. For instance, to fly to London I would have to get my ass to Paris, take a bus from Paris to an airport, be at the airport at least an hour before, fly for an hour, hope the plane is on time then take a bus to the city center. So the "1 hour" flight time to London really ends up being 6.

With the train I still have to take the train to Paris and then the train to London, but it drops me off right in the middle of the city. So it will still take me around 6 hours but I won't have to check in, get x-rayed, take a bus to the middle of nowhere.

Also if I lived in Paris it would be much shorter, its just that I have to get a stupid train from Sable to Paris to get on the train.

Fourth(ly?) there is more leg room on trains. Trains are lovely. There are windows, plenty of leg room and wide seats. You can even put your feet up if you get a 4 seater. Why would I be squished on an airplane for an hour when I can be comfortable for 2 hours?

Honestly I would rather spend an extra 20-50 euros on a train to save the planet and be more comfortable. Its such a short journey anyways. It would be different if the train ride was more then 5 hours though, in that case I would recommend flying, especially if you could get a cheap flight.

But for going to major cities, like from London to Paris or Paris to Amsterdam or even London to Amsterdam, you might as well train. It is so much less hassle and so much more enjoyable.

Fyi: Train From Paris to London is 2:15 min and Flying is 1 hour 15 min.

Fyi: London is one hour behind Paris so if you fly you arrive at the same time that you left. Neat, eh?

Fyi: Did I mention I'm retarded and my train from London-->Paris comes too late to catch a train back to Sable? I figure I might as well make the most of it and just sleep in Paris, spend the day wandering around and catch an evening train back to Sable.

Budget traveling in general

I get asked a lot how I afford to travel, since I don't work full-time, so I have decided to share a secret: I budget travel. Semi-hardcore budget travel. People, being soft and flaky, don't usually understand this concept.

So I will explain it.

Sleeping

Most Hardcore: Camping/sleeping in train stations or airports

You should do this if you are only staying in a place for one night or are catching an early flight. There is no shame in this. You are saving the price of 1 nights accommodation! It is a thing to be admired. Just sleep on a pair of rolled up socks or your backpack and drape a sweater over yourself. Also, by doing this you may be able to get a really cheap flight since the cheapest flights always leave before 7 am and there is usually not a cheap way to get to an airport that early. Killing 2 birds with one stone!

I have done this several times, most noteably in Morocco where I slept in the airport to catch my 6 am flight. Of course, my flight ended up being delayed for 10 hours, but that's a different story.

You can also take a night-bus/train and this saves on accommodation as well. This kind of sucks though if you can't sleep on buses. Try to take a Gravol or a sleeping pill, keep your cash close, bring ear plugs and an inflatable pillow and you should be fine. Trains are much better then buses for this since you are less squished. I did this when for the 12 hour journey from Tangier to Marrekesh and I was nervous the whole time that someone was going to rape or kill me but it turned out fine and everyone was very pleasant. I also went on a night bus from Seville to Madrid and it arrived at 6am. I had to wander in the dark to find my hostel and then ended up sleeping until noon anyways.

Semi-hardcore: Crashing on couches.

If possible, sleep at a friends. If this isn't possible, try couch surfing. I know lots of people who have done this and are still alive! If you don't feel comfortable sleeping on a random person's couch, find a guy or girl at a bar, seduce them and sleep at their place. Not only is this free, but it may also come with breakfast.

A little Hard-core: Sleeping in weird places in the Hostel
Sometimes if you ask hostels have places that you can sleep that are cheaper. Once in a hostel in Greece I slept on a rollaway cot in a bathroom that was much cheaper then the full rate.

Not-Even-A-Little Hardcore: Sleeping in the Hostel Dorm
For 10-40$ you can sleep in a hostel dorm. This is what most people do most of the time, but remember that there are other options! Seriously, even not sleeping in a hostel twice on your trip will save you around 40$ that can be spent on more valuable things, like museum admission.

Food

Traveling is a great time to go on a diet. You won't feel hungry because you will be to busy DOING things. No eating out of boredom when you travel! The cheapest things to eat are street meats, like Kebabs and Gelatos. Once for 30 days all I had was one Kebab and 1 Gelato every day and I lost 10 lbs! And I felt full and satisfied every day because, man those kebabs are filling.

Or try the baguette and nutella route. The first day go into a grocery store and buy a squirt bottle of Nutella. Every day buy a baguette for one euro and then just squirt some Nutella on it when you feel hungry. You can augment this diet buy buying bananas or apples whenever you run into a grocery store or market. I usually do this in Amsterdam because Nutella is an excellent food for munchies. You can get buy for a week on a budget of less than 5 euros a day for food with a little planning if you are a girl. I usually eat a LOT and I have no problem with this. Guys tend to eat more so it may be a few euros more.

If you feel that you won't be satisfied by these options just try to hit up the grocery store a lot. You can buy some great sandwiches in grocery stores for half the price you would pay in bakery.

The worst thing you can do for your budget is sit down to eat. The best thing you can do is buy stuff in the grocery store and cook it in the hostels kitchen. Pasta, couscous, bread, Carbs are definitely your friend when your traveling because they are cheap and fill you up!

Coffee

It is essential not to buy coffee out every day. This adds up REALLY fast. I have a lot of trouble with this since one of my favourite things to do is shop while drinking coffee. Instead, buy a small bottle of Nescafe Instance coffee with the red label. This tastes great, is portable and is only 2.15 euro. Just add a tablespoon to some boiling water and you can have morning coffee for a fraction of the price.

Alcohol
You MUST pre-drink. Or order beer at the bar, often in Europe beer is under 3 euros. Hard alcohol is always more expensive and not worth it. Often the beer is a specialty of that region so you are also being cultural. Remember, The more you drink beer the more you like it! This isn't that hard since if you are a student you are probably used to budgeting alcohol.


Attractions

Its hard to get around this, most attractions cost money. If you can try to get the youth rate. Lie and pretend that you are 17. It can't hurt to try. Sometimes you can save 10 euros by doing this. Or go to the tourism website and check out the Whats On section and it will always post things that are free to do in the city. For instance, for London I checked out www.visitlondon.com and now plan to go on free Halloween tours.

By watching where I sleep and what I eat I can travel to way more places for way cheaper. I have been known to search for hours for a diet coke that is a quarter cheaper though so it is definitely possible to go overboard. But I really think that with less money you will almost always have a more adventerous trip.

Nevertheless it is always hard to stick to the budget so it helps to save on the big things (flights, accommodation, food_ so if you go overboard on the smaller things (like shopping or souviners) it won't hurt you too much.