how i stayed under 15k for my EU exchange ✈️

hello zesties!! 🍋

i rly loved my europe exchange experience so much & would do anything to relive it again 🥰

i didn’t rly track my spendings to a T there but overall it set me back 10-15k. i was in europe for 6 months, travelled to ~15 countries, and stayed in sweden which isn’t known for being the cheapest 🫣 here’s how i did it:

1. get the CHEAPEST dorm 🏡

i picked the cheapest dorm & so my rent was about 4k for 6 months. the conditions weren’t the best but take it from me, you’ll only be there half the time so it doesn’t rly matter 🤷‍♀️ the only thing i looked out for was proximity to transport, & thankfully sweden is quite well-connected

u may also want to avoid countries like the UK where even the cheapest dorm will be abt 2k/month. alternatively, u can look at airbnbs if you’re staying with friends as those can be cheaper the longer u stay 🤩

2. get GRANTS 💸

perhaps the most impt tip here!! my *actual* spendings were actually around 20-25k, but i offset it with my scholarship allowance of 11k 😌 i also know a friend who received a uni grant which (iirc, pls correct me if i’m wrong) is 8k or so

these grants are mostly need-based (but not the most stringent— i know of middle class ppl who got grants too!) & some are merit-based!! sometimes the partner uni also offers grants so do make sure to check them out 😆

to increase ur chances of getting a grant, apply in a less ‘popular’ exchange semester so you’re fighting with less people (typically spring exchange is less popular as it clashes with summer intern timings) 🥴

3. plan ur trip routes⛰️

u will notice that when flying out from ur host country, certain destinations have much cheaper ticket prices than others (eg sweden to poland/germany). go to those places & u will find that travelling to neighbouring countries (eg poland to austria) from there is much cheaper than flying from ur host country. this is why i always visit at least 3 countries per trip 🫢

basically, just RESEARCH RESEARCH & RESEARCH to find the cheapest route!! many budget airlines have monthly discounts as well so factor those into ur planning~

4. maximise the discounts 😏

most attractions & public transport have special prices for ‘teens under 18’. asians r known for looking younger. yall connect the dots urselves here yeah 🙏

5. don’t stay in a /MAJOR/ city 🤩

i didn’t stay in a major city in sweden (ie stockholm) bc food prices & rent tend to be higher. imho, as long as ur area isn’t hellishly far from the nearest airport, you’re good. it’s cheaper to travel to the capital & visit for 1-2 days than to live there for ur whole exchange 😌

my rule of thumb is: MAX 2h away from ANY airport

some ppl may say ‘ehh ur city damn ulu’ but honestly, if a city has a uni located there, it’s probably decent 🤷‍♀️. mine wasn’t the most happening but it was super cozy & i loved it~

6. frozen food ALL THE WAY 🍖

they’re cheaper & less perishable which is great for when you’re travelling out all the time!! frozen chicken fillet & broccoli was my best friend during my entire exchange no kidding…

not sure how much u could save by doing this but i think it definitely adds up esp if you’re in a country with un-cheap groceries 😵‍💫

7. duty free bags 🧳

EU has an aviation law which states that duty free bags will be allowed on flights, regardless of weight & size, at no extra cost. this is GOOD NEWS if you’re travelling with budget airlines like ryanair & u only have one small bagpack to last u 20+ days of travelling

think abt it… the cost to add one more baggage can be as high as $100 per flight 😱 comparatively, u just need to spend at most $5 at a duty free to get their bags to dump all ur extra clothes in. as an overpacker, this hack saved me SO MUCH money 🤩🤩

& yall might scoff but some airlines are rly quite strict abt their bag laws… i know someone who got fined $90 at boarding bc their shoulder bag was over the allowed measurements 🙁

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that’s all my tips for exchange!! hope u guys found it helpful 🥰

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#mindfulspending #MoneyTips #moneysavingtips #exchange #europe #student