$400/month? - TravelPUNK Backpacker College Student Budget Travel Message Boards!

**patchouli Lover** · 07-24-2006, 06:23 PM

Ok so I guess you could call this my last attempt. My parents think it is completely crazy and whack, but
(not to sound like a whiney child

) but i really want to go to Sweden at almost any cost. So I added and subtracted and played around with the finances; and I have it figured out that I can afford to pay for everything (including my whopping $300/month car payment) and still have $400/ mo to live on. The 400 is after rent.... basically it would be my spending money for food, beer, and travel. Do you guys think it is doable? I know it might consist of eating cheeze and crackers for meals, but I'd be in Sweden who cares! Is it completly crazy to pay for a car payment for a car that is just going to sit there for 6 months? As a side note I could always try to find a job! Not sure how reliable that is 'cause I don't speak Swedish.

I don't know maybe I'm talking crazy, I'm just pulling out all the stops! Any advice would be appreciated guys! Thanks so much again!!!!

**travelchick75** · 07-24-2006, 06:52 PM

You know if you wanna go, i say go. But i'd make sure you have accomodation and such lined up. If you wanna go budget thats fine. The cost of living in sweden is pretty high but im sure its do able. If you really want it you'll find a way to make it work. Plus if you have a return ticket, and you do end up running out of funds, you could always get your 'rents to pay the 30 bucks to change the dates and just come home. That way your not stranded lol

How long are you planning on going for BTW???

xanthuos · 07-24-2006, 06:59 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by travelchick75@Jul 24 2006, 09:52 PM
Plus if you have a return ticket, and you do end up running out of funds, you could always get your 'rents to pay the 30 bucks to change the dates and just come home.*

[snapback]132294[/snapback]

Where did you get the figure of $30? The price to change a ticket can vary wildly from airline to airline and also can be drastically affected by fare changes.
$400 for a month in Sweden? Honestly, that's nearly impossible. I have never personally spent more than half a day in Stockholm, but I spent about 1 month in Helsinki, Finland this past winter. If not for the fact that I had stayed with friends, my accomodation costs alone would have exceeded $400.

You can do it if you have accomodations lined up OR if you were lucky to find an under-the-table hostel job which would provide your accomodations and hopefully a little spending money...but without knowing that in advance, I'm not sure I'd take the risk of flying to the other side of the world if you're unsure of whether your budget will stretch thin enough.

**patchouli Lover** · 07-24-2006, 07:25 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by xanthuos@Jul 24 2006, 08:59 PM
Where did you get the figure of $30?* The price to change a ticket can vary wildly from airline to airline and also can be drastically affected by fare changes.
$400 for a month in Sweden?* Honestly, that's nearly impossible.* I have never personally spent more than half a day in Stockholm, but I spent about 1 month in Helsinki, Finland this past winter.* If not for the fact that I had stayed with friends, my accomodation costs alone would have exceeded $400.*

You can do it if you have accomodations lined up OR if you were lucky to find an under-the-table hostel job which would provide your accomodations and hopefully a little spending money...but without knowing that in advance, I'm not sure I'd take the risk of flying to the other side of the world if you're unsure of whether your budget will stretch thin enough.

[snapback]132295[/snapback]

The $400 is after rent. It is what will be left over after I pay the bills. I already have a place lined up. the college (I'm doing an exchange student thing) provides a place to stay.... its not bad. I have a 26 meter squared cabin with all bills paid for under 300 USD.... I'm just wondering if I can live off of 400 in terms of food and beer and ect.. Remember I will be an exchange student, so it won't be like I'm going from one place to another and having to use a lot of transportation and partying every night.

**patchouli Lover** · 07-24-2006, 07:37 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by travelchick75@Jul 24 2006, 08:52 PM
You know if you wanna go, i say go.* But i'd make sure you have accomodation and such lined up.* If you wanna go budget thats fine.* The cost of living in sweden is pretty high but im sure its do able. If you really want it you'll find a way to make it work. Plus if you have a return ticket, and you do end up running out of funds, you could always get your 'rents to pay the 30 bucks to change the dates and just come home.* That way your not stranded lol* How long are you planning on going for BTW???

[snapback]132294[/snapback]

Well the original plan was for a whole year. I'd live and go to school in Sweden and do some travling with in Sweden and maybe once a month leave the country!. But know it looks like it will be for only six months starting in Jan. But six months is better than nothing!

xanthuos · 07-24-2006, 07:40 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by patchouli Lover@Jul 24 2006, 10:25 PM
The $400 is after rent. It is what will be left over after I pay the bills. I already have a place lined up. the college (I'm doing an exchange student thing) provides a place to stay.... its not bad. I have a 26 meter squared cabin with all bills paid for under 300 USD.... I'm just wondering if I can live off of 400 in terms of food and beer and ect.. Remember I will be an exchange student, so it won't be like I'm going from one place to another and having to use a lot of transportation and partying every night.

[snapback]132301[/snapback]

What city would you be in?

**patchouli Lover** · 07-24-2006, 08:04 PM

Ostersund. About 5 hours by train from Stockholm..... Here's a map

**Esterina** · 07-24-2006, 08:05 PM

I've found those sites for students in Sweden, with actual figures of cost of living there, and a lot of useful info.

www.sweden.se
www.kth.se

They basically say you need for one month :
Food 200 euros
Local travel 60 euros
Other (phone, insurance, hygiene et c) 170 euros
Clothing, hobby/leisure 45 euros
Student Union fee 6 euros
Total 481 euros...

You're about $100 to this amount. Close enough ? Or like you say, adapt your diet to your pocket !

**Elizabeth** · 07-24-2006, 09:11 PM

13 dollars a day sounds pretty low - I've not been to Sweden but I hear its very expensive and so say others on this thread

anyway i dont know if this is an option for you but, sell the car? and downgrade when you get home?

**TheWills** · 07-27-2006, 04:12 AM

400.... well dude anything is doable its just all about how hardcore you wanna be! 400 a month is gonna be tougher then I would like, the worst part is drinking in sweden is totaly supid expsensive you can expect to pay upwards to 7 euros per beer if you go out, I dont know why its just how it is! I would ditch the car, why make a payment on a car that your not gonna drive, I dont know your call remeber the more you have the more fun your gonna have!
wills

**patchouli Lover** · 07-29-2006, 06:44 PM

i tried to sell the car and had a buyer but the person backed out. I wish I could ditch it, but my dad co-signed for it and I don't want to leave him with the payments. So I've decided to bite the bullet and stay in the States. *sigh*
But the good thing is I get to graduate earlier if I stay this semester! Which means the sooner I graduate from college, the sooner I can start my life as a prof. traveler. :D Plus since I'm not going to Sweden till Dec/ Jan I can save more money and backpack through the whole summer of 2007.

Thanks for the great advice everyone!!