NIU Study Abroad

Courtney at Cliffs of Moher, Ireland

Top 5 Money Saving Tips

One of the very first things that comes to mind when most people think of studying abroad is the expensive side of it. If your experience is anything like mine, you have had countless discussions with your academic advisors, the study abroad office and your family on all of the expenses to anticipate when deciding to study abroad. As if college tuition in your home state (or country) is not pricey enough, most students immediately worry that their dream semester or year abroad will be impossible due to financial constraints. However, I would like to share some of my experiences while abroad in Barcelona, Spain with you to help ease that worry and encourage some money saving tips for possible trips in the future!

There are certainly more than five money saving tips that I found incredibly resourceful during my five months of studying (and traveling) abroad in Western Europe, but I'm going to share the most "crucial" and simplest tips that you can use to ease the financial burden of your incredible experience.

Tip #1: Regardless of your accommodation arrangements during your semester abroad, this is one of the most important things I discovered to save money – cooking/eating meals at your apartment, in your dorm residency or at your home-stay will save you a significant amount of money! Home-stays in most cities will provide you with breakfast and dinner, assuming that you will be away at classes during lunch-time in the afternoon. Most residencies may offer a cafeteria like meal plan or the rooms will be equipped with a small makeshift kitchen. The apartments, as expected, come with a fully equipped kitchen and more space to make your own meals to dine at home. I found that making trips to the fresh markets several times a week actually saved me money in the long run – as I bought only what I needed, stocked up on essential cooking supplies in the get-go and had little to no waste throughout the week. I would buy healthy snacks for breaks between my classes so I wasn't spending money at a coffee shop or restaurant every afternoon for a drink and snack. Believe it or not, as great of specials as places run during mid-day breaks, these expenses will add up quickly! I would also buy healthy snacks for the airport or to have in my bag during weekend trips. This later saved me some extra pocket money in the long run for my weekend adventures to splurge while I was traveling to different countries and different cities.

Positano, Italy

Tip #2: If there are places that you know your heart is set on visiting during your time abroad, start looking up flight deals and accommodations (hostels, Airbnb, etc.) as early as you've been accepted into your study abroad program! I was able to book a lot of my weekend trips for 50-70% off their original price by booking them during Black Friday specials with study abroad travel providers like Bus2alps and EuroAdventures. These companies also run specials for Fall Semester trips during the summertime. If you feel comfortable enough to know you may be traveling alone and later meeting up with large groups of study abroad students from all over the globe, this is something I would definitely recommend. It allowed me to travel so much more than I thought my expenses would allow and I am forever grateful for the friends I met while on these trips! You are guided by previous study abroad students who are incredibly helpful, you'll travel with other like-minded students and depending upon the weekend trip you book, your transportation is included in the price! Definitely something I would look into if you're adventurous and on a budget.

Tip #3: Take advantage of local specials! Barcelona has mid-day lunch specials Monday-Friday which they call their "menú del día." These lunch specials include a drink of your choice, a small first plate, a second entrée plate and dessert of the day for a small price of between 8-13€. This is a fantastic deal for those available between the hours of 11am-2pm because normal entrées generally run much, much more than this alone! While these specials are also available on weekends and holidays, they generally cost double what they would during the week. Sitting outside on the terraces or little patios for a mid-afternoon break from classes was such a great way to get to know my classmates. The select menus (usually offering 2-3 choices per plate) also encouraged me to try a lot of new and delicious local cuisine which I otherwise probably wouldn't have ordered. Making time for little lunches and friends throughout the day instead of burying yourself inside a quiet, empty classroom during lunch will be worth the while, I promise! You will get to know the culture and people much better if you're willing to immerse yourself.

Tip #4: If you're wanting to explore but can't afford to get away for an entire weekend (financially, academically, whatever it may be), look into train or tram tickets online for nearby cities worth visiting! These train tickets are often very affordable and depending upon the zoning of your metro pass for the semester, the transportation fare may even be included in the pass you have already purchased to get yourself to and from class! If you and a group of friends are up for it, it's a great way to inexpensively travel as you can pack your lunches for the day and get to know new areas in your host country without breaking the bank.

Tips For Traveling and Transportation Abroad

I remember one of my biggest questions or concerns before going abroad was how exactly I was going to get around Barcelona, Spain once I had arrived. I knew prior to my arrival that my classes would be taught at two entirely different campuses, which I was very excited and equally nervous about. I was worried I wouldn't have enough time – as if the university hadn't already thought that through for all of us students. My second concern was how I would get to and from the airport for all of the weekend trips I had already planned, because I knew that taking a cab there and back wouldn't be feasible for my budget. I learned that almost immediately upon my arrival, as I took a cab to my hotel with all of my luggage once I had arrived from the states. It was the most comfortable and secure choice for my initial arrival, but certainly reflected that in its cost. I couldn't afford a 45€ cab fare every other weekend.

Courtney at Park Guell, Spain

Once I learned where the location of my apartment was, I started mapping out routes in my head of how to walk/commute to my classes. I patiently awaited my Welcome Orientation with my university and study abroad provider which was surprisingly informational and I found all of their tours and advice to be rather resourceful. Luckily, Barcelona is not an overwhelming large space
(geographically). It's very walkable, and scenic, if you have the time to commute on foot. My morning campus was an 8-minute walk from my apartment door, which made for a very easy and relaxing commute to class. My afternoon and evening campus, on the other hand, would take well over an hour to walk to - which is where the metro pass I decided to purchase certainly came in handy.

The city of Barcelona has several options for Metro passes – a one way, a roundtrip airport ticket, a youth pass (T-JOVE), a resident pass, and then quarterly/monthly passes. Due to the extent of my stay and my age, I was directed to purchase the T-JOVE pass which was good for 90 days for anybody between the age of 16-26 years old for unlimited rides via metro, bus or AVE within the city limits of Barcelona. This initial cost of 105€ paid itself off in a matter of weeks, as I was never inconvenienced by "running out" of rides or worried that my pass wouldn't work. I was able to take any city buses day or night, all metro stops within Barcelona, AND roundtrip train fare to and from the airport by using my T-JOVE pass. Thus, instead of traveling to the airport by cab, I was able to take the metro to the airport exchange point and saved myself easily 75-90€ each trip that I took.

Sitga, Spain

I studied abroad in the spring. Therefore, the weather was more than beautiful while I was there. I tried to walk to class every opportunity that I had because I loved taking in all of the scenery and architecture around me. However, due to my evening classes, I didn't feel very secure walking home at night. Because of this, I found the evening bus routes to be my best option. Every corner around campus had a stop and depending upon the wait time, I would jump on the nearest line to my apartment. I would sometimes walk half way home until it started to get too dark and then take the bus or metro depending on whichever was closest to me at that time. On my walks to and from stops in the evening, I would often call a friend or family member and talk to them during my walk to feel more secure. I always was sure to be aware of my surroundings while walking – as it only takes a split second of disregard for something to happen. That's why they call them accidents. Often times more than not, any petty crime or mishap while walking or utilizing public transit is entirely preventable if you're aware of yourself and your surroundings no matter the time of day.

As far as weekend/extracurricular travel was concerned, I found long-haul buses and classic European airline flights to be my most affordable and time friendly option. Although trains generally run high-speed in Europe and could have gotten me there in roughly the same amount of time as flying, they often ran more expensive due to the "lack of hassle" of airport security. To be honest, I really didn't mind the hour long metro ride to and from the airport to look forward to and reflect on my weekend trips. Additionally, airport security in Western Europe wasn't nearly as miserable as my experiences here in the states.

Park Guell Spain

A lot of European cities are easily walkable, while others are a little less pedestrian friendly. I would highly suggest upon your arrival to ask your study abroad provider or professors which routes they would suggest for transportation, what security precautions they would advise and possibly scenic routes to take along the way. Everybody involved in my study abroad experience was more than helpful and willing to share this information with me, and even offered a few wonderful restaurant/activity suggestions in addition! While taking the metro is generally the "easiest" option, it's difficult to view your beautiful host city while you're in an underground tunnel. Opt for the buses when you can, or getting some light exercise by walking! I guarantee you'll be happy that you did.