The euro is up, which means that my bank account is down…

Let’s talk saving money while studying abroad (specifically in Europe). If you are not in your broke-era—this post isn’t for you.

The truth is moving to a different continent for roughly five months doesn’t change the reality of your financial situation back home. Your visa will expire at some point and you will most likely have to return to Whitman for better or for worse. The world is your oyster, but oysters still costs a lot of freakin’ money. The euros you spend on croissants, cappuccinos, and tacky t-shirts within the first few weeks quickly start to add up. The rose-colored glasses come off and the reality of being a college student in the 21st century leaves them shattered on the floor. You realize: I need to stop spending money.

There’s no escaping the fact that you’re gonna have to make some painful compromises in this life. Don’t let this be the tragedy that defines your study abroad, but the challenge that enhances it. Budgeting forces you to make sacrifice. It takes a hell of a lot of self-control, but it pays off in the end—literally. The things that you actually do spend your money on become all the more valuable. I’m so grateful for every pastry and 5€ cup of coffee I’ve resisted buying because it has allowed me to do things like travel and thrift yet another pair of really cool vintage jeans.

8 tips, tricks, and Jensen tidbits about BuDgeTinG AbROaD

1. Spend your own money.

I realize that my being able to choose whether or not I spend my own money here is a privilege in itself. For some, it isn’t even an option and I fully recognize that. If you do get the choice, I hope you choose to spend your own money and take a moment to call the people who have given you the financial freedom to do so. Thanks, Mom! <3

When it comes to saving money, it is always in your best interest to spend what is actually yours. Spending the money you earn yourself—whether it be slaving away as a dishwasher in the kitchen from hell or selling NFTs of race horses—cuts a little deeper than spending your birthday or graduation money. Working for your money helps you to realize the true value of it which almost automatically makes you a more cautious and conscientious spender.

Extra Advice: I love my Student Discover Card with a passion. Every other college student I know has this particular credit card, so I feel it’s worth mentioning that a lot of establishments in Europe don’t actually take Discover :/ There are a lot of places, especially in Freiburg, that only take cash—or they at least heavily prefer it. Most places take Visa and Mastercard. Do your best to get yourself one of those before studying abroad here.

2. Don’t buy water.

Water is a human right. Anyone who tell you otherwise is a liar and a thief. That being said, I would say, as a general rule, always double check to see if the tap water in your region is safe to drink. In Freiburg, and honestly most of Western Europe, the water from the tap (or Leitungswasser) is perfectly safe to drink. If it’s good enough for my hot girl stomach, it’s good enough for yours. It’s somewhat true what they say: Beer is cheaper than water in Germany, but that is only because bottled water is so goddamn expensive. It is for this reason that I stand by the fact that the first word you should learn in any language is ‘tap water’—followed by ‘please’ and ‘thank you’.

If you are paranoid, like my mother was for me, you can get yourself a LifeStraw water bottle and drink from any and every faucet ever. The amount of money you save on not buying water can be put towards more important things like trips to the coast of France or the service fee for getting locked out of your flat (Please see #8). Stay healthy. Stay hydrated. Save money. Save the planet.

3. *Waste Time*

In my experience, wasted time is often time spent saving money. This one is my personal favorite. I am big fan of doing nothing. Constant productivity is a toxic product of the 20th-century mindset. There is no such thing as wasted time. The time you take to stop and smell the roses or sitting in an Austrian Emergency Room because you thought you sprained your hand while skiing  is valuable. Whether it be alone or with friends, time spent doing nothing in particular is so incredibly important. Take your time. Stop to admire the way the sun hits the sidewalk. Remember that tragic wastes of time can easily be turn into an exciting story or an important life lesson. Wasted time is a great resource. So in true paradoxical fashion, use it wisely.

“A bored child is a boring child.” —Beverly Vallejo-Sanderson

4. Cook

The fastest way to spend your savings while studying abroad is by going out to lunch/dinner. It is for this reason that I “waste (a lot of) time” cooking for myself. Groceries are somewhat affordable here compared to the United States. Take advantage of that. Your cooking may not taste as good as the restaurant down the street and you may still have to do the dishes, but the money you save to buy yourself a plane ticket to Budapest will make it all worth it in the end. Plus, cooking is actually kind of fun when you give yourself the time to do it right.

Pro tip: It is even more fun when you do it with your friends that can actually cook. 

5. Student Discounts ARE A THING HERE

Go ahead. Flash that Student ID whenever you can. The great thing about this particular program (IES: Freiburg Environmental Studies and Sustainablity Program) is that you are directly enrolled at the University of Freiburg even though you are taking classes with IES. Therefore, you are technically considered a student of the university—one of the most prestigious universities in Europe at that—for the time you are here. Go to the university cafeteria, also known as “The Mensa”, for lunch and get a FULL MEAL for less than 3,80€. More often than not, I’ll leave there with a hefty tupperware container full of leftovers. Students get an 8% discount at Al Natura, the fancy organic grocery store here, every Tuesday. The Go Asia Supermarket by the Colombi Hotel in Freiburg also has a decent discount for students regardless of the day of the week. Pretty much every climbing gym and regular gym provide university student discounts as well. Movies are also relatively inexpensive. I went to see a movie at the Freidrichbaus Kino for 6€ on a Friday night with my UniCard in hand! You’re not gonna be a college student forever…(oat)milk it.

6. Take advantage of things that are *FREE* 

I believe that the best things in life are free: tap water, friends, access to cool playgrounds, and of course health care—depending on the country. Who says coloring books are just for kids? Age limits apply only where health and safety is concerned. I can promise that the embarrassment of being the tallest person in the room who isn’t there to supervise a child has little to no lasting impact on your mental health.

Hot Tip: Download Too Good To Go. This app is quite literally the best thing to ever happen to broke college students. Make sure to share the love (aka food). 

7. Treat Yourself

And finally, every once in a Whitman blue moon, forget about everything in this wee little list and treat yourself! I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to live in a world where I don’t get to buy myself a müsli cookie at my favorite café during a break in lecture or an ice cream cone immediately after it. Sometimes you’re gonna have days where you need both. Living a life without a little sugar here and there can quickly become very exhausting. I do my best to space out these treats for myself, like any good pet owner. It’s important to remember that treats come in many different shapes and sizes. Sometimes they comes in the form of a piece of chocolate or a new poster for your bedroom wall. Other times they come as a phone call with an old friend. Even a trip to the grocery store to buy yourself some really cute toilet paper—the mental challenge of making something boring a little bit more enjoyable—can be a sort of treat in itself.

8. Don’t forget your keys!

I like to think that the people reading this blog are a lot smarter than me, so hopefully this one won’t apply to any of you. Let me set the scene: It was a regular Tuesday afternoon. I had gone out to run some innocent errands. Once at the front door again, I quickly realized that the typical jingle-jangle of my keys were nowhere to be found. I had left them in my room. Every single one of my roommates were out of town that week. It cost 45€ to get back in and I was very, very sad. Did it need to happen? No, but I was humbled nonetheless and I learned a very valuable 45€-lesson that day.

Congrats on making it this far! I am many things, but never have I ever been concise when it comes to writing. Sorry.

Song of the Moment: Used to Be Friends by Searows