Travel Lessons: Laundry

During my three months backpacking in Europe laundering facilities were hard to come by. They were expensive. And when you only have two pairs of pants with you and 6 shirts it's annoying to pay for an entire washer and dryer.

After a while I became a little creative:

(Nice, France)

In a French hotel? Use a bidet to soak your clothes!

(Riomaggiore, Italy)

Let them soak in a nice bubble bath!

(Riomaggiore, Italy)

Stir them around to get them nice and clean!

(Paris, France)

If you are stuck in a hostel where the windows don't open, try to find a space to hang a clothes line inside. This one is draped across the end of my hostel bed. I slept with the clothes hanging over me all night.

(Riomaggiore, Italy)

Hopefully you have enough clothes pins!

(Manarola, Italy-- and NOT my undies!)

Be shameless! Let it all hang out!

Taking it to the bank

I just got off the phone with Bank of America and I have some decent options for accessing my limited amounts of money while I'm abroad.

The bad ideas:
1. I can use any atm in Europe. However, I will have to pay a $5 fee each time I use the atm plus whatever fee that atm charges.

So, pay 5 to 10 dollars each time I use an atm PLUS the currency conversion fee? No thank you!

2. Only make purchases with my credit/debit card. But, on each purchase there will be a 3% fee on each and every purchase.

Add an additional 3 percent onto my budget, I definitely can't handle this option either.

3. James Bond style I handcuff a metal suitcase onto my wrist and keep all of my money for 4 months traveling on my body at all time in order to avoid crazy bank fees.

This definitely sounds like the best idea. Dangerous, heavy, and easy to rob? I love it!

The decent ideas:
1. Transfer the money to a european bank where I can access my money in Euros from multiple bank locations.

The problem with this idea is that I would have to transfer the money from my current account here and I could lose money on the bank transfer fee.
The best option (I think, I hope):
1. Bank of America has association with banks in France, England, Germany, and Italy where I can make withdrawals without any penalties.

The only problem is that I'm going to Spain where BOA doesn't have any banks where I can make withdrawals without penalties.

But maybe I can take enough cash or travelers checks to Spain? Spain is at the end of itinerary so I have time to figure it all out.


Right now I'm just trying to save save save in these last 2 weeks before I leave. I'm babysitting several times a week; making meals at home out of all of the random supplies in the pantry and the freezer; and selling some old clothes, books, and dvds.

It's 2 very busy weeks until I leave!

Xoxo,
M

Do you think money grows on trees?

Hello my readers!

You are probably curious as to how exactly I am paying for this trip. Well, almost a year ago while on a family vacation in Cabo San Lucas I was talking to a member of the hotel staff, Carlos (name changed for privacy), and he told me of a treasure hidden below the seas that had been left behind hundreds of years before by Spanish sailors. All he wanted in exchange for the information was the recipe for my delicious stuffed poblano peppers. I quickly scrawled the ingredients on the back of a palm leaf, rented scuba gear and found millions of gold dubloons!

Okay, I'm lying. Heavily.

I'm really paying for my trip to Europe in 2 ways:

1. Savings-- as previously mentioned, I have only bought 2 items of clothing since November. People, do you realize? That's TEN MONTHS of wearing the same things! TEN MONTHS! I have traded in 2 gift cards to get a new skirt and 2 pairs of jeans. But other wise I have been wear the same things over and over again! But, it saves a ton of money!

I have also been eating lunch at home every week day for months. Once two weeks ago I bought a pickle for a snack, and one day I had a diet coke. But otherwise it's been 99% eating at home. I also cook dinner for Chris and I an average of 6 nights a week. For the 2 of us I spend any where from 40 to 80 dollars a week. And since I take care of the week nights Chris pays for weekend entertainment.

By no means are we eating ramen for dinner every night but we're also not getting drinks at Nobu going to dinner at the Ritz once a week. It's actually been great. I LOVE to cook and have invented so many cheap delicious meals in the past months.

Besides my measly paycheck as a kindergarten teacher I have also been picking up as many babysitting jobs as possible.

In all I have been able to save almost $10,000 since November.

2. Family funding-- When I was born my parents bought a 20 year bond with a decent amount of savings (nothing that would even be near to a down payment on a house). After 20 the interest on the bond had allowed the initially investment to become 60 times greater. I received the money from the bond when I graduated in college and have done nothing with it in hopes to something life changing with it like put a down payment on a house, possibly start a business, or take a trip around the world!

So, while without a doubt I wouldn't have been able to take this trip without my family's help I have learned to save during this process which even if my travel plans fell apart I would still be so grateful for this lesson alone.

So, while maybe this wasn't the most exciting of posts I just wanted to clear that elephant out of the room.

Really, I swear I'm funny and smart and entertaining! Stick with me and when we get past the boring basics and are actually on the trip (ONLY 24 DAYS AWAY!!!) Things will get much more exciting!!

Xoxo,
M