{"id":4902,"date":"2014-10-29T15:51:54","date_gmt":"2014-10-29T15:51:54","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.studyabroad101.com\/?p=4902"},"modified":"2022-07-14T11:01:55","modified_gmt":"2022-07-14T15:01:55","slug":"to-spend-or-not-to-spend-that-is-the-question","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.studyabroad101.com\/blog\/2014\/10\/to-spend-or-not-to-spend-that-is-the-question\/","title":{"rendered":"TO SPEND OR NOT TO SPEND. THAT IS THE QUESTION"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Restaurant<\/a>Perhaps you\u2019re sitting there staring at the computer worried about money. I know the feeling because I just graduated school a few months ago. But if your money troubles are study abroad related than you have a unique situation to exploit. For my study abroad bound friends it\u2019s likely you\u2019ve discussed where you\u2019ll want to visit that isn\u2019t where your host family resides. One former study abroad student I know was able to meander from France, through the Netherlands, and into Italy\u2019s Venizia<\/em> (or Venice). Traveling outside of your study abroad city is definitely to be encouraged.<\/p>\n

Every town, whether you\u2019re traveling in the vast Australian Outback or the frigid city of Moscow, has a little bit of a different flavor. I can\u2019t stress enough that Study Abroad is your chance to explore and step outside of your comfort boundaries. Sounds an awful lot like a college acceptance brochure, eh? In lieu of your chance to spend freely and dabble in the not-so-oft seen treasures of this world I\u2019m offering just a few tips of how to save cash so you can spend it wisely.<\/p>\n

First tip is to plan way in advance. Fortune was not a favor of the man who dropped everything to go sailing from Spain. Planning ahead does the favor of telling us where we\u2019ll already be spending money so we don\u2019t have to constantly count how much is left for fun things. Keeping a watchful eye on your particular currency exchange rates will help too.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s talk about food. I love it and I love going out to eat. My Koreatown home in Los Angeles offers many Korean BBQ\u2019s and Taco trucks that I\u2019d love to indulge in every afternoon and night. Yet, much like most people, I must brave the kitchen and make my own confections in the interest of saving a little cash. This should be your norm as well. Just go to the grocery store instead of going out to eat every night on vacation. Let\u2019s say you\u2019ve made it to Paris for the week. Good luck paying for French wine by the glass and little omelets every morning without going broke. Do yourself a favor and maybe look up some localized recipes and explore the town market before opening your wallet for a little extra fromage<\/em>.<\/p>\n

So you\u2019ve got an itinerary and a way to save on food. But where to stay? As a student you probably won\u2019t be staying in any Trump hotels or fancy shmancy accommodations. That is, unless you feel like and can, spend the money on it. For those of us tight on a budget but oozing with adventurous sentiments we can always go to hostels. I know Eli Roth had his<\/em><\/a> version of one but in reality they aren\u2019t so bad. You\u2019ll meet some interesting travelers, take selfies in the shared rooms, and even have a little kitchen to cook your own meals. That way when the weekend comes you\u2019ll have fun times lined up and cash to back it.<\/p>\n

– Mark Melchior<\/p>\n

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Mark Melchior has a B.S. in Television and Film Production from\u00a0the Park school of Communications, Ithaca College,\u00a0and is a contributing writer and staff Sommelier at Abroad101. While he\u2019s not telling you how to quell your travel anxieties you can find him at the local record store, stuck in traffic, or quietly eating a slice of pizza. He is based in sunny Los Angeles, CA.<\/em><\/p>\n

Connect with Mark\u00a0through\u00a0LinkedIn.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I can\u2019t stress enough that Study Abroad is your chance to explore and step outside of your comfort boundaries. Sounds an awful lot like a college acceptance brochure, eh? In lieu of your chance to spend freely and dabble in the not-so-oft seen treasures of this world I\u2019m offering just a few tips of how to save cash so you can spend it wisely.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":25,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_ppma_block_editor_authors":""},"categories":[4,464],"tags":[467,490],"ppma_author":[690],"class_list":["post-4902","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-abroadadvice","category-students-2","tag-mark-melchior","tag-spending","author-mark_melchior"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t