Now, in 2010, I now do a new type of shopping with coupons called “strategic” couponing. Strategic couponing is when you use coupons on top of sale prices to save more money. Couponing has come a long way since I first started in 2007. More and more companies are coming into the world of online coupons utilizing resources such as Coupons.com and Facebook to put out high value coupons that you can print online and use in stores. People have learned the tricks of couponing, like waiting until an item goes on sale to use the coupon and buy multiples of the same item (called stockpiling) to save the maximum amount of money on an item. Each of these are a big part of strategic couponing.

Some strategic couponers have learned how to do this so well that they have built their own websites, such as my own at www.EasternShoreMom.com, where we do “matchups” or maps to the sale ads to make your shopping with coupons easier. Matchups include each sale item, the coupons available for those items, where to find the coupons, then how much the item will be out of pocket. Why are matchups a big deal? Because now couponers don’t have to do the work of finding the coupons for the items they want, the work is done for them. You can simply type in any search engine your favorite store then the word “matchup” and it will most likely bring up multiple deal blogs that specialize in mapping out the sales ads for that store.

Back in 2007 I was thrilled with my $10-$15 worth of savings each week and unable to shrink my grocery budget any more than that. Now, with my strategic couponing skills under my belt, I spend about $30 a week on groceries and save closer to $80 each time I shop. The effort I put into couponing is the same I did three years ago, however I am shopping smart and stockpiling when a sale rolls around which is maximizing how much I am saving on each item. Our grocery budget is the last of my worries and we have been able to put more than I ever believed into savings just by cutting that one cost, while cutting my coupons.

What I quickly realized, though, was that with the amount of samples available out there today you can practically eliminate having to purchase items completely, and you can certainly avoid wasting money on a product that turns out to not work or not be what you expected. Samples can also be a blessing if you do run out of something random and want to avoid a special trip to the store.

The most common samples that you can find are the bath and beauty kind. Moisturizer, shampoo, conditioner and toothpaste are offered pretty regularly. Then you can end up finding cereal, address labels, teeth whitening products, sweetener, flavored drinks, laundry detergent and all kinds of other things. Samples take a while to arrive generally, but if I can use it I send off for it. When it comes time to travel, or if I’m out of something, the first thing I do is check my sample stash.

I generally avoid sending off for anything that might require me to create an account on a site or add to my Facebook profile. There are so many other opportunities out there that I’m happy to miss a few to avoid going to more difficult lengths to obtain them. In most cases, there is a box they are hoping you’ll check to sign up for their mailing list. I simply always leave this blank and then I don’t have to worry about receiving junk emails.
Samples are usually listed as taking 4-6 weeks to arrive on your doorstep, but I’ve found that it’s usually more like 10 days. I’m at a point where I request samples so often that I usually have a new one in the mailbox every other day.

Often when you request a sample, the company will also include with them coupons for money off the product and sometimes other similar products in the line. This is an added bonus because if you do like the product you can go ahead and pick it up at a cheaper rate, and as it is a manufacturers coupon you can also take it to any store.
The two best places that I have found to obtain samples are:

Absurdly Cool is a sample website that updates several times a day when new samples and other freebies are found available. It’s usually only worth it to look as far as three days in the past, as samples expire or “sell out”.

Hey It’s Free is more of a blog that also posts several times a day. As they have an RSS Feed, I just have that plugged into my Google Reader and go from there whenever I wish to fill something out.

So do you already look for samples? What is the best thing you’ve found or your favorite sampling location?

Anyone looking for an inexpensive vacation in Europe, strike Venice straight off your list.

Not that the city wasn’t lovely. The canals are as beautiful as a painting (of which there are many). The architecture was ancient, with one house in the Gothic style next door to the soft rounded arches of a house from the Victorian era. The food was also good, true Italian food, like seafood spaghetti or fresh bass, which they bone for you at the table, and fresh if purchased in the right places. But don’t expect to get anything for free.

The truth is, when very few were brave enough to travel by plane after September 2001, Venice’s tourist industry boomed. A tour guide informed me that at that time Venice received about 11 million visitors per year. Now the yearly tourist estimate is closer to 20 million, and the industry experts predict an extra 5 million on that already large number by 2012.

As you’d expect of any city that counts tourism as a major industry, the prices in Venice are astronomical. It was not uncommon to see a can of Coke (300 ml) with a price tag of €3, especially in the busy area near Piazza San Marco, where the Doges Palace and San Marco Cathedral are located. In one particular instance, which I remember with disturbing clarity, we sat down to eat at a restaurant on the grand canal that was affiliated with our hotel because we got 20% off, being residents of that particular hotel. This restaurant sold Coke not in cans, but in bottles, and the price listed on the menu for one bottle of Coca-Cola was €6.50. Needless to say we paid too much for lunch that day.

It goes without saying that you need to look at the menu before you sit down. The other thing you need to think about if you plan on visiting Venice is transportation. The transportation in Venice has two major modes: by foot or by water. The city center is a collection of islands attached by bridges, and a fit walker can move from one end to the other in about an hour. If you are up for a lot of walking, I suggest sticking to it, because travel by water will drain your funds quickly.

If you are tired of walking, or you need to get to one of the islands that is not connected by a bridge and a winding street, you have two choices: the Vaporetto, which you can think of as a big water bus, or a taxi boat. If you don’t plan to walk much, I wouldn’t advise taking a taxi everywhere. They cost twice as much as a taxi car on the mainland.

On the other hand, the Vaporetto is a moderately-price form of transportation, and quite enjoyable to ride, but only if you plan ahead. A one way ticket on the Vaporetto is €6.50 per person. This ticket lasts for 60 minutes, during which time you can get on and off as many times as you wish. Doesn’t seem quite worth it for a one way pass, does it?

You can also buy tickets for larger increments of time, 12 hours, 48, 72, etc., up to a 7-day pass. The 7-day pass costs €50. If you plan to ride the Vaporetto frequently, and you must do so to get to the islands of Murano, where they make the glass, and Lido, where the free public beach is located, you will realize quickly that the multi-day passes are worth the cost.

Needless to say, if you find yourself in Venice, the best way to save money is to go off the beaten path. Wander away from the major tourist attractions after you’ve had your fill. Restaurants, souvenirs, and clothing all become more reasonable in price in proportion to the distance you are from the crowds.

I must also mention the Gondola, because I said in my previous article that I would ride one. I did, if not because my Nana insisted then simply to say I did it. It’s important to note that Gondola’s are not an appropriate form of transportation any longer. You pay to ride one in blocks of time, and they take you right back to where you started. The gentlemen in flat-brimmed straw hats and striped shirts standing on bridges all over the city will tell you that it is €80 euro for half an hour, but you can probably talk them down to €70. If you get some other like-minded tourists to ride with you, it will be cheaper because they charge for the time, and not per person.

With a little luck and a lot of diligence, my notes can help you save money in Venice, a city where you must not expect anything to be cheap. As for me, I’m not sure where I’ll find myself next, but I’ll be taking notes and watching prices, as always. If you’ve been to Venice, share some pointers with your fellow travelers in the comments below. Best luck and cheap travels, my friends!

For me, buying Tupperware just meant having containers with matching lids every time for all the sizes and things I needed them for. The containers were durable and looked beautiful when shelved neatly for all miscellaneous things. These containers battle off in styles, colours, shapes and fun. If you’re someone who can take care of their belongings and seldom lose personal items, Tupperware serves as an additional perk.

Tupperware not only helps to inspire a more pleasing space, it is also ensured by a ‘lifetime’ warrantee. If your container cracks, chips or peels; you simply go online and find a consultant near you who can help you replace your container absolutely for free by requesting the replacement order on your behalf to Tupperware. There is a manual updated annually put out by Tupperware that tracks the serial number of your container and batch that it was molded in. This manual allows consultants to be able to flawlessly get you that same exact container (possibly, in a different colour or upgraded style). Should containers be discontinued, you should be offered a dollar amount off a new order of Tupperware.

In addition to having containers and organizers for all the little things the pile up from the office to the kitchen, I found myself very spirited that summer, planning the parties, making the sales and collecting these new items and offers to give them as gifts for that year. In that time, I never found myself to be scrambling for gifts for special occasions or random social gatherings, Tupperware offers so many innovative knick-knacks that are not only be inexpensive and innovative, they are unique and served me as ice-breaking conversation pieces at every pot luck and dinner shin-dig there was that summer.

If you find yourself in a group of individuals who prefer to dapple in innovative culinary missions, these containers would be their best soldiers! Tupperware can throw you and your neighbors a party with varying themes and usages of Tupperware in everyday life or demonstrate meals that can be cooked by Tupperware and make you some money or help you start your own business working with Tupperware on your own schedule in your own time. It isn’t for everyone.

The real bite: even getting the containers alone, would save you a hefty penny or two in the long run. Since containers are meant for multi-usage, a single container can go with you to your next visit to Yan’s Wok; pack up the leftovers (saving the environment from the disposable containers), bring items home to freeze and have ready to be heated for lunch the next day or snacking at midnight – all without transferring, wasting water and time to wash and waiting for food. It makes cents, doesn’t it?

The first time I lived with a significant other, I was entirely unprepared for the number of things about him that A) I didn’t know, and B) bugged the hell out of me. It turns out that his ability to put the toilet seat back down was a pre-moving in ploy to win me over or something, but that totally went out the window once we shared a home. And, more importantly (and annoyingly), it turns out that the man didn’t have a savings account. Which never occurred to me since he never seemed to be low on money (hint: he was spending every dime he made) and, in general, seemed like a pretty responsible person. This whole situation was disconcerting; what if he lost is job? What if something unexpected happened and we needed to spend money on an emergency home repair?

When you move in with someone, or get married, you’re in such a blissful state of romantic suspension that few people stop to consider the fact that you when you choose to mix your life so closely with someone else’s, you could be asking for trouble. At least in some ways. No matter how long two people have been involved, if you don’t live together, chances are you still have your little secret bad habits. You know – the things you really don’t want your significant other to know about you. But it’s fine; the process of finding these things out can be hilarious and, if you go about things with patience and acceptance, you should both make it out alive.

Among the more troubling bad habits to discover your sweetie possesses are ones pertaining to money and spending – especially if you find them out after you’ve moved in together. By this point, at least to some degree, your finances are tied together. It’s now important to you that their bad saving habits (or total lack thereof!) be cured. So how to deal? Let’s discuss:

Problem: The Non-Saver

Situation: There exists a great number of people in the world who simply don’t think about savings. You definitely either know this type of person or you are this type of person. And most of the time, this kind of financial approach isn’t a conscious decision to be irresponsible; usually, people who don’t actively try to build up a savings just figure that they don’t make enough money to do so. Money comes in, money goes out. And then they wait for more money to come in. These are the paycheck-to-paycheck types. If you happen to be a saver and find yourself in a domestic situation with someone who decidedly is not, problems can definitely arise: perhaps your love is perpetually needing to borrow small amounts of cash from you until their paycheck arrives, or the bills don’t get paid on time, or you want to save for a vacation and they don’t know how to contribute, or some emergency unexpected expenditure comes up and the weight falls on you, the one with a savings cushion. All around, co-habitating with someone who doesn’t have any kind of savings plan can leave you both with a handful of “what if” stress.

Solution: Teach them! Assuming that you know how to develop a savings plan, share what you know, and how you go about things. Don’t get on your high horse – always approach these issues with sensitivity and a “hey, we’re in this together so let’s help each other be more awesome at life” mentality. Not a good teacher (or a good saver)? Here’s a simple beginning plan that can work for both of you: when money comes in, spend nothing until all the monthly bills and living expenses are paid for. After that, put everything that’s left into a savings account so you can’t easily access it by ATM or debit card. Then allot yourselves a spending allowance for the week – and spend no more. Eventually, living on that amount will seem natural to you. This can work whether you are budgeting that allowance just so you can break even at the end of the month without running out of money, or spending a small enough amount that you can accumulate savings. If all else fails, talk to your bank – they know your individual financial situations and can help both of you figure how the best way to maximize the money you’re making, and start saving.

Do you save as a couple?

I got lucky – I got the aforementioned boyfriend to start a savings account and budget his money better before his lack of a safety net compromised my financial safety. What about you? Have you been a relationship with someone who was equally financially unsound? How did you handle it? (And also, feel free to pass along any clever tips for saving on a budget!)

Here’s the deal, and we all know it: people always give clothes to new parents. So why are we still giving clothes to new parents? Why don’t we face the reality and get them some things that they really need? And hell, some of these things really aren’t that expensive, so here’s my list of things I wish people had given me at the baby shower:

Penaten

Penaten is what I call the “super skin cream”. I love it for being able to prevent and help heal rashes. Every old-school parent has heard of Penaten and will suggest it, but really Penaten is just a name-brand. Realistically, I get a big ol’ tub of Zinc Oxide Cream and it lasts me forever. I find that the no name brands are also smoother which makes it easier to apply.

Baby Monitor

A baby monitor is a sensible and generally inexpensive item. They have 101 uses, and make parenting so much easier with smaller babies who don’t have as loud cries. They have all sorts of baby monitors nowadays – ones with two monitors, video monitors, different lengths… Getting a simple one to start is always a good idea!

Personal Video Recorder (PVR)

I was talking to a new set of parents on Sunday and they gave me a marvellous idea for new parents that I hadn’t thought of. For couch-potato tv-watching parents, be sure they have a PVR! A PVR is essentially a box that will record your TV and let you Pause and Rewind live T.V.. This way, they’ll never miss another beat of their favorite shows when little Annie takes her first steps!

Baby Proofing Items

Another very simple solution to a gift idea, baby-proofing items are often under looked. Safety plugs, cushions for the corners of tables, and drawer/cabinet locks are always useful when the little one can reach that high!

Breast Pump/Formula

Alright, this gift can go two ways. If you know your soon-to-be parent will be breast feeding, then getting them breast-feeding products are always a good bet. Breast pads, nipple cream (sounds funny to say), and breast pumps are always good ideas. Not many people get a breast pump, but mainly because they’re on the pricey side (especially for the good ones).

If the new parent won’t be breastfeeding, formula is very expensive (we’re talking a good $30 per week). Even if the new parent is breastfeeding, though, buying them a tub of formula is always a great idea as a just-in-case.

Diapers

Let’s face it. Babies go through diapers like no one’s business. This is the simplest idea, and realistically the best. Having diapers is always helpful, even if they’re too big because they’ll grow into them. Buy a big pack of diapers, and even throw in a potty seat to ensure the new parents that they won’t have to be changing diapers forever!

What Else?

What have I missed? What other products do parents need that are really helpful? Share in the comments, below!

Shot Gun

Alright. We may be condoning heavy drinking today, but we’re certainly not condoning buying firearms. This gun, however, is a fun little idea that we thought you’d enjoy. At only £14, get yours today!

Drinking Games

There are a ton of drinking games out there. So many that you might even consider getting a drinking game book. Still, everyone knows the age old beer pong (which is really easy sober, but so much more fun when intoxicated). While you can definitely create your own beer pong with plastic cups, some are taking things to the next level with beer pong playing items.

Get a DJ

Or, if you can’t afford a professional service and hiring a DJ like myself to your next party, why not DJ yourself? You don’t need to spend thousands of dollars on equipment – just grab a couple iPods (or other suitable MP3 players), and pretend to DJ with this handy gadget! Get it today for only £23!

Be Prepared for Classy

There’ll always be that couple of people who drink wine and other alcoholic beverages contained in hard-to-open bottles. While you should always be ready for bottles that don’t have twist-off caps, this cute bottle opener can make opening bottles fun (alright, alright – so it may take a little bit of the class away from those trying to bring it with these bottles, but what were they thinking!?)! Get your happy man bottle opener today!

Get Everyone Home Safe

Most important part of the party is one that is sometimes seen as the “elephant in the room.” For godssake, get everyone home safe. This is a pretty funny way of doing things by getting your patrons to fill out these handy napkins while (semi-)sober to ensure they all get home safe (and to the right house!). Grab a few cabbie napkins for £4!

What other cool toys have you found that can creatively enhance your next party?

But let’s not get too far ahead of ourselves here. Moving out is painful without the help of friends and family – and I’m very fortunate to have had a ton of support in my move. Although I may not have had any furniture at the time, I had people who’d been dying to give away a couch, a dining room set, a bed, a T.V., etc. If you can do anything to save money on your first move, it’s finding friends and family who have stuff to give you.

Don’t get me wrong – sometimes the stuff isn’t exactly your style or anything, but these are things that can slowly be replaced. If I learned anything from my first move, it’s that people don’t have expectations. My first party was a potluck with friends that had everyone sitting in lawn chairs and on the floor in a circle eating, singing, and making jokes.

But now it’s been a month since my first move. Having gone through the pain of seeing rent disappear from my account for the first time, I’ve taken a step back from my new condo and finally gotten a chance to reminisce of all the things I’d wished I’d known about my first move. Here’s a little list of things I know I regretfully first forgot in my move that I wish I hadn’t – maybe you can use it to find a gift for someone you know who’s going through that first (torturous) move!

1. Strainer

One of the easiest (and obviously my favourite) dishes to make is pasta. You’d be amiss, then, if you forgot to get a strainer. Alright, so you can make due with straining using the lid to the pot you’re using, but for those that aren’t ace cookers a strainer is a very handy tool. I found this awesome one on Amazon that goes for $15 and is collapsable. Cool!

2. A Power Bar

Power bars are an important part of my digital life. My current power bar that I picked up on the cheap has 6 outlets, and I find myself needing a good 2-3 more. Having a good set of power bars is always a good idea – and maybe a set of candles just in case all else fails?

3. Food Storage Options

As fellow GauchoBlogger Jerry Jeremiah has mentioned to me time and time again, having storage solutions is always a great idea. A big fan of Tupperware himself for it’s lifetime warranty, I go with anything that is a quick fix since most leftovers don’t last in my fridge too long. Tupperware or any of it’s alternatives range in price, but Amazon has a great deal on a 10-piece set that has quite a bit of variety.

4. Laundry Basket

For the first few weeks there I was loading all laundry straight into my washer. Saved a ton of time, but there’s nothing like a good laundry basket in your room. Having two is always a great idea – one for clean laundry, one for the dirty stuff – so you can hold off on putting stuff away right away.

5. Corkscrew

I may DJ, but I’m not a huge drinking/partying animal. That’s why when my brother came over with a bottle of champagne I was instantly confused. “You have a corkscrew, right?” We spent the night trying to figure out different ways to open a bottle without an opener to little success, and my neighbours were less than helpful. That’s why I wish I had a corkscrew – nay – an all-in-one tool that could do that and solve many of my other household emergencies.

The tool to the left gives you blades, a corkscrew, pliers, knife, screwdrivers, and more with a 25-year limited warranty. This one is a little pricier ($50 on Amazon) but this sort of tool can help solve a lot of problems and is more useful than you think!

What Did You Forget?

Sometimes we forget about the little things in the mess of it all. What did you forget when you first moved out?

Our flight was cancelled. Twice. And there was a strike in Paris (again) so all international trains, in addition to flights, were at a standstill. I didn’t bother standing in line at the car rental agency. We couldn’t get a bus home early enough either, so we turned to the last resort and called our parents (who were also on holiday) and conned/begged them into making a detour from Italy down to Barcelona to drive us all back to Germany again.

We were lucky. Extending a vacation can burn a hole in your pocket. Some people we met in the Hostel were forced to set up camp for the week because they couldn’t get home.

Plans are never a sure thing, especially when it comes to traveling. Keeping that in mind, here are the costs as they would have been, minus the volcano.

Transportation

For two of us, 2-way plane tickets from Frankfurt Hahn to Barcelona came out to €150 (about $210 USD), including the cost of checking one bag. If you haven’t heard of Ryan Air, their name is synonymous with cheap, short-hop flights throughout Europe. Their airports are in remote locations (we had to bus from Girona airport into Barcelona), but the tickets are cheap. If you book far enough in advance, they can be as cheap as €3 per person.

Two things to watch for: you must pay to check each additional bag, and rates tend to rise slightly in the summer. They also rise as your date of departure gets closer, so book in advance!

Lodging

We stayed in a Hostel again. It was about €150 total, about €25 per person per night. The Caulaincourt Hostel in Paris was the same price. While they were about the same cost, the Alberguinn Youth Hostel in Barcelona was cleaner, newer, had a bigger common area, and the staff was far more helpful than in Paris. I recommend Alberguinn to any travelers headed to Barcelona.

It’s difficult to tell how good a hostel will be if you are just looking online. Reviews are helpful, but there are two sides to every story. My advice is to look for hi-quality photos of the place and try to gauge it’s location in the city. If located close to downtown, or the beach, lodging prices will be steeper. The ones I choose are typically removed from the city center, yet still close to the metro. That way they are can be good but still cheap.

I find that there is also a relationship between how early you have to reserve space in a hostel and how well the place is kept. If one hostel is full-up for the next week, while another has plenty of space for tomorrow, try to get into the one that’s full-up. That one is a safer bet for a restful night’s sleep.

Food

Cooking our own dinner in the hostel proved to be a worthy endeavor. Five of us got together for €3 each and had a healthy, home-cooked meal of chicken, rice, and vegetables bought from the market down the street. The produce in Spain is very fairly priced.

For those who prefer to tour a city on foot, like myself, bread and cheese is simple, wholesome nourishment. When an entire loaf of bread costs €2 and there are a multitude of bakeries, it’s hard to resist the simplicity and thrift of a sandwich on the move.

If you’re looking for something a little more filling, the Travel Bar offers a Paella Cooking Class for €18 per person (Scout’s honor, that’s how much I paid. Don’t believe the website. Believe the flyers in your hostel.)

Not only did I get the recipe for Paella, I met some cool people and drank my money’s worth in Sangria.

Culture

I leave you with some cultural insight that my keen travelers eyes discovered.

Barcelona is the capital of the province of Catalonia in northeastern Spain. Catalonia’s cultural heritage is unique from the rest of Spain, and it doesn’t take long for any visitor to learn. Not only does the region have it’s own language, Catalan, but Catalonia’s autonomy from Spain is so deeply embedded in Catalonian culture that you can read it, not only in the history books, but also on the stones:

If you find yourself in Barcelona, and you want to learn something the stones can’t teach you, check out the Cooking Class and other sweet deals the Travel Bar has to offer, like the Free Walking Tour (which was excellent, thanks to our tour guide, Colin), or the Bike Tour. Or search for great deals on your own. They’re out there, I promise you.

Departing Remarks

Next time I will be writing from Venice, where I can glean new culturual insights and probably ride in a gondola. In the meantime, tell us your travel stories, how to save a buck, and the best deals you’ve found in your favorite cities using the comment form below!

Our first stop is Paris. I spent three days in that lovely city last weekend. I found out quickly that Paris on five dollars a day is a historical myth that has no place in the Paris today. Money goes fast in most cities, and Paris is not on the cheap end of the scale. Here’s a quick budget recap:

My train ticket cost 160 euro. Three days and two nights in a hostel ran 50 euro. And I brought 180 euro in cash to spend on food, wine, museums, souvenirs, and chocolate.

At the end of three days, I had emptied my wallet. It was not difficult.

The train ticket was my biggest single expense. Note that for 160 euro I got a round trip ticket on the InterCity Express (ICE for short) from central Germany to Paris. Unfortunately, because this trip was a spontaneous decision and I bought the ticket two days before my departure, they could have charged me anything they wanted.

Transportation costs are the same the world over. Whether you’re buying a train or a plane ticket, the earlier you buy it, the cheaper it will be. Looking online at <a href=”http://www.raileurope.com”>RailEurope</a>, I found a train ticket from central Germany to Paris and back for just over 40 euro – if I buy three weeks in advance. That’s a lot of savings. I can content myself with the knowledge that even an overpriced train ticket costs less than it would have cost for gas to drive to Paris and back, but I know that I will plan better and save more money in the future.

Lodging was, in comparison, relatively cheap. Hostels are a great way to go when you’re traveling on a budget. My Hostel was located in the northern part of the city near Montmartre. It was close to the metro, had a bathroom in my room, a kitchen for use on the main floor, common areas, free wifi, and the essential free breakfast every day from 7:30-9:30. Two free breakfasts saved me about 10 euro, which is the cost of the wonderful Dali exhibition I attended in Montmartre. I also met two cool guys in the Hostel that spoke English, one from Washington, DC and one from Singapore, and you cannot put a price on intelligible companionship in a strange city if you are traveling alone.

Next we have the cash expenses, the biggest of which was, undoubtedly, food. The streets of Paris are like a buffet. Fresh fruits and vegetables sit under shaded canopies on the sidewalks, pastries and bread decorate the displays of every bakery (of which there are a great many), vendors cook crepes and serve ice cream in windows open to the street, and people eat delicious meals on the sidewalks in front of cafés wherever you go.

Half the charm of Paris is the food and the cafés, so make sure you treat yourself a few times. But don’t discount the cost. Even a little crepe can run you 3 or 4 euro, and those costs add up. You can buy a baguette (which you will see people carrying home for dinner), some cheese and salami in a grocery store that will be cheaper and last longer than any meal at a street-side vendor. Also, the savings of bringing your own snacks, bottled water, soda, and even a meal or two with you cannot be overstated. I didn’t do any preliminary shopping or take advantage of the kitchen in my Hostel, and planning ahead in each case would have saved me a bunch of money.

Lastly, I spent money to get into museums and exhibitions and on souvenirs. If I had known about the free museum Sunday, I could have saved a few bucks. Also, depending how much you ride the metro, plan to get a pass instead of chocking up 1.60 euro each time you ride. The metro in Paris is easy to use, and it’s a big city, so take advantage and save your feet.

The big lesson this time around is to plan ahead. Planning saves you money, especially on train tickets and on food.

My next stop is Barcelona. See you again in a couple weeks!