<p>I'm just looking for a bit of advice about my budget for a semester abroad. For a little background info, I'll be in Edinburgh, Scotland this coming spring. As far as I know, its a pretty expensive city. I hope to do a bit of travelling while i'm over there, nothing excessive. Food expenses should be pretty minimal, since i'm supposed to be on a meal plan, and I really won't be shopping or anything like that. I expect to spend money mainly on transportation (don't include flight from US to Edinburgh or return-already taken care of) and bare necessities- oh, and at bars, which i hear can add up to a fair amount over there. I was hoping someone who knows a bit about study abroad, or maybe someone who's already done it could give an extremely rough estimate of how much money I should have readily available by debit.</p>
<p>haven't been there, but if no one else has anything, my own study abroad experience in Mexico cost me about $100-120/wk in incidental experiences (i.e., going out to clubs, restaurants -- my homestay provided most meals but sometimes it was fun to go out w friends, etc.)</p>
<p>Edit: that's in addition to things like tuition, airfare, place to live, etc. -- in other words, $100-120/wk in additional/mostly "unnecessary" expenses</p>
<p>I'm currently studying abroad in London. I don't drink and am not on a meal plan, but I cook the majority of the my meals. I average around 100 pounds/week, sometimes a lot less, for food/eating out, but I eat well. Chicken is ridiculously expensive here, if anyone was wondering :P. I probably spend about 15 pounds a week on the tube, and only a few pounds a week for my pay-as-you-go cell phone, but I don't make many local calls and I don't much at all over here.</p>
<p>It's really the drinking and the shopping that will get you. Are you planning to go out nightly, or a few times a week, or once a week? Clubbing or bars? Consider what you can afford to do, because if you don't think about it in advance, you'll realize a few weeks in that you've blown a lot of money drinking.</p>
<p>Also, for phone calls, you can get near-free calls back to the U.S. and to many countries while abroad by using VOIP over your computer. Skype is one (well known) VOIP service, although many such as future-nine are much cheaper (search for them using Google).</p>
<p>As far as going out, it will probably be a couple times per week to bars. I'm not really sure about the food situation right now. If I live in the dorms, i'll be on a meal plan, so a smaller amount will be spent on food, otherwise that'll be a much bigger expenditure.</p>
<p>I think I'll manage to have $2,000 on my own by the time I leave- Will that be even close to enough, or do I have to do some serious begging w/ my parents?</p>
<p>My son has been in Norwich England since September. He saved up $4,000 over the summer and has not really traveled much, but says it's very expensive just to buy food there. He's living in a dorm, but they are all self-catered so is cooking for himself. I'll tell you in three weeks how much he has left!</p>
<p>CS-
Was PMing you but my computer crashed for the 3rd time today! Yikes. Even my son has no idea what's going on with it.
Son is home. 11 days with us for missing 1 day of classes. Guess it worked out to have Mondays and Fridays off for him.
Eating- yes, he's doing lots of it. Making a good meal tonight (I hope) and we took the boys out for French food on Fri night.
Phones, phones phones. Seems like pay as you go and a skype type service. My son will figure it out for us!!!
I don't get that "cooking" thing. Son will have meal plan of sorts but not what he's used to. Wonder if he needs to buy pots and pans??? Sponges and soap?</p>
<p>With the holidays coming up, I hope your relatives give you some cash as gifts!!</p>
<p>Where do kids sleep/stay when traveling? Anyone know? What is clean, safe and cheap?</p>