Hurt by The Netherlands...

Tuesday, February 10, 2009

...My bank account was, that is.

I won't lie, The Netherlands wasn't pretty on my budget. This was due to several things: The exchange rate was horrible, transportation between cities was pricy, and I was on vacation. Not that I threw away all concept of budgetting while on vacation, but at the same time, we did splurge a bit on eating out. The first night we went to an awesome (AWESOME!) greek restaurant where a huge, amazing meal costs me €20. Then we went out for the BEST sushi I've had in months in Rotterdam, where the total bill for the three of us was €87. And finally, we went out for some old-school Dutch pancakes where I believe my meal was €14. I don't mind that these meals were more expensive, because I haven't eaten out in a long time. I don't really enjoy eating in restaurants by myself, and therefore don't do it.

I'm still thinking about that sushi thought. Omg it was so good. I ate so much unagi I probably dreamt about it all night. MMmmmmm. I really need to find an asian grocery store in London, as sushi is a lot cheaper (and reasonably simple) to make, as long as you can find the correct ingredients. Hmmm.

Anyways, so here's the damage:

Now, keep two things in mind: My roommates owe me about £50 in bills - as I overpaid their share of bills, plus, I haven't yet paid rent. So, when you add it all up, I've got about £15 to last me 21 days. Ooouch.

I've got enough money on my Oyster card to last me though the month, no problem, so I don't have to worry about Transportation. At the same time, I don't have enough food to last me through the month, as I used up all my fresh stuff before I left.

Here's what I've got in my pantry/freezer/fridge:

  • Cereal
  • Peanut Butter
  • Ragu
  • 1 bag uncle ben's rice
  • 2 boxes of Kraft Dinner
  • 1 can minestrone soup
  • 2 bags spaghetti
  • 1 bag butterfly pasta
  • 12 frozen meatballs
  • 1 frozen small chicken
  • 2 frozen fish patties (left by old roommates, unsure of quality/state?)
  • ice cream

Out of the spaghetti I can get 3 meals. From the roast chicken, if I get some vegetables I can get 2-4 meals. Kraft dinner will last me 2-4 meals. So, I'll be able to last for a while, but I don't have any breakfast/lunch meals. So, I am going to go out grocery shopping today, and I have the following on my list:

  • Ground beef
  • Green beans
  • Onions
  • Yams
  • Carrots
  • Chicken Breasts
  • Milk
  • Bread

Hopefully this combination of food will keep me going for at least two weeks. I've been lucky enough to pick up 5 days of working starting Friday, which will net me a couple hundred quid, although I won't see that until the end of March.

Siiiigh. Not the best start to February, but this was definitely a wake-up in how much a short 'mini-break' can cost me. I'm going to have to be very careful when I'm hosting my onslaught of guests starting April.

4 comments:

Canadian Saver said...

I'm so jealous of your Netherlands trip!!!

The Euro sucks when converted from Canadian dollars too... we pay about 20% more than the Americans. It's still worth it, imagine the lasting memories you made!!

DINKS said...

Yikes! But at least you're keeping it real and honest over there :) Being on top of it goes a looooong way.

Jerry said...

Well, your post leads me to feel a little better about our exchange rate against the Euro (I'm an American in SE Europe). I hope that the North American currencies will climb soon, but I wouldn't bet the house on it... I wonder if the US' "stimulus" package will only serve as insurance to make things worse over time. We shall see! Good luck on making that pantry streeeetch to feed you.
Jerry
www.leads4insurance.com

Anonymous said...

How exciting a trip that must be. And I love sushi, too!

Unfortunately, the place I just recently visited on my trip to Tampa, FL resulted in my tempura being overcooked in my spiderroll. :(

Oh well, must try again! :)