How to save money on living in another country. 5 recommendations from an experienced traveler

Moving to another country is not necessarily stressful and expensive. It’s not all bad if you plan your expenses wisely and learn the principles of saving money from those who have already left and know what to do next.

Experienced traveler, moved to Portugal

Tells about ways to save money away from the usual conditions.

Rent a room instead of an apartment

Cristina: The first thing to save money on is accommodation. Apartment rental prices are usually always high everywhere. You can rent a room instead. For example, in Portugal this is a common theme, as many people buy apartments on credit, and then rent a room to close the loan.

Find accommodation through a special service

Couchsurfing is an international service, thanks to which you can stay anywhere in the world. The service provides free lodging by visiting strangers from other countries. The rules of the site even forbid to charge for the provided accommodation, but you can bring a souvenir from your hometown to the owner of the apartment.

In order to start using the services of couchsurfing, you need to register on the official site. Then – create a questionnaire describing the purpose of your visit and wait for an invitation.

Staying with locals is not only beneficial but also interesting – this way you can make friends in a foreign country, get to know the local mentality better and make new connections. Read more about this service at the link below.

Use a bicycle as transportation

In many European countries, locals get around on bicycles. This way they not only save on fares and gasoline, but also get to their destination faster. After all, public transportation works well only in large cities: the smaller the city, the less frequent the bus. Besides, for example, England, France and Germany have excellent infrastructure for cyclists. And in exotic countries the motorcycle cab service is popular, which can be called using the Uber app. This service is many times cheaper than a regular cab.

Cristina: When I moved to Portugal, at first I tried to connect with transportation, but in the end I decided that walking is much more useful and faster. I only use the bus for long distances. Electric cars are also becoming more and more popular here. Gasoline prices are very high compared to electricity. For comparison, to fill up a car for € 300 is equal to € 35 to charge.

Buy food at markets

In hypermarkets, look out for discounts and promotions, but don’t forget the markets. They are open in the mornings and not every day, but they have a wide range of products that change depending on the season. Prices are lower than in stores, and everything is only the freshest (vegetables, fruits, dairy products, fish, etc.).

Kristina: When it comes to restaurants, I try to choose local places rather than big chains. It’s cozier there, and the prices are much lower. I support local entrepreneurs, so to speak.

Take care of electricity

It is possible to reduce electricity consumption. For example, you can replace incandescent light bulbs with energy-saving and LED ones; use local lighting; install heat sensors; do not overload the washing machine.

In countries with expensive heating, maritime and damp climates, electric blankets and electric sheets can be used. In some European countries, for example, locals avoid huge energy bills in the winter by not turning on the heating systems in their homes.

Cristina: Most houses in Portugal don’t have central heating, so they warm themselves as much as they can. In winter the temperature in the country doesn’t usually drop below +10, but the wind and the ocean do their job, so almost everyone has electric sheets and electric blankets. The peculiarity of the Portuguese is that they do not heat the whole apartment, but only themselves, as it is cheaper. For example, they turn on the heater only for an hour or two while watching a movie. Whereas with us, heaters can run for twenty-four hours.