Help needed from a low budget pilgrim! + Awesome food?

[hahni1274]

Hi,

I am on a low budget pilgrim (about 500 euros, including a transportation from santiago to madrid) and need to figure out what I can buy in spain grocery stores (even ones in small town!!) Do they sell FULL FAT dried milk and powdered power rade? (dried full fat milk is even hard to find in the states unless hispanic stores) How about trail mixes?

any awesome cheap food that is sold expensive in us? how much is a can of beer in europe?

Are hosts and hostesses friendly with campers? Would they let me camp on their yards even if there will be spare beds? I am not bringing my tent, only waterproof sleeping bag. Would that be sufficient?

Will I need to book a bus/train from Santiago to Madrid in advance? Due to the uncertainty of how fast i will walk, there is no way I would know when I will arrive in santiago. Recommend me any trustworthy bus companies!

any advices to keep it low budget is welcome!!! However I really want to try awesome dishes. I just don't want to spend 10~15 euros for a bowl of soup and steak and chips. if you know awesome regional/traditional spanish dish, please let me know as well!

thank you for reading a long post!

 

[Anniesantiago]

You might find this post on my blog helpful. It tells you what we picnic'd on while walking:
http://caminosantiago2.blogspot.com/2011/08/lunch-on-camino-santiago.html

 

[fraluchi]

any advices to keep it low budget is welcome!!! However I really want to try awesome dishes. I just don't want to spend 10~15 euros for a bowl of soup and steak and chips

You will find Anniesantiago's blog very informative.
However you'll have to play it by ear, for the simple reason that seasonal weather can be erratic and accordingly your "camping in the fields" may not meet your minimal comfort desires!
If you are used to haystacks and toothpicks (season permitting), you may get by on a daily expense of between 15 and 20 Euros without begging along the walk. Excluding transportation of course.
You could perhaps put in a day or two of work with a farmer, a restaurant operator or a hospitalero to get a free bed and a meal. I've come across the odd character who also had a budget problem, and somehow it worked out. Don't quote me though! 8)

 

[Stephen Nicholls]

If you are used to haystacks and toothpicks (season permitting), you may get by on a daily expense of between 15 and 20 Euros

There's a season for toothpicks? I'll make sure they're in my backpack ....

 

[duncan pm]

Choose your season carefully and you can enjoy the most amazing fruit and veg throughout the camino, utterly fresh and in season at great prices. Buy from markets, farms etc. and this will give health and insight into Spain as well as being the most economical way to travel.
If budget is constrained maybe beer need not figure amongst priorities or maybe for health reasons it need not figure at all.
I would not worry too much solely about food in the terms of budget - it need not be an overly onerous element in one's budget on the camino - other matters may cause greater expenditure, nor would I view camping as you mention as necessarily being a means of reducing costs.
I hope you find the answers you are seeking.
Duncan.