For 2024 Pilgrims: €50,- donation = 1 year with no ads on the forum + 90% off any 2024 Guide. More here. (Discount code sent to you by Private Message after your donation) |
---|
I have used this system in the past, I learned it from traveling with my ex-husband in the ´90s and it's a great way to budget.Good morning
This isn't about How much or how to calculate how much. It's a method I use so as not to end up in a hole with no way of paying for the next day's needs, and I was just wondering what other people do.
I have a method that involves two pockets and a hiding place for a usually frozen debit card (or two, depending on how long a trip and the perceived chance of loss)
If you are interested, read on. If not then find a more interesting post.
Once I have worked out my likely needs for the total trip, including all lodging, entry fees, food, wine, intermediate transport and a small buffer then I divide by the number of days that I expect to be away. I then pour a stiff drink and recalculate. If it comes out to a similar total then I either re-think the minimum comfort level or decide to do something else or go somewhere else. This works for all trips, not only CS.
Day one I allow double the average budget because there will always be something I have forgotten to bring, however many spreadsheets I have made. In fact, I have rather given up on complex calculations and tend to round off everything to an easy number. Same with packing. Replace anything completely wrecked or lost in the bag I brought back, washed, and replaced in bag from last time.
Using some made-up numbers here, don't want you to know how cheap I am.
Let's say I reckon on sixty euros or local equivalent per day then for day one that's 120 euros. Day two and subsequent days that will be sixty euros per day. I put 120 euros in my right pocket and zip it shut. Small notes, equal to ten euros per note if possible. Another five to ten days worth (or enough days to get me to the next border with a change of currency if this is a smaller number of days) goes in my left pocket, or more likely money belt really well tucked away depending on my perceived safety levels and likely ease of finding an ATM. Frozen preloaded debit card and an emergency cash reserve really well hidden, and an expired or otherwise cancelled card with the ready use cash in right pocket.
Day one I can spend what I find in my right pocket. I probably will have a fair bit left at the end of the day. In the morning I transfer sixty (average calculated spend) from left to right. After five days of doing this, spending from the right, topping up the same amount every day I count what I have in my right pocket. If before doing the left to right move I have sixty euros I congratulate myself on extreme cleverness and continue until I need to get some more cash to top up the left pocket via the debit card. If I have more than sixty euros I have a treat or become a bit more generous with the donativo that day. If less I shrug my shoulders and carry on.
Once the left pocket is nearly empty it's time to raid an ATM. This might happen a day or two early if they are a bit thin on the ground. So far it has always worked. If for any reason I have an empty pocket on the right then there should be some on the left. If I simply used a card for convenience then next day I transfer less from left to right.
Simple, flexible.
Now I would like to hear what others do, as all systems can be improved. I haven't done a poll, but if you think that could be fun then feel free.
That is an interesting technique, and if it works for you, that is what is important. I have found that following a simple rule of writing down each expenditure during the day has the effect of controlling the amount going out, while providing a good guide as to what the actual daily/weekly/monthly cost of the walk is. If there was a string of good allbergues then it was likely the daily outlay would be around 40 E per day. If the albergues were less than inviting, then a cheap hotel would suffice, and the daily outlay would jump to 60E. or thereabouts.Good morning
This isn't about How much or how to calculate how much. It's a method I use so as not to end up in a hole with no way of paying for the next day's needs, and I was just wondering what other people do.
I have a method that involves two pockets and a hiding place for a usually frozen debit card (or two, depending on how long a trip and the perceived chance of loss)
If you are interested, read on. If not then find a more interesting post.
Once I have worked out my likely needs for the total trip, including all lodging, entry fees, food, wine, intermediate transport and a small buffer then I divide by the number of days that I expect to be away. I then pour a stiff drink and recalculate. If it comes out to a similar total then I either re-think the minimum comfort level or decide to do something else or go somewhere else. This works for all trips, not only CS.
Day one I allow double the average budget because there will always be something I have forgotten to bring, however many spreadsheets I have made. In fact, I have rather given up on complex calculations and tend to round off everything to an easy number. Same with packing. Replace anything completely wrecked or lost in the bag I brought back, washed, and replaced in bag from last time.
Using some made-up numbers here, don't want you to know how cheap I am.
Let's say I reckon on sixty euros or local equivalent per day then for day one that's 120 euros. Day two and subsequent days that will be sixty euros per day. I put 120 euros in my right pocket and zip it shut. Small notes, equal to ten euros per note if possible. Another five to ten days worth (or enough days to get me to the next border with a change of currency if this is a smaller number of days) goes in my left pocket, or more likely money belt really well tucked away depending on my perceived safety levels and likely ease of finding an ATM. Frozen preloaded debit card and an emergency cash reserve really well hidden, and an expired or otherwise cancelled card with the ready use cash in right pocket.
Day one I can spend what I find in my right pocket. I probably will have a fair bit left at the end of the day. In the morning I transfer sixty (average calculated spend) from left to right. After five days of doing this, spending from the right, topping up the same amount every day I count what I have in my right pocket. If before doing the left to right move I have sixty euros I congratulate myself on extreme cleverness and continue until I need to get some more cash to top up the left pocket via the debit card. If I have more than sixty euros I have a treat or become a bit more generous with the donativo that day. If less I shrug my shoulders and carry on.
Once the left pocket is nearly empty it's time to raid an ATM. This might happen a day or two early if they are a bit thin on the ground. So far it has always worked. If for any reason I have an empty pocket on the right then there should be some on the left. If I simply used a card for convenience then next day I transfer less from left to right.
Simple, flexible.
Now I would like to hear what others do, as all systems can be improved. I haven't done a poll, but if you think that could be fun then feel free.
Plus one for forgetting underwear!I think my mind can’t handle systems, especially on a Camino. I try to keep it simple as possible and now it is really easy to know where there are ATM’s along the way as Gronze and Wisely will tell you which towns have cash machines. I am a budget pilgrim and can go on under 30E a day without a problem. I take out 400E to start. Put 150E and one cash card in one place hidden in the recesses of my bag. Put the othe card and credit card in my money belt that is always with me. When my money dips to 150-200 I replenish. That amount of money and my reserve allows me to go a week without a cash machine and that never happens. On the VDLP I will probably up the reserve a little. Easy as can be. On Camino I have enough problems remembering to take my underwear off the clothesline.
I have allotted about 50 Euros per day but if the prices have gone up during COVID, then I might need to adjust my budget. And I've given myself extra breathing room by setting aside more, just in case.Yes, I think many pilgrims are stretching their budgets to the limit, especially those with a long flight beginning and end. I would find 35 € a day on the light side, unless cooking for myself.
I'm with you. The only things I keep track of (on a spreadsheet) are my daily distances, where I walked each day, and the cost of my lodging each night. I highlight the places I stayed that I particularly liked and why.I am privileged enough that I haven't had to budget so carefully and generally frugal enough that it hasn't come back to haunt me. I don't set and keep a daily budget when on Camino. I have found that the standard of living that I prefer on Camino (staying at a mix of municipal, parochial, and private albergues for the most part, with an occasional night in a hotel in a place where I am taking a rest day; eating pilgrim menus or menus del dia or chipping in to a communal meal; stops for cafe con leche and snacks; entrance fees to museums and cathedrals and donations in churches and at donativo stands; a few souvenirs, charity to those who ask for it, that sort of thing) is one that I can afford so I generally stick to that and don't worry too much about the details.
It's like with dieting. I've found that the most successful diets for me were ones where I generally modified my lifestyle (when I eat, average portion size) rather than the ones where I try and meticulously count the calories of everything I consume with some sort of target.
Good morning
This isn't about How much or how to calculate how much. It's a method I use so as not to end up in a hole with no way of paying for the next day's needs, and I was just wondering what other people do.
I have a method that involves two pockets and a hiding place for a usually frozen debit card (or two, depending on how long a trip and the perceived chance of loss)
If you are interested, read on. If not then find a more interesting post.
Once I have worked out my likely needs for the total trip, including all lodging, entry fees, food, wine, intermediate transport and a small buffer then I divide by the number of days that I expect to be away. I then pour a stiff drink and recalculate. If it comes out to a similar total then I either re-think the minimum comfort level or decide to do something else or go somewhere else. This works for all trips, not only CS.
Day one I allow double the average budget because there will always be something I have forgotten to bring, however many spreadsheets I have made. In fact, I have rather given up on complex calculations and tend to round off everything to an easy number. Same with packing. Replace anything completely wrecked or lost in the bag I brought back, washed, and replaced in bag from last time.
Using some made-up numbers here, don't want you to know how cheap I am.
Let's say I reckon on sixty euros or local equivalent per day then for day one that's 120 euros. Day two and subsequent days that will be sixty euros per day. I put 120 euros in my right pocket and zip it shut. Small notes, equal to ten euros per note if possible. Another five to ten days worth (or enough days to get me to the next border with a change of currency if this is a smaller number of days) goes in my left pocket, or more likely money belt really well tucked away depending on my perceived safety levels and likely ease of finding an ATM. Frozen preloaded debit card and an emergency cash reserve really well hidden, and an expired or otherwise cancelled card with the ready use cash in right pocket.
Day one I can spend what I find in my right pocket. I probably will have a fair bit left at the end of the day. In the morning I transfer sixty (average calculated spend) from left to right. After five days of doing this, spending from the right, topping up the same amount every day I count what I have in my right pocket. If before doing the left to right move I have sixty euros I congratulate myself on extreme cleverness and continue until I need to get some more cash to top up the left pocket via the debit card. If I have more than sixty euros I have a treat or become a bit more generous with the donativo that day. If less I shrug my shoulders and carry on.
Once the left pocket is nearly empty it's time to raid an ATM. This might happen a day or two early if they are a bit thin on the ground. So far it has always worked. If for any reason I have an empty pocket on the right then there should be some on the left. If I simply used a card for convenience then next day I transfer less from left to right.
Simple, flexible.
Now I would like to hear what others do, as all systems can be improved. I haven't done a poll, but if you think that could be fun then feel free.
Interesting to read the various approaches. I guess a lot depends on what budget one can afford to start with. How it's managed would depend on how easily, or not, the budget can be topped up.Good morning
This isn't about How much or how to calculate how much. It's a method I use so as not to end up in a hole with no way of paying for the next day's needs, and I was just wondering what other people do.
I have a method that involves two pockets and a hiding place for a usually frozen debit card (or two, depending on how long a trip and the perceived chance of loss)
If you are interested, read on. If not then find a more interesting post.
Once I have worked out my likely needs for the total trip, including all lodging, entry fees, food, wine, intermediate transport and a small buffer then I divide by the number of days that I expect to be away. I then pour a stiff drink and recalculate. If it comes out to a similar total then I either re-think the minimum comfort level or decide to do something else or go somewhere else. This works for all trips, not only CS.
Day one I allow double the average budget because there will always be something I have forgotten to bring, however many spreadsheets I have made. In fact, I have rather given up on complex calculations and tend to round off everything to an easy number. Same with packing. Replace anything completely wrecked or lost in the bag I brought back, washed, and replaced in bag from last time.
Using some made-up numbers here, don't want you to know how cheap I am.
Let's say I reckon on sixty euros or local equivalent per day then for day one that's 120 euros. Day two and subsequent days that will be sixty euros per day. I put 120 euros in my right pocket and zip it shut. Small notes, equal to ten euros per note if possible. Another five to ten days worth (or enough days to get me to the next border with a change of currency if this is a smaller number of days) goes in my left pocket, or more likely money belt really well tucked away depending on my perceived safety levels and likely ease of finding an ATM. Frozen preloaded debit card and an emergency cash reserve really well hidden, and an expired or otherwise cancelled card with the ready use cash in right pocket.
Day one I can spend what I find in my right pocket. I probably will have a fair bit left at the end of the day. In the morning I transfer sixty (average calculated spend) from left to right. After five days of doing this, spending from the right, topping up the same amount every day I count what I have in my right pocket. If before doing the left to right move I have sixty euros I congratulate myself on extreme cleverness and continue until I need to get some more cash to top up the left pocket via the debit card. If I have more than sixty euros I have a treat or become a bit more generous with the donativo that day. If less I shrug my shoulders and carry on.
Once the left pocket is nearly empty it's time to raid an ATM. This might happen a day or two early if they are a bit thin on the ground. So far it has always worked. If for any reason I have an empty pocket on the right then there should be some on the left. If I simply used a card for convenience then next day I transfer less from left to right.
Simple, flexible.
Now I would like to hear what others do, as all systems can be improved. I haven't done a poll, but if you think that could be fun then feel free.
I am privileged enough that I haven't had to budget so carefully and generally frugal enough that it hasn't come back to haunt me. I don't set and keep a daily budget when on Camino. I have found that the standard of living that I prefer on Camino (staying at a mix of municipal, parochial, and private albergues for the most part, with an occasional night in a hotel in a place where I am taking a rest day; eating pilgrim menus or menus del dia or chipping in to a communal meal; stops for cafe con leche and snacks; entrance fees to museums and cathedrals and donations in churches and at donativo stands; a few souvenirs, charity to those who ask for it, that sort of thing) is one that I can afford so I generally stick to that and don't worry too much about the details.
I could have written either of the above replies.I'm with you. The only things I keep track of (on a spreadsheet) are my daily distances, where I walked each day, and the cost of my lodging each night. I highlight the places I stayed that I particularly liked and why.
All in all, I think simple is best, especially (if) the inner focus of the walk is to strip things down to a pure form. The lighter the load (in all areas), the better. The Camino looks different to everyone, I suppose!Interesting to read the various approaches. I guess a lot depends on what budget one can afford to start with. How it's managed would depend on how easily, or not, the budget can be topped up.
In my limited experience on Caminos, I mainly met people who could afford the trip as well as daily costs and a few splashed the cash without too much counting going on. Obviously, there were others I met who were doing it all as cheap and as basic as possible, either for financial or other reasons.
I think the Camino is clearly a massive tourist attraction, in Spain especially, so this would imply that spending money is something that would be actively encouraged by Camino interest groups, particularly those who have invested their savings into running a Camino based business of some kind.
If one can easily afford to do a Camino then it makes sense to splash the cash, within reason of course. Supporting donativos generously and helping out some of the genuinely down and out pilgrims would surely be what most of us would happily do and not count the cost too much.
The left to right pocket thing, the money belt thing, the "secret" emergency cash/card thing are all matters of personal choice. Personally, the more pockets I have the more stuff goes in them, so maybe that's something I should about for next one. I usually had the belly bag for convenience access, so as not to remove rucksack frequently while walking.
I didn't ever carry more than about 150€ in cash, because ATMs are easy enough to find. I get the point about bank charges, but as I live in Spain then I can ususlly find ATMs that don't charge too much. To carry say 250€ to 500€ in cash is generally not a good idea, in my opinion. We can keep an eye on reserves and top up before it gets to potentially hitting zero, so having a "secret" emergency backstop does make sense, it's a good idea.
As a number comparison, for what it's worth, I averaged about 40€/day, although that included some additional high costs of buying new footwear and a couple of hotel stays on zero km days when my wife came up from Madrid to meet me. Apart from that it was mainly municipal albergues, some donativos, some private albergues and two nights staying with family: one in Ponferrada and one in Villafranca del Bierzo. I met a guy in 2018 who did the whole of CF on £600 a couple of years before. He told me it was almost exclusively by staying in donativos and communal cooking. Mind you that didn't include his travel costs from Dublin and return.
My guess is that post Covid-19, or even during Covid-19, pilgrimages are likely to be significantly more expensive and perhaps that is a good thing to help businesses and their dependent families recover some of the financial losses of 2020 and probably most 0f 2021 too. However, it's perhaps not in keeping with the "true spirit" of the Camino that it might become increasingly a reserve for those of us who have more disposable income, let alone the luxury of good health and the free time to do it all. Hopefully, a healthy balance will be struck, because a world without Camino pilgrimages would be a very sad world indeed.
All in all, I think simple is best, especially (if) the inner focus of the walk is to strip things down to a pure form. The lighter the load (in all areas), the better. The Camino looks different to everyone, I suppose!
True. And my apologies, my comment was not meant to come across as arrogant or prideful. I haven't even walked the Camino yet! But I'm gaining a lot of insight from reading everyone's comments and experiences and I'm weighing out what I believe would work best for me. I really and truly will not know until I get there.Sometimes i wonder if that is not hubris. I am able to afford "better" but enjoy living with "less". But always being able to go back to "better". The less fortunate don't have that option.
On the other hand, i feel i have the same right as the next person to do what makes me happy. And if its making me happy to stay at the municipal and have the pilgrims dinner, than thats fine.
Now there was some talk somewhere else, that you should not take cheap beds away from the poorer pilgrims and i can see some logic in that as well. As with most things, there is not just black and white but lots of grey.
Just wanted to make it clear i did not understand your comment as arrogant for one second.True. And my apologies, my comment was not meant to come across as arrogant or prideful. I haven't even walked the Camino yet! But I'm gaining a lot of insight from reading everyone's comments and experiences and I'm weighing out what I believe would work best for me. I really and truly will not know until I get there.
Thank you. I'm really enjoying this site. There is wealth of information for us new members. When reading through everyone's comments, it makes me so excited for what is to come. I'm really praying that my dream to walk the CF will become a reality this year.Just wanted to make it clear i did not understand your comment as arrogant for one second.
Just wanted to add in my thoughts i had about the topic, since its kinda easy to forget about that aspect. Took me quite some thinking to get to that angle, and i don't claim that i have found the perfect answer.
That is why I have sewn security pockets inside the waistband of our walking pants for passports and cash. The only thing we have lost in a taxi was my husbands prescription sunglasses- why on earth he put them down on seat I still can't imagine. At least he still had his regular glasses. A trip to the rastro in Madrid got him some clip-ons before we started to walk, but he missed those glasses.Much of the above is beyond me. I am clearly fortunate as, within reason, a Camino costs me less per day than if I chose to walk, eat and sleep where I live.
With respect to carrying cash and valuables: I daily go about with £3-400 cash and a variety of credit cards in a single wallet, and don’t give it a moment’s thought. Other than the usual ‘you’re not in the countryside now’ precautions, Spain is certainly no more risky than the UK. When on Camino, though - I take much more care. It’s more the thought of my own carelessness than the prospect of criminality that causes me to act differently.
My sole piece of advice: adopt your ‘Camino’ routine for a couple of weeks before you go. If you intend wearing a waist pack, cross body bag, hidden wallet etc etc; start early. After a short while you start to instinctively realise when something’s missing.
25 years ago my wife, who never wears a waist bag except on holiday, detached hers in a shared taxi in Turkey because it was ‘uncomfortable’. She realised the second she stepped out of the taxi, telling me that it contained ( amongst other items) her passport.
I sprinted (those were the days ...) after the taxi and whilst I was overtaking a moped at a roundabout, on foot and wearing flip-flops, the rider asked me (by mime) if I would care for a lift. So now I’m on the back of a motorcycle ridden by someone I’ve never spoken to, wearing nothing in the way of protective clothing apart from a clean vest and underpants (my mother always insisted - in case I got run over, which was at this point becoming a near certainty).
I’ll fast forward. My new best friend got in front of the taxi and (at least in my mind) swerved in front and raised his hand to stop it. I opened the taxi door and retrieved Mrs HtD’s bag. At this point my wife hove into view, berating me for running off. I retired to an adjacent park bench before I passed out. There was a large tortoise there.
My wife has never since then had custody of her passport for the last 25 years.
We try to bring Euros with us as my debit cards have foreign transaction fees on top of the currency conversion that can add up. Does anyone in the US know of a debit card that does not have transaction fees?I'm with you. The only things I keep track of (on a spreadsheet) are my daily distances, where I walked each day, and the cost of my lodging each night. I highlight the places I stayed that I particularly liked and why.
Charles Schwab reimburses all accrued fees. It's been great for traveling abroad!We try to bring Euros with us as my debit cards have foreign transaction fees on top of the currency conversion that can add up. Does anyone in the US know of a debit card that does not have transaction fees?
Wow, thanks! I will definitely investigate.Charles Schwab reimburses all accrued fees. It's been great for traveling abroad!
We found pants for my husband with pockets that zipped open when pulled up and then inside is an internal zipper to a hidden pocket that has to be opened from the fly out towards the hip. The outside pocket is also secured with a button flap. Very hard to open, and if it were anyone but me I think he would notice.The revolution, for me, came when I started wearing a skirt with deep pockets, including a clever hidden pocket, with a zip that opened when pulled up (so the reverse of the usual). It would be very hard for anyone not wearing the skirt to open it easily. I put the most vulnerable things in the secret pocket and scatter cash and a daily use bank card (with a low cash withdrawal limit) in my other pockets. As they are all in the clothing I am wearing, I don't lose them.
I almost always carry a small crossbody bag when I'm out and about, so I'm very used to having one on, and that's how I carry most of my valuables on the Camino. I do keep a backup credit and debit card, and some cash in a separate secure location.My sole piece of advice: adopt your ‘Camino’ routine for a couple of weeks before you go. If you intend wearing a waist pack, cross body bag, hidden wallet etc etc; start early. After a short while you start to instinctively realise when something’s missing.
Yes, as @Camino Chrissy says the Charles Schwab debit card is fantastic. No minimum balance, no fees, and all ATM fees worldwide are refunded. I've used it as my travel account for years. I also like that it's completely separate from my other bank accounts.Does anyone in the US know of a debit card that does not have transaction fees?
Charles Schwab reimburses all accrued fees. It's been great for traveling abroad!
Isn't there a difference between ATM fees and foreign transaction fees?? I have avoided using ours since I'm not sure about it. Does the Schwab reimburse out of network fees as well as not having the foreign transaction fees?I almost always carry a small crossbody bag when I'm out and about, so I'm very used to having one on, and that's how I carry most of my valuables on the Camino. I do keep a backup credit and debit card, and some cash in a separate secure location.
Yes, as @Camino Chrissy says the Charles Schwab debit card is fantastic. No minimum balance, no fees, and all ATM fees worldwide are refunded. I've used it as my travel account for years. I also like that it's completely separate from my other bank accounts.
Schwab has no foreign transaction fees and refunds any fee that you are charged at any ATM.Isn't there a difference between ATM fees and foreign transaction fees?? I have avoided using ours since I'm not sure about it. Does the Schwab reimburse out of network fees as well as not having the foreign transaction fees?
Thank you. I will definitely look into, despite the fact that I can go nowhere that fees would need to be refunded, but I can always hope.Schwab has no foreign transaction fees and refunds any fee that you are charged at any ATM.
But you will be able to travel eventually!Thank you. I will definitely look into, despite the fact that I can go nowhere that fees would need to be refunded, but I can always hope.
And when I am able to travel, I shall have more cash to spend than usual: two years worth. So I am planning on walking the Levante, from Valencia to Santiago with a delay to visit Romanesque architecture in Zamora. I shall have to plan carefully, so as not to overstay my welcome in Spain.But you will be able to travel eventually!
Same here...the money is transferred into it for travel purposes only and kept separate from all other bank accounts...easy peasy.the Charles Schwab debit card is fantastic. No minimum balance, no fees, and all ATM fees worldwide are refunded. I've used it as my travel account for years. I also like that it's completely separate from my other bank accounts.
Good morning
This isn't about How much or how to calculate how much. It's a method I use so as not to end up in a hole with no way of paying for the next day's needs, and I was just wondering what other people do.
I have a method that involves two pockets and a hiding place for a usually frozen debit card (or two, depending on how long a trip and the perceived chance of loss)
If you are interested, read on. If not then find a more interesting post.
Once I have worked out my likely needs for the total trip, including all lodging, entry fees, food, wine, intermediate transport and a small buffer then I divide by the number of days that I expect to be away. I then pour a stiff drink and recalculate. If it comes out to a similar total then I either re-think the minimum comfort level or decide to do something else or go somewhere else. This works for all trips, not only CS.
Day one I allow double the average budget because there will always be something I have forgotten to bring, however many spreadsheets I have made. In fact, I have rather given up on complex calculations and tend to round off everything to an easy number. Same with packing. Replace anything completely wrecked or lost in the bag I brought back, washed, and replaced in bag from last time.
Using some made-up numbers here, don't want you to know how cheap I am.
Let's say I reckon on sixty euros or local equivalent per day then for day one that's 120 euros. Day two and subsequent days that will be sixty euros per day. I put 120 euros in my right pocket and zip it shut. Small notes, equal to ten euros per note if possible. Another five to ten days worth (or enough days to get me to the next border with a change of currency if this is a smaller number of days) goes in my left pocket, or more likely money belt really well tucked away depending on my perceived safety levels and likely ease of finding an ATM. Frozen preloaded debit card and an emergency cash reserve really well hidden, and an expired or otherwise cancelled card with the ready use cash in right pocket.
Day one I can spend what I find in my right pocket. I probably will have a fair bit left at the end of the day. In the morning I transfer sixty (average calculated spend) from left to right. After five days of doing this, spending from the right, topping up the same amount every day I count what I have in my right pocket. If before doing the left to right move I have sixty euros I congratulate myself on extreme cleverness and continue until I need to get some more cash to top up the left pocket via the debit card. If I have more than sixty euros I have a treat or become a bit more generous with the donativo that day. If less I shrug my shoulders and carry on.
Once the left pocket is nearly empty it's time to raid an ATM. This might happen a day or two early if they are a bit thin on the ground. So far it has always worked. If for any reason I have an empty pocket on the right then there should be some on the left. If I simply used a card for convenience then next day I transfer less from left to right.
Simple, flexible.
Now I would like to hear what others do, as all systems can be improved. I haven't done a poll, but if you think that could be fun then feel free.
Yes, as @Camino Chrissy says the Charles Schwab debit card is fantastic. No minimum balance, no fees, and all ATM fees worldwide are refunded. I've used it as my travel account for years. I also like that it's completely separate from my other bank accounts.
According to these articles, they don't charge a mark up in exchange rates.So they make their money on the exchange rates. Are the rates OK?
According to these articles, they don't charge a mark up in exchange rates.
No foreign transaction fee or exchange rate markup… is it true? - Money Matters for Globetrotters
Are you using bank accounts that give you no foreign transaction fee or exchange rate markup at ATM? Are you sure it's what you are getting?moneymattersforglobetrotters.com
The Best International Debit Card for Travel: Charles Schwab
If you travel abroad, you need the Charles Schwab debit card. Here's why: You'll never have to pay an ATM fee - at home or abroad - ever again.thriftytraveler.com
My Experience with a Charles Schwab Debit Card in Withdrawing Cash Abroad
My experience with a Charles Schwab Debit Card having a duplicate charge after withdrawing cash in Antigua which the bank took care of the problem immediately after calling the customer service was commendable.10xtravel.com
According to these articles, they don't charge a mark up in exchange rates.
No foreign transaction fee or exchange rate markup… is it true? - Money Matters for Globetrotters
Are you using bank accounts that give you no foreign transaction fee or exchange rate markup at ATM? Are you sure it's what you are getting?moneymattersforglobetrotters.com
The Best International Debit Card for Travel: Charles Schwab
If you travel abroad, you need the Charles Schwab debit card. Here's why: You'll never have to pay an ATM fee - at home or abroad - ever again.thriftytraveler.com
My Experience with a Charles Schwab Debit Card in Withdrawing Cash Abroad
My experience with a Charles Schwab Debit Card having a duplicate charge after withdrawing cash in Antigua which the bank took care of the problem immediately after calling the customer service was commendable.10xtravel.com
I'm neither a banking nor finance expert, but I would imagine that Schwab makes the bulk of their profit from brokerage accounts.We must have a banking / finance expert amongst the members here?
Tell us how Schwab make their money!
I have found that following a simple rule of writing down each expenditure during the day has the effect of controlling the amount going out, while providing a good guide as to what the actual daily/weekly/monthly cost of the walk is.
I'm neither a banking nor finance expert, but I would imagine that Schwab makes the bulk of their profit from brokerage accounts.
I like your idea of a net bag to keep clothes separate when sharing a washing machine. I remember reading about (and forgetting!) using one, so now will need to be on the hunt for the right size to take next time.I have used this system in the past, I learned it from traveling with my ex-husband in the ´90s and it's a great way to budget.
I walked the CF in 2019 and spent between 30-35/day without feeling like I was curtailing my spending. I stayed in albergues and usually ate the pilgrim's meals. I also consumed a lot of coffee and beer, again without particularly paying attention to costs. I tried to use washing machines when available, approximately every 3-4 days, and always found others who wanted to share a load. A large wash net was useful for keeping my items separate. The other days I hand-washed my clothes. Once I bought food to cook for myself but found in the end that the cost of the ingredients came to about the same or more than a pilgrim's menu, and I had to leave most of it in the albergue kitchen anyway, as it didn't fit in my pack or would have been more weight than I was willing to schlep the next day. I think this would be more economical if I were traveling with a partner rather than alone, but the last thing that interests me after arriving hot and sweaty is to hunt down food and then have to still make it. (I don't especially like cooking at the best of times)
I had a light crossbody bag that I wore in front of me, with a hidden pocket that housed my cash reserve and cards in a ziplock sandwich baggie. I usually would withdraw 300 or so, then take out 30 daily and put it in a tiny zippered pouch for that day's spending, which went in an outer pocket of my crossbody bag for easy access. I did get a hotel room in Burgos and Leon, as I took time in those cities as rest days.
The net bag is especially useful for socks and underwear.I like your idea of a net bag to keep clothes separate when sharing a washing machine.
I love using net bags in my backpack instead of waterproof sacks as I line my pack with a sturdy white trash compactor bag anyway. I use two net bags and buy them super cheap at Walmart. The beauty is that you can actually see the items you are looking for and the holes keep air out so they compress well.like your idea of a net bag to keep clothes separate when sharing a washing machine.
An interesting way of budgeting, but must work for you. Wonder what will happen if the zip breaks or your pants need washing. ...Good morning
This isn't about How much or how to calculate how much. It's a method I use so as not to end up in a hole with no way of paying for the next day's needs, and I was just wondering what other people do.
I have a method that involves two pockets and a hiding place for a usually frozen debit card (or two, depending on how long a trip and the perceived chance of loss)
If you are interested, read on. If not then find a more interesting post.
Once I have worked out my likely needs for the total trip, including all lodging, entry fees, food, wine, intermediate transport and a small buffer then I divide by the number of days that I expect to be away. I then pour a stiff drink and recalculate. If it comes out to a similar total then I either re-think the minimum comfort level or decide to do something else or go somewhere else. This works for all trips, not only CS.
Day one I allow double the average budget because there will always be something I have forgotten to bring, however many spreadsheets I have made. In fact, I have rather given up on complex calculations and tend to round off everything to an easy number. Same with packing. Replace anything completely wrecked or lost in the bag I brought back, washed, and replaced in bag from last time.
Using some made-up numbers here, don't want you to know how cheap I am.
Let's say I reckon on sixty euros or local equivalent per day then for day one that's 120 euros. Day two and subsequent days that will be sixty euros per day. I put 120 euros in my right pocket and zip it shut. Small notes, equal to ten euros per note if possible. Another five to ten days worth (or enough days to get me to the next border with a change of currency if this is a smaller number of days) goes in my left pocket, or more likely money belt really well tucked away depending on my perceived safety levels and likely ease of finding an ATM. Frozen preloaded debit card and an emergency cash reserve really well hidden, and an expired or otherwise cancelled card with the ready use cash in right pocket.
Day one I can spend what I find in my right pocket. I probably will have a fair bit left at the end of the day. In the morning I transfer sixty (average calculated spend) from left to right. After five days of doing this, spending from the right, topping up the same amount every day I count what I have in my right pocket. If before doing the left to right move I have sixty euros I congratulate myself on extreme cleverness and continue until I need to get some more cash to top up the left pocket via the debit card. If I have more than sixty euros I have a treat or become a bit more generous with the donativo that day. If less I shrug my shoulders and carry on.
Once the left pocket is nearly empty it's time to raid an ATM. This might happen a day or two early if they are a bit thin on the ground. So far it has always worked. If for any reason I have an empty pocket on the right then there should be some on the left. If I simply used a card for convenience then next day I transfer less from left to right.
Simple, flexible.
Now I would like to hear what others do, as all systems can be improved. I haven't done a poll, but if you think that could be fun then feel free.
great idea on sewing pockets inside your waistband. I will definitely do the same. Thanks for sharing. Fingers crossed for 2022!That is why I have sewn security pockets inside the waistband of our walking pants for passports and cash. The only thing we have lost in a taxi was my husbands prescription sunglasses- why on earth he put them down on seat I still can't imagine. At least he still had his regular glasses. A trip to the rastro in Madrid got him some clip-ons before we started to walk, but he missed those glasses.
If the clothes need washing then the money gets moved.... I don't do money launderingAn interesting way of budgeting, but must work for you. Wonder what will happen if the zip breaks or your pants need washing. ...
Love this!I don't do money laundering
I'm curious how holes keep air out. Let air out, I can see. But how do they prevent its return?I love using net bags in my backpack instead of waterproof sacks as I line my pack with a sturdy white trash compactor bag anyway. I use two net bags and buy them super cheap at Walmart. The beauty is that you can actually see the items you are looking for and the holes keep air out so they compress well.
I think that she means that there is no need to make an effort to expel the air the same way that you do with a zip lock because the air flows freely in and out.I'm curious how holes keep air out.
€30 a day with an extra €100 for the first and €100 for the last day. You need the extra €100s at the beginning and end for things forgotten, transportation, and just splurging. Skip the second breakfast stop, the afternoon beer, etc and I could have done it for less than €30. Don't forget that you are not spending the money you woud have spent at home. I would easily spend €30 a day at home on Starbucks, lunch, and gas.Good morning
This isn't about How much or how to calculate how much. It's a method I use so as not to end up in a hole with no way of paying for the next day's needs, and I was just wondering what other people do.
I have a method that involves two pockets and a hiding place for a usually frozen debit card (or two, depending on how long a trip and the perceived chance of loss)
If you are interested, read on. If not then find a more interesting post.
Once I have worked out my likely needs for the total trip, including all lodging, entry fees, food, wine, intermediate transport and a small buffer then I divide by the number of days that I expect to be away. I then pour a stiff drink and recalculate. If it comes out to a similar total then I either re-think the minimum comfort level or decide to do something else or go somewhere else. This works for all trips, not only CS.
Day one I allow double the average budget because there will always be something I have forgotten to bring, however many spreadsheets I have made. In fact, I have rather given up on complex calculations and tend to round off everything to an easy number. Same with packing. Replace anything completely wrecked or lost in the bag I brought back, washed, and replaced in bag from last time.
Using some made-up numbers here, don't want you to know how cheap I am.
Let's say I reckon on sixty euros or local equivalent per day then for day one that's 120 euros. Day two and subsequent days that will be sixty euros per day. I put 120 euros in my right pocket and zip it shut. Small notes, equal to ten euros per note if possible. Another five to ten days worth (or enough days to get me to the next border with a change of currency if this is a smaller number of days) goes in my left pocket, or more likely money belt really well tucked away depending on my perceived safety levels and likely ease of finding an ATM. Frozen preloaded debit card and an emergency cash reserve really well hidden, and an expired or otherwise cancelled card with the ready use cash in right pocket.
Day one I can spend what I find in my right pocket. I probably will have a fair bit left at the end of the day. In the morning I transfer sixty (average calculated spend) from left to right. After five days of doing this, spending from the right, topping up the same amount every day I count what I have in my right pocket. If before doing the left to right move I have sixty euros I congratulate myself on extreme cleverness and continue until I need to get some more cash to top up the left pocket via the debit card. If I have more than sixty euros I have a treat or become a bit more generous with the donativo that day. If less I shrug my shoulders and carry on.
Once the left pocket is nearly empty it's time to raid an ATM. This might happen a day or two early if they are a bit thin on the ground. So far it has always worked. If for any reason I have an empty pocket on the right then there should be some on the left. If I simply used a card for convenience then next day I transfer less from left to right.
Simple, flexible.
Now I would like to hear what others do, as all systems can be improved. I haven't done a poll, but if you think that could be fun then feel free.
Exactly. I roll the two bags and stuff them down in my backpack. I converted to this easy system after two camino's using dry bags. The holes don't matter as everything goes in the trash compactor bag that lines my pack anyway. The only thing I use a big ziplock bag for is my lightweight sleeping bag. I roll it up, stuff it in, sit on it to expel air, then zip it shut before I stand up. At night I leave nothing outside my backpack and roll up the top of the compactor bag with a clip.I think that she means that there is no need to make an effort to expel the air the same way that you do with a zip lock because the air flows freely in and out.
Does anyone know of a Canadian financial institution that does something similar?@Robo for Australian ING customers the benefits are the same as Swab - all atm fees refunded (all - regardless of the type of atm) and the exchange rate is without any markup from the daily Visa exchange rate. For overseas travel it’s terrific. The conditions are that you make regular monthly deposits and withdrawals - so they are trying to encourage customers to make it their day-to-day account. That’s the banks reward.
HeheIf the clothes need washing then the money gets moved.... I don't do money laundering. If the zip breaks then I'll find a solution probably involving duck tape...
We use cookies and similar technologies for the following purposes:
Do you accept cookies and these technologies?
We use cookies and similar technologies for the following purposes:
Do you accept cookies and these technologies?