Year abroad moneysaving

immortaljaz

I didn't know if there was another thread on this (I did look) but I thought it might be useful - I certainly wish I'd thought of all these things before I embarked on my year out.

I know not everyone goes abroad but I think sandwich courses are becoming more and more attractive (and with the pound being quite weak at the moment) and more and more expensive.

So if anyone has any tips for saving, spending and earning?

I'll start off:

• If you're studying in a country where English is not the spoken language, get a TEFL (Teach English as a Foreign Language) qualification! It's very useful to find a job really quickly, and you can get paid up to £50/hour (although you're more likely to find something for £20-£30/hour)
• Get a nationwide account so you don't get charged to withdraw money.
• Get an ISIC card - it's an international student discount card (it worked in Russia so it works EVERYWHERE) which means you'll get discounts on food, museums etc etc
• Look out for local loyalty cards (as you would here.) Where I went on my year abroad (Moscow) I bought a loyalty card for a supermarket for the equivalent of 50p, which gave me 20% off goods that were already on promotion - and entitled me to extra promotions.
• Eat seasonally (as you would here.)
• Don't go to worldwide chains of restuarants - they are usually tonnes more expensive.
• Consider travelling there by train/coach/boat if you can to avoid high cost flights.
• Invest in a Skype number - mobile communication is veeery expensive, and it's unlikely you'll have a landline. If you get skype, try and arrange a time to speak to family/friends at home online through it for free. Failing that, for about £6/year you can get your own dedicated number that costs them the same to call as a local landline, and you can call them for about 3p/min.
• Research your travel insurance early - and don't go with the one your uni will probably advise you to go with. They're being paid to say it.
• Bring travel sized toiletries on the way there to cut down on baggage weight - and don't bring any home!!!
• Not very ethical - but I bought a wardrobe of clothes from Primark and left it there to try and avoid excess baggage - 20kg for 10 months in a place was not cool.
• Don't go shopping for touristy souvenirs for friends/family until you know the langauge well, or someone who does. You'll save a bundle by pretending to be a local.
• Don't book tickets for events online - or go to the venue if they seem a bit pricey. Check out a local ticket office to see whether the locals get a cheaper rate.
• Really push for your student discounts. You might be intimidated by a language barrier but if you'd ask for a discount in every shop here - do it there. In fact, make sure you know how to ask for one before you get there!!!

That's all for now. I hope that these help.

xxxx

kimmoss88

This is great, I'm going on a year abroad next year as a part of my course (Modern Languages) and if anybody else has any tips, it would be greatly appreciated.

leyo

I just did my year abroad!

Tips:

Find out from your LEA if you can claim back any expenses from them. They often pay for flights, jabs and medical insurance.

Already mentioned, but beware of excess baggage. It's expensive (easily causing you £100 bill at the airport) and a pain in the butt to carry. Stock up when you arrive at your destination and leave things behind. Be tough with yourself. You'd be surprised what you can live without. I took 20kg with me and lived perfectly happily, although when I go to uni I take everything but the kitchen sink ...

All those knick knacks you bought and want to remember your year abroad by: get them shipped home in a box. Slow shipping as opposed to air freight can be a lot cheaper even if it takes a couple of months.

Pick a country where the cost of living is lower than the UK! This will make your extra year abroad loan go further.

Look into interesting ways of reaching your destination. I spent my year abroad in Damascus, with return flights usually costing at least £350. But an Easyjet flight to Istanbul is only £30 one way, and there are several cheap ways of going by train/bus/plane/combination of all of the above to do the rest of the trip for £30 or less. And yes, I did blow that saving on 4 days in Istanbul on the way -- but hey, free holiday!

Have fun.

leyo

Also do your homework on airlines. Small national carriers can be pretty cheap even if they don't have shiny websites and simple booking systems.

3plus1

immortaljaz wrote: »

* If you're studying in a country where English is not the spoken language, get a TEFL (Teach English as a Foreign Language) qualification! It's very useful to find a job really quickly, and you can get paid up to £50/hour (although you're more likely to find something for £20-£30/hour)

I worked in France as a language assistant and studied in Italy at a language centre. £50 an hour for teaching English sounds downright unrealistic to me - in which country did you earn this rate? In order to command a premium, you need to have a proper TEFL qualification, i.e. a CELTA or a CertTESOL. If you're serious about teaching English, avoid the cheaper courses like the plague as they won't add any value. They're not recognised. You'll also need to have teaching experience, so you may get caught in a catch 22.

A couple of tips for students going to France...

1. Claim housing benefit asap. I lived in a studio in a foyer and my rent only came to €60 a month after benefits were taken into account. From personal experience, I think that those who work full time are entitled to more housing benefit than those who study, i.e. Eramus students. Ignore anyone who says you're not entitled - you are. Make sure you claim your money from the CAF asap as it takes time for claims to be processed and they may demand extra paperwork off you if you're unlucky.

2. Avoid going to hospital in an ambulance, especially on a Sunday. An E111 card or whatever it's called these days, entitles you to the same medical care as a French citizen. The French don't have an NHS; they pay for everything through the nose. So will you. That's what you're entitled to. An ambulance on a Sunday costs double.

3. Glare down drivers to cross the road. It's about confidence. Also, always stay alert. A friend of mine got hit by a French driver in the middle of a zebra crossing. She then received a bill from the hospital that treated her, even though it wasn't her bloody fault she got hit by a car.

4. If you're not an Erasmus student for a whole academic year, you will still have to pay tutition fees back home. Don't expect any support for the privilege: you're on your own for the year abroad. Really. Your tutors will abandon you, so start that year abroad essay asap so you have time to fix the problems yourself.

5. Pick up a supermarket loyalty card from your local supermarket and hypermarche. Shop at the hypermarche where possible. Take home those reusable bags made from kite material - you can't buy them in the UK. The French 'bags for life' are infinitely better than the British kind. You'll thank yourself later.

6. If you're a girl, wear a wedding ring and carry a photograph in your wallet of a violent looking thug who you can claim is your husband and who will beat up anyone who stares at you. Memorise this lie and repeat it when asked if you have a boyfriend. Never play along. French men either don't give a toss about you, or fall madly in love with you. Avoid pining French men like the plague. They will stalk you. It gets really annoying. And is slightly dangerous.

7. Get a young person's railcard! Well, a carte 12-25, if that's what it's still called. And get it straight away. You can save up to 50% off already super cheap train fares. For trips in advance, buy a Prem. It's a non refundable ticket, but it's bloody cheap. Appreciate French trains when you're in France. You'll miss them when you come back to Britain.

8. If you run into problems and you're not working as an assistant(e), i.e. you don't know anyone who will fight your corner for you, find your local BIJ and get them involved. They're usually really really helpful. There's one in every postcode. Free internet access available too, usually.

9. When you are opening a bank account, make clear you want a CB rather than a cash card, or that's what you'll get. A carte bleu is a debit card. A cash card is useless. I banked with Credit Mutuel and I would recommend them. However, from talking to friends, your banking experience will not depend so much on the bank you go with, but the location. It really does vary from town to town.

10. Investigate phone deals. I went with the Spot tarriff on Bouges and at the time, I received free phone calls for listening to a 30 second advert before connecting. Given how expensive mobiles in France are, that was a really good deal. Shop around.

leyo

2. Avoid going to hospital in an ambulance, especially on a Sunday. An E111 card or whatever it's called these days, entitles you to the same medical care as a French citizen. The French don't have an NHS; they pay for everything through the nose. So will you. That's what you're entitled to. An ambulance on a Sunday costs double.

It's called an EHIC: http://www.ehic.org/

Very important!