Today's Way to Save Episode 6: Salvation in a Cup a.k.a. Cheap Coffee

Between my early morning classes, and all of the running around I've been doing, I have developed a special relationship with liquid caffeine in the form of frothy, delicious, creamy, smooth French coffee. Unfortunately, every good thing has a down-side, and the cost of espresso, café crème, and the occasional cappuccino splurge can add up quickly. To avoid this, I employ 3 methods:

1. Savor the CEA "Happy Hour": 

Every Monday at 7pm I can join my friends at Carrefour Bar for a complimentary drink grâce à CEA. Instead of opting for a delicious kir, I sip away my case of the Mondays with a frothy café crème even if it is a faux-pas after 11... 

Final Price: FREE

2. Make Nespresso à la maison:

If I wake up early enough, I can make an espresso or coffee using the Nespresso machine at home. The little capsules, similar to K-cups, come in many flavors and intensities, so it's easy to shake things up. Plus, I figured out that I can a) make an espresso by running the capsule once b) run the capsule through twice to make a coffee or c) mix in a huge glob of Nutella to make a fabulous mocha in about 35 seconds.

Final Price: About €0,20 per capsule, included in my complementary home-stay breakfast

3. For caffeine emergencies only:

If I feel excessively sleepy during the school day, and must make the choice between a nap or a coffee, I hit up the vending machine at the university. Though it's not barista quality, the cappuccinos are actually quite decent, and they come with a stirrer. Plus, the size is about that of an average café beverage here in France: think Dixie cup.

Final Price: €0,50 - €0,80 depending on which building I'm in

Conclusion: It is important to savor the little things in life and, with prices like these, I'm happy to savor coffee a little bit more.

Thanks for reading!

Today's Way to Save Episode 5: Discount Travel

Hi guys!

My spring break plans are well under way, so my friend and I have been doing a LOT of comparing and shopping around for economic travel options.

Plane and Bus Combination for 2 - €58 Per Person!

So far, we've created a 12-day round-trip adventure by through 5 major cities in 3 countries for only about €150 per person, using every discount bus, plane and train line imaginable. 

Our biggest allies: Rome2Rio, Ryanair, Ouigo, Eurolines and the web search "cheapest way to get from (insert place) to (insert place)"!

What are you doing for spring break this year?

Today's Way to Save Episode 4: Market Chai for Cheap!

Bonjour tout le monde!

Today, I'm excited to share with you a fantastic market-spice recipe for chai tea syrup! Making this at home can help you avoid paying café prices for chai lattés or pre-made mix. Here's how I went about it, and how you can do the same:

At Aix's 365-day market, and especially the tri-weekly "grand marché", there is usually at least one spice vendor, and tables for honey, fruit and veggies. All around, the prices for fresh, fragrant ingredients are extremely reasonable, even considering the exchange rate.

In your case, you may consider shopping a similar outdoor market, or visiting an ethnic store in your area. Bulk spices tend to run much cheaper than pre-packed ones (besides being fresher and more flavorful)!

My favorite part about Aix's market, next to practicing my French, is that every vendor is more or less willing to budge on prices with a little small talk. I was able to work out 2 delectably scented Madagascar vanilla beans for €1, and a mini-pot of local forest honey for €3 by just explaining what I was going to make with them.

In total, I bought everything I needed for around €12, including excess spices, tea, and more unrefined sugar than I will -ever- use in 3 months. Even if I don't make another batch, that's €0,60 per serving!

For tea, I used €2 Lipton vanilla flavored black tea from DIA. Granted, plain black tea would likely provide a more authentic chai flavor. For sugar, I used unrefined cane "cassonade" that is sold in small inexpensive bags all over Aix.

Also, I opted to add extra peppercorns during the second boil-down because my mix didn't smell spicy enough for my tastes. Feel free to be flexible and make your own special recipe! Here's mine:

Making this recipe with some my CEA friends was great fun, even though we didn't get to finish it the first time; the whole house smelled fantastic! The finished syrup tastes even better than it smells, mixed with warm or cold milk. I highly recommend you give it a try.

If you do, it won't last long! (Depending on how fast you can drink 20 lattés) ;)

What are your thoughts on chai? If you're a fan, would you ever attempt this recipe? Let me know in the comments!

Thanks for reading!

Today's Way to Save Episode 3: Student Discounts + Free Entry Days

Salut tout le monde,

Today I want to share a quick 2-part tip that is pretty common knowledge, but still good to note if you will be doing any traveling to touristy regions: 

1. Students often receive discounted fares or free entry into attractions, monuments and museums with a student visa and/or student i.d. 
2. Plus, some note-worthy sites are free all the time, or have "free days' where admission is open to the public

In Paris, for example, the Louvre is free on all Sundays,

Climbing the Arc de Triomphe is always free to Student Visa holders and people under 18,

and the Paris Catacombs have a special €4 fare for students!

There are many, many other free and discounted sites in Paris listed on the Parisinfo site, but I especially enjoyed the above attractions. Later in the semester, I'll have to visit some of the others!

What are your favorite discount hangouts?

Today's Way to Save Episode 2: Couchsurfing!

Bonjour tout le monde,

To keep this savings series rolling, I'm here to share my thoughts on Couchsurfing: the budget-friendly way to experience a new city like a local.

If you haven't heard of CS, it's an online community where travelers can connect with local "hosts" in the places they are traveling, who are willing to let them stay in their home free of charge. From my experience, hosts seem to be generous, pay-it-backward-and-forward kind of folks who understand the modern-day value of hospitality. Meeting new people is always on their to-do list, and they enjoy sharing what their region has to offer with like-minded travelers.

Without couchsurfing, I could have never seen Paris in such vivid, personal detail upon first arriving in France, nor would I have felt so welcome in New Brunswick last summer. Here's what I mean:

During my 4-day stay in Paris with fellow CEAer Ash, 2 different hosts helped us out: Samy, and Thibaut. Samy met me at the airport, helped me with my luggage and the metro, showed us around the city while he was free, and helped us get to the train station on our way out of town.

Thibaut, our host of 4 nights gave up his bedroom for us, made us to-see lists and directions, cooked for us, surprised us with famous desserts, and showed us around Paris's most noteworthy areas. He even taught me how to do "light painting" with his fancy camera equipment.

As is the couchsurfing way, BOTH of these guys took time out of their busy schedules to help us however they could, without asking for anything in return. They made our entire trip come together better than I could have ever imagined.

In addition to saving on lodging, AND on dining by cooking at the apartment, I feel like I gained much more during my time with my hosts than I would have at a hotel or hostel: notably, an insider perspective of what to do (and what not to do) in Paris, the chance to interact one-on-one with locals and to practice un petit peu de français, and the chance to rest up at the apartment when we were burned out without feeling estranged from the host culture!

Most importantly, I made irreplaceable friends with genuinely open and happy-go-lucky people who will always be welcome at my place...

So, all of that said, give couchsurfing a try! For me, it has been an absolute pleasure. As always, travel smart, let someone know where you'll be, and use some common sense. 

Tell me what you think of couchsurfing in the comments!

Today's Way to Save Episode 1: Haggling

Bonjour bonjour mes amis,

Today is the start of a brand new series here on a Tightwad Abroad, called "Today's Way to Save", where I'll be chatting about the quick ways that I've been stretching my hard-earned savings here in France!

I feel like a good place to start is with haggling: the precarious art of negotiating a lower price with a merchant.

On Paris's Pont des Arts, or Lover's Bridge, famous for the thousands of locks fastened to the chain link, vendors of sorts pedal padlocks to lovers hoping to 'lock in' a long-lasting relationship. Like many a Francophile, I wanted to immortalize my love for Matthew with our own cadenas de l'amour. But, after accidentally dropping a coin through the slats of the bridge into the Seine, I was not about to shell out €5! Thus, I tried my hand at negotiating with a hawker. It went a little like this (in French):

Me: "Pardon me, sir, how much for this blue lock?"

Him: "€5. Best price."

Me: "Hmm, too bad. I only have a few coins left."

Him: "How much?"

Me: "€3. Yep, here's all that I have.

Him: "I won't make any money, but I want you to have a lock. €3"

Me: *mini happy dance* "Thank you, good night!"

And voilà, I won my little lock. 

Haggling can also be applied to unofficial souvenir sellers most anywhere in the city; especially the ones asking, "moins cher?", "for cheaper?". HOWEVER: make sure to ask a local or online if haggling is acceptable and culturally appropriate wherever you are before trying yourself. Furthermore, make sure to have exact change to avoid wrecking your charade, and don't be afraid to ask low and work your way up. That's how haggling works. 

Note: Haggling won't always go as planned, but it is always worth a try, if for nothing more than practicing the target language. I misread a price tag at the Cours Mirabeau Christmas Market and embarrassingly offered a vendor €3 for a €50 hat! To be clear, the "0" was covered, but still, one of us had a good laugh.

Most importantly, just because you can buy something at a "better" price, doesn't mean you need to buy it! The most fool-proof method of saving money is not to buy anything at all.

I hope you enjoyed this wee little tidbit; I know I enjoyed writing it! Have you ever haggled for anything? Tell me in the comments!