european budget??

[jagmanx]

Aka

Well, we start off with some money in the bank. I check the account and if we've got the same or more at the end of each month = happiness. If we've got less..........then we've got less!

Pat

Mr Micawber ?

 

[Mick H]

We, generally take about £1000 worth of Euro's, for our trips on the continent, supplemented by using the Halifax Clarity card, for some larger purchases. We don't budget, just spend as we go, and it always seems to work, for us. We usually have more in the bank, when we return, than when we left the UK, 'cos I ain't buying things on Ebay, whilst we are away.

As regards France, we love it, probably not as much as Germany, but Spain & Portugal are also very nice, for motorhoming.

As a sausage lover, I too, haven't found any in France, to compare with the UK. Same, as regards cheese. Even the wine, that we like, isn't French, but "Vin de la Communaute Europeenne", purchased at French supermarkets, or others from Lidl/Aldi, in Germany, or Spain.

Apart from wine, I HAVE to have Cider. Although Brittany/Normandy have some very nice ciders, they too, don't compare with UK cider, so nowadays, I take my own UK cider, with me.

We would certainly miss travelling, within Europe, if circumstances prevented us from being able to. Vive La France.

 

[5andy]

In relation to budgeting, we clearly need to try harder. I don't write anything down but try to maintain an average spend of 50 Euro a day. I suspect we are close to 60
euro. I guess our approach would be similar to Pat, lol to have the same amount of money in the bank at the end of the month as we started with.

 

[spigot]

y
A rather mean outlook I think. " if you start counting the pennies you might as well give up " and how condescending. So if your not rich or have a huge pension that you can go do whatever you like with without having to worry then people should give up?????
It must be really nice to be in your super duper ivory tower looking down on us all that DO have to watch the pennies. Is this how people on this site actually think? Because I'm seeing it more and more on here. " the exchange rate don't matter to me " signatures showing that they have spent a small fortune on their camper as if it means anything . And as above if you have to budget then give up. Give up what? The camper , or if people are also watching their pennies and budgeting to just survive maybe they should give up too , maybe on life!

Hi Tezza,
Many thanks for your kind observations,
The fact is, I'm certainly not rich, far from it, I'm existing on a basic government pension, I don't have a posh motorhome like the example in your avatar, I drive a modest campervan which is showing it's age.I don't need money, as said before, I keep away from campsites & toll roads,buy food from markets etc.
We never eat out unless there's some mind blowing gastronomic experience on offer.
Even with my pathetic pension, there's more money in the bank when I return than when I left.
As said before, if you start worrying about a budget, you might as well give up.
Remember, this thread concerns a European trip, in the UK I am organising a budget.

 

[barryd]

Just get lost David alright!

You must know thats my favourite tipple (6.6% to be accurate). Rub it in why dont you!!

its now about a fiver for a pack of 4 330ml bottles here now.

You must have got two for the price of one there though surely.

Ah to be sat up a French Alp with a case of Leffe, some well matured Comte and a Brie de Meaux thats so ripe it runs off on its own.

 

[Tezza]

Hi Tezza,
Many thanks for your kind observations,
The fact is, I'm certainly not rich, far from it, I'm existing on a basic government pension, I don't have a posh motorhome like the example in your avatar, I drive a modest campervan which is showing it's age.I don't need money, as said before, I keep away from campsites & toll roads,buy food from markets etc.
We never eat out unless there's some mind blowing gastronomic experience on offer.
Even with my pathetic pension, there's more money in the bank when I return than when I left.
As said before, if you start worrying about a budget, you might as well give up.
Remember, this thread concerns a European trip, in the UK I am organising a budget.

My van is seventeen years old . And the only reason we could afford that is by coming in under budget for the last 5 years . And that is why we budget. At home and on each trip. So I'm not giving up . I don't have any income I don't work or have any benefits or pension so my bank balance ( I don't have a bank account) but my balance goes down every week of the year no matter where I am. So to make sure I can carry on doing what I do and for the time I want to do it means making sure I have the cash. I can either have 1 super duper no worry year or I can have a super decade by budgeting. I budget.

 

[spigot]

I have often wondered Why?,
Booze in French supermarkets is among the cheapest in Europe.
Yet the same drinks in the bars is the most expensive (Scandinavia excepted).

 

[1888]

In relation to budgeting, we clearly need to try harder. I don't write anything down but try to maintain an average spend of 50 Euro a day. I suspect we are close to 60
euro. I guess our approach would be similar to Pat, lol to have the same amount of money in the bank at the end of the month as we started with.

What is your budget for, just food? Mine has still to include food and drink, site fees, entertainment and entry fees to attractions and the odd occasion road tolls what i need to look into more for this year.

 

[David & Ann]

I have seen some figures on here which are pretty high. Here is my out lay over 90 days which I have been doing for over 50 years. 2016 outlay. 7000Km@9km to a litre= Fuel £710, Ferry crossing return £114. We are loaded up with dried foods before we leave, like sugar, tea bags, long life milk, juices butter/margarine, etc, etc... So all we buy every couple of bays is the fresh veg, meat is bought once every 10 days as we store a lot in the freezer. Rough estimate is about 5 Euros a day x 90= €450=£300 All in all roughly £1200 (being generous) As some folks say they save more of their pensions being away from home is a reality. in my case, I always look forward to holidays, always save more than you spend. I am on Goa at this minute for 90 days We save on everything at home as it is all turned off and we do not touch our pensions when abroad. So we have enough saved for the next trip. It is hard work being a Pensioner, believe it is.

 

[Ed on Toast]

Thank you, one and all.

What a fantastic thread, so much information, from so many perspectives.

In the autumn/winter of 2017, I intend to make my maiden trip South, following the migration routs of the Snowbirds

There are so many unknowns for me, ahead of my adventure and so threads like this are not only invaluable, with regards to information but also in building my excitement.

I am not one to eat in fancy restaurants, or mix with the haut monde, I am more the street food and chats with the hoi polloi, tbh.

Give me my Cadac, some fresh ingredients, palatable wine and above all good company, you will not find a happier chap.

If it is not a night for cooking, then give me a 'Schnellimbiss' or a Tapas-Crawl, with good company, rather than a a white linen table cloth and Silver Service any day of the week.

So in the autumn of 2017, as some of you fly South, take the occasional look in the rear view mirror, where objects might appear closer than they are but you might also catch a glimpse of Ed on Toast, in Southern migration stalking mode!

:nicethread:

 

[barryd]

I have often wondered Why?,
Booze in French supermarkets is among the cheapest in Europe.
Yet the same drinks in the bars is the most expensive (Scandinavia excepted).

Depends where and what you drink. Best thing to to do in a French bar is firstly find one off the tourist trail, sit at the bar rather than some far flung table outside with waiter service and just order a litre carafe of house white or red which will almost certainly be spot on. Will probably be less than ten euros. When you think a large glass of wine here is about six or seven quid and a pint about four quid its suddenly not that expensive.

Drinking beer in bars in France as Wint says if you drink like a boozy Brit downing ten pints can be pricey. Wines the way to go.

If you turf up at a beach or harbour side bar in St Tropez though expect to be ripped off.

 

[Ysbytymike]

See your based in Brittany David. Spent quite a bit of time in Argenton. Its a fab location and I'm hoping now that I have a camper van to be able to spend greater lengths of time out there in the future. We do have a dog which I'm uncertain as to what needs to be done to get him a passport. I was going to start a thread along these lines but I'll do a few searches first to see if this info has already been covered.

 

[1888]

See your based in Brittany David. Spent quite a bit of time in Argenton. Its a fab location and I'm hoping now that I have a camper van to be able to spend greater lengths of time out there in the future. We do have a dog which I'm uncertain as to what needs to be done to get him a passport. I was going to start a thread along these lines but I'll do a few searches first to see if this info has already been covered.

Get all your dogs Jabs up to date. You need a rabies one. All this needs to be done X amount of months before you travel. Your vet will keep you right and also should organise it all for you. They did for me anyway. Pet picture is optional.

On your return to UK you must get your dog a worming tablet at a vet and passport stamped. That has to be 24 hours before you travel and no longer than five days.

Cant remember price but my dogs jabs were not up to date and it cost me £100. The whole process of the passport was under four weeks.


EDIT: Forgot to say. Microchip is a must

 

[witzend]

Back to Budget surely you need to subtract what you,d have spent if you stayed at home our only extra expenditure really is fuel and ferry

 

[1888]

Back to Budget surely you need to subtract what you,d have spent if you stayed at home our only extra expenditure really is fuel and ferry

That is not in my daily budget. I do a rough calculation with miles and work out what i need in cash. Now i quit the fags they money pays for fuel and ferry. As for paying for the ferry i have been for years putting a £1 coin in a jar each day. This saves more than enough to get a return to Europe and who misses a £1 a day?

 

[REC]

Back to Budget surely you need to subtract what you,d have spent if you stayed at home our only extra expenditure really is fuel and ferry

Thats pretty much what we reckon, except ours is the tunnel and fuel. We dont budget but spend thriftily as at home. Save on heating and water at home and eat out in local cafes not posh restaurants. Also use a fair bit of tinned and dry food supplemented with fresh every few days. Usually we stay in the Barn in portugal for a month at least ..now THAT is VERY cheap....£150 a year for electric and council tax, free water and wood for heating, electric is minimal and solar supplemented and a bit of calor gas for cooking. When we travel back, we go the long way round via Spain, France in whichever direction we fancy, and take loads of wine (supplied in 5litre containers by the neighbours), BBQ a lot and wildcamp mostly except when we want to be luxurious and have proper showers and EHU which is once a week ish. We dont worry about budget exactly, its a norm for us to be a bit careful, and we just continue it. If we have spent a bit for a few days we just spend much less and eat in camper for the next few days. It works for us but I can appreciate it is necessary to be extra careful for people who are very limited budget! I do think it is possible to eat and drink on a lowish budget in any country as long as you use local produce and dont try and eat same as at home. Just adapt to fit the cheapest prices in country visited.

 

[Caz]

This all sounds a far cry from my trip 35 years ago when I budgeted £5 a day + ferry, which I recall was £26 return. Although I was on a motorbike which, IIRC, did about 75/80 to the gallon, so twice what my current van will do. I think we ate out every other day, cooking on a little Campingaz Bleuet stove the other days. We stayed on camp sites every night, of course, sleeping in a tent.

Just been looking at cost of Chunnel for my planned trip this year and it's coming out at over £250 return.

 

[IanH]

Our last 3 trips to France have worked out, amazingly, almost the same

Costs include:-

Door (here) back to door here
Ferries
Fuel
All food and drink
All site fees (when used)
Indeed..........................everything

Wife is of the Yorkshire persuasion where £5 is a vast sum of money......................so all receipts are kept and Euros spent accounted for

Amazingly, it works out at exactly £1 per mile (each trip was more or less the same!)

 

[Ed on Toast]

Thats pretty much what we reckon, except ours is the tunnel and fuel. We dont budget but spend thriftily as at home. Save on heating and water at home and eat out in local cafes not posh restaurants. Also use a fair bit of tinned and dry food supplemented with fresh every few days. Usually we stay in the Barn in portugal for a month at least ..now THAT is VERY cheap....£150 a year for electric and council tax, free water and wood for heating, electric is minimal and solar supplemented and a bit of calor gas for cooking. When we travel back, we go the long way round via Spain, France in whichever direction we fancy, and take loads of wine (supplied in 5litre containers by the neighbours), BBQ a lot and wildcamp mostly except when we want to be luxurious and have proper showers and EHU which is once a week ish. We dont worry about budget exactly, its a norm for us to be a bit careful, and we just continue it. If we have spent a bit for a few days we just spend much less and eat in camper for the next few days. It works for us but I can appreciate it is necessary to be extra careful for people who are very limited budget! I do think it is possible to eat and drink on a lowish budget in any country as long as you use local produce and dont try and eat same as at home. Just adapt to fit the cheapest prices in country visited.

Now that sounds like my ideal adventure

:bow:

 

[REC]

Now that sounds like my ideal adventure

:bow:

We are so lucky to have bought the barn derelict when the euro was high and we had time to renovate (ish) . The cost of utilities is ridiculous there...our council tax DROPPED from 45euro (year!) to 18.92 last year and the neighbours just said not to worry! Very limited "things" in the barn which motorhomers understand anyway...electric only up to 1kw for 4eur month. But its a great lifestyle and made us convert the van for travelling out there. Now got even more reason and time to go out and makes the perfect mix of travel and stay, for us anyway. Raelly scrimped round to acheive the original dream but in the end both the barn and van have saved us money living in UK!