Cheap Travel, German Style

Spring is a upon us and soon, the streets will soon be teeming with tourists from far and wide, looking for a fun and adventure. If you would like to be one of them and are looking to stretch your limited budget, here's a few tips to bring down your transportation costs.

If you want to travel within Germany's borders with several accomplices, one of your cheapest options will be rail. One of the numerous discounts available through the national train service, DB Bahn, is the Bayern ticket, which allows multiple people to travel on the same ticket, throughout Bavaria. The more people that travel, the lower each person's ticket costs, with up to four people paying 8.75 euros per person. It also covers local transport, including buses. When my friends and I traveled to a tiny German town about three hours out of Munich for a Thanksgiving dinner in a countryside cabin, the Bayern ticket helped to bring the cost of travel and lodgings to less than 100 euros per person for a three day weekend.

Bayern baby! Photo: Ashley Lovell

And the savings that DB Bahn offers is not just limited to Bavaria. The company also has similar tickets for all parts of Germany and is currently running a special to many European cities, including Amsterdam, Paris, and Vienna, for just 39 euros. 

If trains are still a little too rich for your blood, the next cheap option is bus. 

Berlin's central bus station

Pictured is one of the many discount bus lines serving Germany, Meinfern Bus. Even if you need to book and travel on the same day, you can usually find cheap prices, like from Munich to Berlin for only 18 euros. Plus, there's free wifi on all their buses and snacks for sale, including beer, if you're unable to pick something up before you board. 

For bus travel out of Germany, I've had really good experiences with Eurolines. They also have free wifi on most of their buses, but they give you a free snack and bottle of water. The only draw back with them is you have actually print up your ticket, unlike Meinfern, which gives you the option of downloading a PDF of your ticket to your smart phone. 

When I wanted to travel to Copenhagen over the Christmas break and all flights were coming in at well over 100 euros, I used Meifern to get me from Munich to Berlin, and Eurolines to take me the rest of the way. I spent a full day traveling, but I only paid 30 euros doing it. 

Another bus option is Berlinlinien. They have prices that are similar to Eurolines when looking for international travel and low prices for trips within Germany. But for you to get the best rates, you will need to book your trip about seven days in advance. 

If buses and trains are still pushing you to the limits of your budget, your last option, that I know of, is a rideshare. If you can find people that are traveling in the same direction as your destination, you can offer to split the cost of gas with several other travelers. A great website you should checkout is Carpooling. Obviously, such a method has several drawbacks, the main one being that you are at the mercy of other people's schedules. You'll have to find people that are not only going where you're going, but they also have to be leaving when you want to leave. But if your dates are flexible and the savings that attractive, then go for it.

I will admit, all of these options will add significant time to your trip. Rather than spend more than twelve hours sitting on my butt when I went from Munich to Copenhagen, I gave myself an extended layover and spent the night with a friend in Berlin. But I love traveling and part of the adventure is actually getting to my destination. So a good soundtrack and plenty of treats were enough to keep me happy. And when you're in a position were every cent counts, I'd rather pay for my way in patience than cash. Happy travels!

Packing like a pro

This post was inspired by the countless articles that say they have the secret to traveling lightly by only using one carry-on bag for a three week trip. Honestly, I'm tired of the shannigans. Their secret is almost always some variation of "only take two shirts and one pair of pants and do laundry while you're there," to which I must respond, ew.

My main gripe with this method of only taking the bare essentials and buying or washing what you need once you get to your destination can end up being very expensive and frustrating. Things like sunscreen and moisturizer can be more costly in countries outside of the U.S. And if you're like me and have sensitive skin, do you really want to experiment with products when you can't even read the ingredient list? 

As for washing clothes, unless you're going to hand wash them, a laundry service can easily run more than $20. And don't count on finding a self-serve laundromat as my travels to London, Stockholm, and Glasgow have all shown that such services are on the steep decline and chances are, the city you visit may not even have one that is close to your accommodations. Hand washing presents it's own challenges since you will have to find a place to hang them (good luck if you're staying in a hostel) and wait for them to actually dry. Do you want to be stuck in the hotel when your only pair of trousers are dripping wet? 

Shopping may not even be an option, especially if you're visiting an Asian country and you are bigger that a U.S. size 2.

So now that I've said all the things that are wrong with this method, I think it's only fair that I suggest something that is more efficient. 

If you're only traveling for a few days, then sure, take the carry-on. That is what it was meant for. But if you're going to be on the road for at least two weeks, I say bite the bullet and check a bag. Before buying your ticket, see which airline will be the cheapest, including baggage fees. Most international flights will give you at least one bag (and usually booze) for free, so take advantage of it.

Now, if you're new to the world of travel, you're probably wondering which bag is best for you. I think few can go wrong with a rolling duffel bag with backpack straps. This is what my friend recommended when I did my first multi-country trip through Europe and it was the best advice I received.

I found this bag on Ebay when a gentleman sold two of them together for only $100. I gave the other one to my mom and she loved it when she took it with her to South Africa. It may look small, but it packs big, holding enough clothes for a three month, 4 country tour. The two large rubber wheels in the back makes it very maneuverable, even on the cobblestones of Europe. It has a large opening on the front, so I can reach what I need without having to rearrange everything inside. Plus, it has a ton of straps and handles, so you can grab it from just about any angle. 

As for carry-on luggage, you have plenty of wiggle room. I tend to go for bags that have either backpack traps or cross body straps, both of which leave my hands free to pull the larger bag. During my Oktoberfest tour, I picked up this lovely bag in Glasgow. After traveling for three months and buying gifts for family and friends, I needed an extra bag to transport all the goodies home

This bag has two main compartments, hidden backpack straps (are you noticing a theme), a removable cross body strap, and handle. It's also expandable, giving me a little extra room when I need it. This was 20 pounds at TK Maxx, which is pretty cheap for a Henry Cottons bag.

For an everyday bag to use at my destination, a vintage Dooney and Bourke saddlebag is perfect. It can hold a bottle of water, camera, and small book comfortably. Plus the inner pockets have zippers which keep my wallet, cash, and passport all nice and secure. I also found it on Ebay for the low price of $30. 

Me, my friend Nicki, and my trusty bag in Amsterdam

Aside from the backpack straps, an apparent theme is my love of Ebay. My adventures with used items have shown that you can save so much money by turning to this site in your hunt for high quality travel pieces. 

As you begin your search for the right piece (or pieces) of luggage, know that amassing a good collection is not an instantaneous process. It's taken me several years and many trips to know what works and what doesn't. So don't be afraid to start off slow with one piece at a time. The goal is to find things that you love and will stand the test of time. Happy travels!

Bucking the Trend

For the past two years, the fashion world has been assaulted by "tribal" prints and candy colored satchels. Anyone with a Pinterest account has undoubtedly seen numerous pins of oversized sweaters, tiny mini skirts, and second-skin leggings with Aztec inspired patterns coupled with the ubiquitous Cambridge satchel, or more recently, the new "it" bag by Celine . Nothing is wrong with this. However, the danger lies in following these (as well as other) trends and ending up with a wardrobe that looks dated. Sure those skinny jeans with ten different colors look great now, but will they still look good in 1-2 years when black is again the new black and you're one of the few people still sporting rainbow colored attire?

Part of the secret of building up a great wardrobe on a shoe string budget is the ability to pick pieces that are timeless. Individually or collectively, your garments should be able to blend into any decade and only stand out because of their fabulousness. For example, dark skinny jeans aren't going anywhere. Even if the fashion gods dictate a new age of acid wash bell bottoms, dark skinny jeans will always look good, as long as they are paired with the right accessories. 

So what is a person to do who wants to be both in style and timeless? My method has been to isolate the parts of the trend that works best for my personal style and incorporate them into my wardrobe. For instance, I love bold graphic prints and bright colors. But instead of purchasing several pairs of multi-colored leggings or skirts, I instead found an infinity scarf with a great pattern. The neutral colors allow the pattern to really stand out, but gives it enough versatility for me to be able to pair it with a black leather bomber jacket, a red vintage shirtwaist dress, or a pea green cashmere sweater. 

Likewise, the satchel will most likely fade in popularity and those stuck with such a bag may very well regret their purchase. I like the satchel primarily because of its structure; I'm a sucker for a bag that does not slouch under its own weight. But paying $100+ for such a season specific item is simply not an option. Instead, I found a vintage leather backpack that had the structure that I love in an iconic style. Popular since the 60's, the bag will look good several years from now. And as its age already demonstrates, the bag only gets better with time as the leather takes on a more weathered look. Plus, I found it in a vintage store for kun 240 DKK or about 34 euro. If you would like your own, Ebay has some from time to time. Just stay away from anything faux and look for small time sellers that have a few items to sell instead of the big ones from Asia. 

The only caveat to the "beware of fashion trends" advice is oxfords. I predict those things are here to stay so long as the economy is in the crapper and people are unable/ unwilling to buy shoes that are unpractical (I'm looking at you, 5" stilettos). Unlike ballet flats, a good pair will literally last you years, even with everyday use. A cobbler can fix up the heel when they start to wear and a good shoe polish can restore the leather to almost new. Plus, they have the comfort of sneakers with the sophistication of an old English gentleman. I am very, very fortunate that my mother bought this lovely pair for me when the cheap ones I bought from Old Navy literally fell apart. Of course she found them at New York's discount heaven, Century 21, for less than half of their normal retail price. For those of you in the UK or Germany who are unable to take a trip to New York just for discount shoes, TK Maxx  has a number of lovely brogues on sale, many for less than 50 pounds or euros. I'm a fan of the Bertie. Unfortunately, only the English site supports online sales, which means everyone else will have to actually go to TK Maxx for the shoes of their choice.

High Style, Low Cost Fashion

It the most wonderful time of the year

Oh my Lord, it is December 26th and for me, this is one of the high holy days of fashion. In the words of the great Martin Lawrence, "for 50% off, Jesus was born on the 26th." Last night, I checked some of my favorite online stores and many had already started their unbelievable markdowns. Even my favorite blog Jezebel got in on the action and listed some of the best sites that would give you the biggest bang for your money. But before you rush into any store and attempt to buy all the things, here's some advice: 

Use this as an opportunity to get the things you normally can't afford. The fashion hierarchy, from highest to lowest, is (generally speaking) coats > shoes > jeans and handbags > dresses > bras > sweaters > skirts > blouses. There are variations and you can always find exceptions to the rules, especially if you shop at fast fashion retailers like Forever 21, but this provides a general overview. Also, I included bras because for the busty gal, you'll have to pay for the support you need. Buying cheap in this category simply is not worth it. 

Now with the list in mind, evaluate your wardrobe and see what things are missing. This will help you to concentrate on the things you need instead of re-buying things you like. I.e., that black peplum shirt that is on sale for 25 euro is great, but not if you already have 15 black shirts and only one pair of jeans that are starting to fray in crotch due to chub rub. 

Another piece of pre-shopping advice is to concentrate on quality versus quantity. Style Digger has a great article about this, which I highly recommend. I think the biggest challenge for shoppers is knowing how to select quality pieces. At one point in time, a designer label was the guarantee of quality craftsmanship. Unfortunately, this is no longer the case and finding good pieces now takes a fair bit of effort. But it is not impossible, if you know what to look for. My mother studied fashion and one thing she taught me was to look at the print. On a well made garment, the print would continue across the seams, e.g, the stripes would match on both legs. On a cheap item, she said, "it looks like they just sewed two random pieces together." Additionally, I try to only buy natural fabrics. I sweat more than a menopausal woman, especially if I'm on my bike, so acrylic sweaters are not an option. I will grudgingly accept polyester, but that is only because it's almost impossible to shop vintage and avoid it. In my personal opinion, leather, wool, cotton, and silk just feel better than manmade materials. They allow my body to breathe which means that smells do not accumulate on them as fast and easily as something that works as a personal sauna. Not to mention, leather ages while plastic falls apart.

Now with these lessons out of the way, let's concentrate on the meat and potatoes of the discussion, sales!

Go For the Good Stuff

To piggyback off of my advice of going for quality versus quantity and use today to buy the things that are normally out of your price range, stay away from cheap stores and go to the more expensive ones. For instance, avoid H&M and head into Weekday. The jeans in the former run on average, about 100 DKK while the latter sells jeans for 450 DKK. But today, you can get a great pair for only 113 DKK. Also available at Weekday are these two lovely jackets. 

The first one breaks my rule of natural fabrics, but it's mostly wool and cute enough for me to ignore the viscose it contains. Both are only 250 DKK and available here and here.
Edited: It appears that the price on the first jacket was 250 DKK only on December26th. So forget that nonsense and only focus your energies on the black asymmetrical bomber jacket instead. 

If you are in need of jeans and crave something a little more high-fashion and you're in the New York area, I recommend getting thee ass down to the nearest Lucky Brand store. Their jeans are everything you could want in a pair of pants. They are slimming, comfortable, and make your butt look amazing. Right now, most of their jeans are on sale for less than $40, marked down from $100+. Check them out here. Lucky also sells lovely handbags and traditionally marks them down by 50%. Right now, this blue tote is selling for $84 instead of the normal sale price of $164. But if you don't mind yellow, you can get the same bag for only $62.49.

If you live in Denmark, things are little more complicated since everything in this country is SO.DAMN.EXPENSIVE. And if you find something that is "cheap", it is usually cheap quality. This is especially true for shoes. So if shoes are what you need, here are two options. The first choice, though it seems counter intuitive,is to take a trip to Magasin. Yes, it is expensive, but just like Irma, it too offers some deals. 

The above sneaker is currently on sale at Magasin for the low Danish price of 420 DKK. Sure, they're almost 500 DKK and barely qualify as cheap. But they are marked down from 1,400 DKK and are made of leather instead of polyurethane, meaning that they'll last much longer that the cheap versions on sale on Stroget. 

The second option is using the internet to access things beyond Denmark's borders. As long as you stay in the EU, you won't have to worry about paying VAT and often the shipping is less than what you would pay for in-store prices. Including shipping, the shoes below are still less than 300 DKK from Topshop. 

Here's a word of caution: It is extremely hard to judge the quality of shoes when buying online. Just as important as material content is comfort and usability. If something hurts, pinches, or chafes they're useless. Also, a pair of heels that are too high for everyday use is equally bad. A pair of shoes that you never wear is just a bunch of money wasted. So factor this in as well as the cost of return shipping before you punch in your credit card number.

ETA: It has just come to my attention that my favorite vintage store in Copenhagen, Second Love, is currently having a sale where most of the merchandise is 50% off.

Photo: cphtreasures.com

This is, hands down, one of the best shops in Copenhagen. Located at Dronningensgade 55 in Christianshavn, it's just a few steps away from the metro and offers a great assortment of hand picked items. I purchased a pair of black wool, high waisted capri pants there that garners numerous compliments every time I wear them. So take advantage of their sale and stock up on high quality, simply lovely, vintage winter items. 

The goal of today is not to buy any and everything. I think a smart strategy is to use the sales to acquire the clothing staples you need and fill in the holes of your wardrobe. Try to buy high quality items that will last you for several seasons. Once that is accomplished, you can then splurge on special flourishes to make your wardrobe unique. 

Hope this helps, happy shopping!

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The broke guide to Roskilde: Part 1

Photo: Denmark.dk

It's almost June and the days of Roskilde will soon be upon us. Here, I will present a strategy for reducing the cost of an eight day holiday filled with debauchery and booze. 

The first step is the acquisition of a free ticket. The price of a festival pass is 1910kr + a delivery fee. So scoring a volunteer pass is the obvious way to save almost 2000kr. I stumbed upon this Facebook group which currently lists volunteer opportunities for tower guards for this year's festival. 

Update: Since writing this article, it has come to my attention that the Facebook group listed above asks for a 1000kr deposit. That is bullshit. I, nor any of my friends have ever paid for the opportunity of working for free and you shouldn't either. Sure, they say the money will be returned and I suspect they are employing a "paid" system to reduce the number of people that only collect their volunteer bracelet, but never work their shifts. However, 1000kr is not a small amount of money and the amount of time it will take for that money to be returned is unknown. You are free to make the choice that you think is best for you. But I would not pay to work one of the worst positions available at Roskilde, especially since this is the first time I've heard of any position requiring a substantial monetary investment.   

But the website for The Ranch is much more rewarding as they are currently recruiting workers to work the food stall. But don't procrastinate as there are only 5 days left to sign up with them.

Roskilde is one of the largest festivals in Northern Europe and it is predominately run by volunteers. This means there are hundreds of positions to fill, ranging from campsite security to ticket seller. I was lucky enough to work at one of the bars and can say it is the best position to have, especially if you enjoy meeting new people. There are numerous cost saving benefits each job comes with and you should weigh them when presented with several volunteer opportunities. 

Most positions will allow access to the worker's area. Here, volunteers can enjoy a free cup of coffee, phone charging, and storage. But the best part are the free "hot" showers. They're only hot if you go early in the morning when most are sleeping off hangovers. But they're free so no one complains. There's also free messages, but after two years of attempts, I have never had one and cannot confirm their existence. 

Some positions will also include meal vouchers and drink tickets. These are usually given to those working in bars or food stalls (this is why they are best jobs). The meal vouchers are limited to a few options, but they are all pretty tasty. To get the greatest value, save them for the higher-priced places like burger joints and the Roskilde staple, Thai Lanna.

As the festival gets closer and businesses scramble to find find workers, more and more advertisements for volunteers will pop up. Pay attention to message boards around university campuses if you're still looking for a job. Another strategy is contacting the businesses directly and ask if they are in need of additional help. Visit the official festival page to see which business will have a presence there and then email them. Yes this is forward and a bit aggressive, but should pay off. Most of the best positions are advertised through word-of-mouth. So this is the only way you'll find out about them if key players are not a part of your network.

In the next part, I'll discuss the things you should do before and during the festival to save some kroner, including meal plans, travel tickets, and supplies. Happy Roskilde!

Adventures in selling: The loppemarked at Cafe Retro

In an effort to raise some cash and clear my closets of lovely, yet rarely worn items, I decided to sell some clothes at the flea market at Cafe Retro. Unlike the popular ones that largely take place outside, this one was indoors, required only a small fee of 70kr, and sellers can use the tables, chairs, and random nails of the cafe to display their items instead of having to bring their own wardrobe racks. 

I figured the low investment would yield maximum profits and estimated how much I could make if I sold most of my items. I packed my large red suitcase full of the clothes and shoes that I loved for years and made my way to city center, hopeful that each garment would find an owner that loved them as much as I did.

So imagine my disappointment when I arrived and the first words I hear while I'm setting up were, "if it's a nice day, we're not going to get anyone in here. And today is supposed to be really nice." Fuck!

True to the speaker's words, a grand total of 20 people came, and three of them were my friends who came to show support. There would have been one more, but she went to the wrong location and brought a supportive latte to the Cafe Retro in Nørrebro (hi Sarah).

Don't we look busy?

To make matters worse, it was freaking hot. So hot that I actually fell asleep in my overstuffed chair. Also, my boyfriend pointed out that it was the end of the month, meaning that few people had cash that they would want to part with. 

The absolute worst part of the whole experience is the feeling of rejection when people don't want to buy the things that you think are great. I once told a worker at a dry cleaner that I loved my clothes the way people loved their children. And meant it. So I was saddened when the few people that did make their way to my section just looked and walked away without even trying something on. 

How can you not love a yellow suede dress?

I'm a chubby gal with a bountiful bosom and when another seller said that my DKNY coat was beautiful but that she would be swimming in it, I felt like Fatty McFatterson trying to sell a bunch of Walmart styled muumuus. My spirits were lifted when a woman whose cups also runneth over picked up a semi sheer black dress with white embroidery (shown in the first picture). But then hers were crushed when it became apparent that she had too much for the fabric to contain. 

In the end, I sold one dress for 40kr. And bought a Kelly styled handbag for 25. Add to that, the 70kr fee and I made a net loss of 55kr, more if you include transportation costs.

But all hope is not lost. I also signed up for the flea market at Studenterhuset which is much more popular. It's prime location near Stroget means that it sees much more foot traffic than Cafe Retro which is located on a side street close to Parliament. So wish me luck with this one. I'll be bringing a few more random items, including Roskilde supplies and some electronics. If anyone is interested in checking it out, details are available on Facebook. 

Survival Tip: Where the bargains are

Living in Denmark means that after rent, your greatest expense is food. And with fast food staples like McDonalds and KFC costing upwards of 100kr per meal, eating out everyday is simply not an option. But even if you try to eat in to save some cash, the price of groceries can vary widely. 

When I lived in Ørestad, the nearest shops were Bilka and DøgnNetto. Both seem like descent places to shop when you have nothing to compare it to. But Bilka is like the Costco of Denmark, only offering deals when you buy in bulk. Those ten, 500 gram bags of frozen vegetables for only 10kr each sounded like a great bargain. That was, until you got home and realized that your freezer can only hold 5 and there's no way you're going to eat the rest before they go bad. And you pay for the convenience of DøgnNetto's later opening hours with significantly higher prices.

Only when I moved to a more populated area that had several stores to choose from, including (normal) Netto, Rema 1000, Fotex, Fakta, and Irma did I realize how much I was being overcharged by living in a food desert. So here are two things I learned that helped to significantly reduce my grocery bill:

Reconnaissance

Like I said, prices vary from store to store and even week to week. So make use of the circulars that get stuffed into your mailbox.

Tilbuds are like my women's magazines, difference being, they offer information that helps instead of hurts my self-worth. I actually get excited when I see the shiny paper sticking out from the black boxes in my hallway. 

Did you know that the price of broccoli can be anywhere from 5kr to 12kr per head? Or that Netto and Fotex sometimes sells delicious Lurpak butter for only 10kr instead of 20kr? If you only stick to one store out of brand loyalty, you'll miss the amazing bargains offered elsewhere. Not to mention, stores like Aldi and Rema 1000 often sell non-food items, like name brand smart phones, for rock bottom prices. And this leads to my second recommendation,

Know your stores

Last week, Aldi (I think, but I'm not sure since I threw out my circular) was a selling a gigantic portable speaker system that was mp3 player compatible for only 300kr. For those planning on attending Roskilde, such an item would have been perfect. But how many of you would have thought to get your Roskilde supplies from Aldi or even Rema 1000 instead of Silvan? 

When the phone my friend gave me started to die (thanks Tandi), the first place I looked was NOT Elgiganten or any of the similar electronic or phone stores. I went to Bilka and bought an unlocked Samsung Galaxy mini for 500kr. Experience taught me that Bilka, Aldi, and sometimes Rema 1000 would sell phones at prices that rivaled those of American online retailers, minus shipping & handling. 

Knowing your stores means familiarizing yourself with their inventories and pricing schedules. For example, I stayed away from Irma for a long time since I assumed they were out of my price range. And they are, for the most part. But I've found that they are often cheaper than Netto or Fakta when it comes to certain produce. Their running price on avocados is 24kr for a bag of six. And the avocados usually range in ripeness, giving a few to use now, and a few that will ripen over the next few days. Plus, if you're lucky, you can find a sale on rotisserie chicken. 

Items in this picture appear much larger on my table

Depending on the day of the week, Irma will sell quarter chickens, two for 30kr. Stay away from the legs and go for the breasts. Each piece is almost one full breast and a wing, yielding enough meat for two servings per piece. Sure, you'll pay more than if you were to buy frozen chicken, but do you want to wait 20-30 minutes for it to cook?

One final word of caution. Just like I wrongly assumed that everything in Irma was ridiculously expensive, do not make the mistake of assuming the little ethnic shops will always be cheaper. I noticed the Middle Eastern grocer nearest me will change their prices, depending on the season (normal) and day of the month (not normal). Their prices are the highest at the beginning of the month, when most Danes receive their salary or government benefits, and lowest when people have the least amount of money. This contrasts with the habit of most stores offering deals at the beginning of the month, to lure customers in. 

Hope these tips help, Happy Shopping!