Words and photo by Ava Sickler-Michaud, who studied abroad with ASA in Maastricht during Spring 2025.
After studying abroad in the Netherlands and traveling around Europe for five months, I’ve picked up some budgeting tips I wish I had known sooner.
1. PLAN YOUR MEALS AND GROCERY TRIPS. Although it can take a bit of adjustment to go from a college meal plan to cooking your own meals, it can also be nice after traveling to be able to make food for yourself and budget cheaper meals. Finding produce markets and cheaper grocery stores is the first step in reducing food costs. In the Netherlands, I would go to Aldi (the cheapest/most basic grocery store) for staple foods and then go to another, more expensive store to find specific things that Aldi doesn’t carry. Making a weekly meal plan for yourself can be helpful as it prevents overbuying or wasting food.
Photo: I got everything in this photo for under €5 at the weekly farmers' market in
Maastricht!
2. ASK IF STORES HAVE A STUDENT DISCOUNT. Many stores that I would not have assumed have student discounts offered one when asked. In the Netherlands, for example, most of the thrift stores offered a percentage off to students. It doesn’t hurt to ask!
3. TRAVEL CHEAPER. Aim to plan international trips at least two weeks in advance, but the sooner the better! Although it can be hard while figuring out your school schedule, the sooner you book plane tickets, the cheaper they are. I used Skyscanner to find cheap flights. For accommodations, hostels are always a good option, but in some places it can be the same price or even less (depending on how many people you split it with) to book
an Airbnb. When planning where you want to go, make sure to check the accommodation prices and transportation within the city before booking the tickets; sometimes places with cheaper flights are way more expensive once you get there. Another way to keep travel costs down is to go grocery shopping while traveling! It’s much cheaper to buy breakfast and even lunch at the grocery store than to go out to a restaurant for all three meals.
Photo: We had eaten snacks and food from the grocery store all day, and this was the one meal we went out for. It is also great to split a bunch of appetizers or tapas for dinner with someone, that way to get to try a lot of things while paying the same amount or less than one entree.
4. HAVE SET FINANCIAL LIMITS AND CHECK OFTEN. I gave myself a weekly/monthly budget and would check in to make sure I wasn’t going way over. I also separated this budget into categories, which helped me determine if I was overspending on travel, dining out, or something else. Sometimes it can be hard to realize that you may need to cut back on traveling for the month, but a budget with strict numbers can be the reminder you need.
5. GIVE YOURSELF AN EMERGENCY FUND. I recommend setting aside around $1,000 just in case of emergencies for things you cannot budget for. I had to use some of these funds for a very expensive Uber while traveling when the public transportation broke down, and we were worried about missing our flight. There are certain things you cannot predict, and with this buffer, you will feel less stressed about money.
Thanks, Ava!