You Only Need 5 Euro A Day In Europe For Food
Saturday, June 13, 2009
2:40 PM
Warning: If you own an LV bag, stop reading now. This post is only for sensible people like me: Budget Travellers and proud of it.
You're in Paris, that beautiful romantic city, where peddlers sell you roses on the streets and couples smooch with carefree abandon. Everything's perfect - except for one thing. You only have 20 Euro in your pocket. And you really WANT to go to the Louvre.
"Cook!!! Cook? While I'm on holiday??? NO WAY!" If you think that way, you should of course stop reading right now. I mean, really, I wouldn't want to bore you with mundane trivialities. Really. There're so many other things you could do instead. Like shop for LV bags online.
Still reading? Great! I'm glad you chose the sensible path, because I have more tips to share!
For starters, you should always visit the nearest supermarket. They're a treasure trove of cheap food!
Choosing to cook allows you to have your little luxuries too! Ice cream + beer! Yum yum.
More reasons for you to carry a rice cooker in that backpack of yours:
1. It can be used to cook instant noodles – a staple diet for the Asian traveller.
Easy to pack and tastes much better than cup noodles. A simple 3-step process is all you need:
One - Pour water into rice cooker
Two - Press down the lever, close the lid
Three - Wait for the water to boil, then put in the noodles with seasoning.
For extra nutrition, add in eggs and vegetables.
2. It can be used to cook instant rice or risotto – very tasty and easy to cook.
3. It can be used to boil water for beverages
One recommended way to save money is to save on breakfast. And who says you can't choose?
1. 3-in-1 Milo
2. Cereal drinks
3. Breakfast bars
4. Biscuits
5. Any other thing that you can pack in that nifty bag of yours
Having your capuccino from the cafe may be tempting but would you really want to spend 2 euro on just a hot drink? Every day?
4. It can be used to cook hard-boiled or par-boiled eggs
Just put in the water as above with the eggs – wait for the water to boil, let it boil on for a while and voila! you have hard boiled eggs. For par-boiled eggs, just let the water boil first, then put in the eggs once it has boiled and unplug the electrical cord. Easy peasy.
5. It can be used to cook or warm-up soup
Instant soup is another option – either for breakfast or a quick dinner.
I am sure there are many other ways of using the rice cooker – maybe my next travel will inspire me! Supermarkets in Europe provide many different types of instant/pre-cooked/half-cooked food available. If there is a can-opener (sometimes provided in B&Bs), then the options are even wider.
You're in Paris, that beautiful romantic city, where peddlers sell you roses on the streets and couples smooch with carefree abandon. Everything's perfect - except for one thing. You only have 20 Euro in your pocket. And you really WANT to go to the Louvre.
Entrance fee to the Louvre = 8 Euro
Audio tour = 5 Euro
Balance = 7 Euro for two meals and the ride back to the hotel
Audio tour = 5 Euro
Balance = 7 Euro for two meals and the ride back to the hotel
Gasp! What could you possibly eat?
The answer of course lies in...
With this wickedly tiny shorter-than-a-milk-carton rice cooker weighing only 1kg, I have managed to survive on less than 5 euro a day. Eating out in Europe easily costs 12-15 euro for a sit-down meal! If there are two of you, that'll be 20 euro! That's like RM100 (exchange rate as of May 2009) FOR ONE MEAL!!!
My One-Litre Rice Cooker!
So, what do you do with the rice cooker?
You cook!
"Cook!!! Cook? While I'm on holiday??? NO WAY!" If you think that way, you should of course stop reading right now. I mean, really, I wouldn't want to bore you with mundane trivialities. Really. There're so many other things you could do instead. Like shop for LV bags online.
Still reading? Great! I'm glad you chose the sensible path, because I have more tips to share!
For starters, you should always visit the nearest supermarket. They're a treasure trove of cheap food!
Choosing to cook allows you to have your little luxuries too! Ice cream + beer! Yum yum.
More reasons for you to carry a rice cooker in that backpack of yours:
1. It can be used to cook instant noodles – a staple diet for the Asian traveller.
Easy to pack and tastes much better than cup noodles. A simple 3-step process is all you need:
One - Pour water into rice cooker
Two - Press down the lever, close the lid
Three - Wait for the water to boil, then put in the noodles with seasoning.
For extra nutrition, add in eggs and vegetables.
Tip: all supermarkets in Europe sell packed mixed salad / spinach – already washed and cut; other options include: sausage, chopped meat, roasted chicken meat, frozen seafood.
2. It can be used to cook instant rice or risotto – very tasty and easy to cook.
In London, I found packets of instant rice with various flavours, much like instant noodles. Similarly, add eggs or anything you desire – just let your imagination run wild, with the options available at the supermarket.
Risotto and salad with tuna
3. It can be used to boil water for beverages
One recommended way to save money is to save on breakfast. And who says you can't choose?
1. 3-in-1 Milo
2. Cereal drinks
3. Breakfast bars
4. Biscuits
5. Any other thing that you can pack in that nifty bag of yours
Having your capuccino from the cafe may be tempting but would you really want to spend 2 euro on just a hot drink? Every day?
Tip: Bring along a small flask that can double up as a mug. Hotels in Europe not only do NOT give you a kettle, there is also no mug or cup provided (except for plastic cups). The flask is also useful if you want to have a hot drink during the day when you are out sight-seeing.
4. It can be used to cook hard-boiled or par-boiled eggs
Just put in the water as above with the eggs – wait for the water to boil, let it boil on for a while and voila! you have hard boiled eggs. For par-boiled eggs, just let the water boil first, then put in the eggs once it has boiled and unplug the electrical cord. Easy peasy.
5. It can be used to cook or warm-up soup
Instant soup is another option – either for breakfast or a quick dinner.
*****
I am sure there are many other ways of using the rice cooker – maybe my next travel will inspire me! Supermarkets in Europe provide many different types of instant/pre-cooked/half-cooked food available. If there is a can-opener (sometimes provided in B&Bs), then the options are even wider.
*****
Oh, and don't forget your fork and spoon. But even if you happen to forget and suddenly remember it while cruising along at an altitude of 1000 feet above sea level, don't despair. Now, I'm not saying anything, but you know...some airlines provide stainless steel cutlery...
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