How heavy does my wallet have to be?
Posted by Andre Sabourin 9 years 2 months ago
Excluding the program's fees, how much cash should I put aside for this trip? I'm new to volunteering, and I imagine there are several expenses I haven't accounted for. Thanks very much!
Answers
I did the Middle East: Behind the Headlines in summer of 2015 (do it!), and I was definitely on a budget.
One thing that's great is that you are paying for the majority of your expenses prior to leaving so you don't have to stress so much about cash once you get on that plane...
That being said, it really depends on your lifestyle and how much of a nightlife you want. Most nights I was busy or too tired to even really consider going out (and this is coming from someone who has kind of lived in bars in the past).
So, dependent on where you're going, I wouldn't plan on needing a huge chunk of change or anything. Again, I was in Israel which is definitely the most expensive country to volunteer in on the OG list. I think it could be done for as little as 250 USD, but maybe plan on 500 so you don't really have to scrutinize over whether or not you can afford a coffee or beer.
Now, don't forget that with OG you do have that week of independent travel which can be done for super cheap if you need to, but most people in my program wanted to take advantage of the Greek isles or Jordan, etc. So that is another beast in and of itself.
Hope this helps.
I did the Middle East: Behind the Headlines in summer of 2015 (do it!), and I was definitely on a budget.
One thing that's great is that you are paying for the majority of your expenses prior to leaving so you don't have to stress so much about cash once you get on that plane...
That being said, it really depends on your lifestyle and how much of a nightlife you want. Most nights I was busy or too tired to even really consider going out (and this is coming from someone who has kind of lived in bars in the past).
So, dependent on where you're going, I wouldn't plan on needing a huge chunk of change or anything. Again, I was in Israel which is definitely the most expensive country to volunteer in on the OG list. I think it could be done for as little as 250 USD, but maybe plan on 500 so you don't really have to scrutinize over whether or not you can afford a coffee or beer.
Now, don't forget that with OG you do have that week of independent travel which can be done for super cheap if you need to, but most people in my program wanted to take advantage of the Greek isles or Jordan, etc. So that is another beast in and of itself.
Hope this helps.