Money help! Two months south india

ZoeD

Ok so having brought my flights to mumbai on the little money i have i was planning to go on the money i get from selling my car - bad news my car is unsellable (bit of a shock), so am missing £500 from my budget- but obviously have to go!

Im going in july for 2 months (starting in mumbai heading to trivadrum - i prefer slower travelling), i will probably have about £800 by the time i go, but will need this to pay for insurance/vacinations -£100 for hep B a little scary/anti-malerials/visa and costs whilst there so not that much.

I am crazy, is this possible?

Im travelling round goa and kerala mainly - monsoon season so im hoping i will be able to get things on the cheap (can i?)

Also am travelling with my partner - will this make things cheaper for us (than if we were travelling seperately)
I should add im planning to volunteer for a month (BMG, donating £150 for my time there, inculdes food and board)

Any advice would be much appriciated?

Also in terms of vacination should i bother with anti-malerials for this itinery?

Hal

So about £10 a day? It's possible if you travel on sleeper class trains and choose basic accomodation and meals.

OceanTragic

Firstly, welcome to IndiaMike
Next, you have included the cost of the visa haven't you? Have you got your visa yet?

I don't suppose you know anyone who's just about to buy a new car do you? If so, get them to trade in your car for the Government's current £2000 scrappage scheme. If this is possible you could do a deal and share half with them, that'll be £1000. Nice!

Don't forget that you'll be away for two months and if you were at home you'd spend £xxxx on petrol, £xxxx on food, £xxxx on going out or whatever. Effectively you won't be spending this in England so this should count towards your budget for India.

As Hal says, it's possible on your budget but don't plan to move around too much or eat/stay at fancy places.

One guy on here asked in £700 was okay for 5 weeks, three weeks in he'd only spent £300, here's the article.

This thread may also help: cost!(backpacking)

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ZoeD

sadly no one i know want to a buy a car, nevermind!

this plan only works if im earning (as i work to live, not work and save), as im in india i will be spending money im not earning!

im just going to go and... well make it work, i think haggling will be easier (for me) if i genuinely cant afford to pay any more.

Also with a one month pretty much costing £200 max i think it will be manageable.

OceanTragic

Nevermind. It was worth a shot.

Did you read the other threads? I think you'll be okay.

camelgirl

I don't know if you can do it or not and it does sound a bit crazy to plan such a big trip before you actually had your money in hand. I'm totally the opposite and don't even start planning until all my cash is in the bank! Even though you don't say it, you suggest you will be splitting everything with your partner. That should certainly save some money on hotels. But not for transport or food (which is quite inexpensive).

I think making a budget and sticking to it will be absolutely necessary. Unless someone will put money into your accounts if you run out, you could be in serious trouble without money in India (or most anywhere).

If you spend longer in a place you may be able to bargain for a lower rate. And you are going in the cheapest season & could get some very good deals.

Malaria meds are pills not a vaccine. You could get them once you are in India as they are much cheaper there. Just find out the type you want. You can't get Malarone in India.

You only have one month to deal with since you'll be spending a month as a volunteer, though you said you have to pay to volunteer

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steven_ber

How much money will your partner have? (so how much in total)

I'd search for feedback on the charity, you never know, you may find there are additional costs, and what happens if things don't work out with the charity, you could be running a really tight budget then.

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palerider

1 British pound is currently , with fluctuations, about 72 rupees, after you pay conversion etc.
So you have around 720 rupees a day.
That's not a huge amount, but I could live on it quite easily.
I was in Kerala last year at this time. The hotel was pretty nice, and the room cost me 200 rupees, 300 for a double. Food was about 200 per day, that's three meals, one of which was on the street.
That's still only three fifty. Local transport was about 100 per day. Sleeper class in trains is a little less than 1 rupee for 1 kilometre.
I think you'd be okay.
And I saw cheaper places. In Varanasi, my friends were staying in a small room for 80 rupees per day, In Jaipur, my room was 250.
The two Polish guys I was travelling with were spending 500 per day, coz it's all they had!!.
They never missed a meal, and ate pretty well. They considered a room to be somewhere to sleep and wash.
They were having a ball.

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OceanTragic

i meant to say that my vaccinations were all free, including hep b and for rajasthan i didnt need anti malarials but kerala is probably different

OceanTragic

calculation wise arent we talking about £800 less £150, for 4 weeks? if so that's £650, thats over £20 a day isnt it, after the visa has been paid for. Am i missing something?

ZoeD

so right, volunteering is free, but i want to give a 100euro donation for my time their (as my board and food is covered so this works out at about £3.3 a day). The NGO are definitely for real (and ive talked to pass volunteers), and im pretty sure everything will work out ok - i do have more money for an emergency (but if used will face serious problems completing my Msc at home), but i'll want to take trips during a few weekends so will need a bit more than that.

My boyfriend will also have around £800 to go, so once i take out the costs of volunteering and other things we'll have about £1100 - £1325 roughly to last both of us 4-5 weeks.

With vaccinations it depends on the doctors surgery, some charge for h b some don't - i shall find out on Thursday.
Yeah i was thinking buying malaria meds once out there (as mumbai is free from it anyway), or i could buy them online.

edwardseco

Basic food gets real basic after awhile (speaking as one who lived in a hostel)..

roopeeman

Let me just remind you that 10'000.-/month is considered a good wage in India! So with twice that amount per month you won't die!

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Wildhorse

A friend of mine lived on Rs. 12,000 per month for years (until not long ago, actually) AND even gave to charity regularly!
Basic accomodation, basic food, sleeper class travel... it can be done if you really want to or need to.