Matthew Benczkowski was an official CEA CAPA blogger for fall 2016, sharing his story in weekly posts on our blog. A molecular biology major at the University of Pittsburgh, he studied abroad in Sydney.
In this week's post, Matthew talks about eating and cooking on a budget, and free activities around Sydney.
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“The best things about Sydney are free: the sunshine’s free, and the harbour’s free, and the beach is free.” – Russell Crowe
When I’m not studying or doing homework, I constantly want to explore Sydney. I want to jam as much as I can do in the little time I have here and make it as cheap as possible. But Sydney is expensive, so even those traveling here really have to have a budget. There is plenty to do for free and learning to live on a budget can be easily adapted.
Because I live in an apartment, cooking meals daily is a necessity. Going out to eat for one person usually ranges between $15 and $40, but if you try spending that on every meal, you'll drain your bank account dry! Cooking here is quite simple. One thing I noticed since I have been here is that healthy foods are much cheaper than snack foods. There are three grocery stores nearby that are all very cheap, which are Woolworth’s, Aldi, and Cole’s. Each one has a different variety of products and prices. I usually spend about $20 each time I take a trip to the stores. Typically, you can get chicken, cereal, milk, eggs, bread, juice, produce and pasta for under $20! If you are feeling lazy, like I often do, Aldi has three frozen pizzas for only $6, and Cole’s has six made to order chicken wings for $2.50.
Photo: I promise I eat healthier than the receipt shows!
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