Semester Away Budget Spreadsheet

GEO has created this spreadsheet to provide you with prompts about the types of expenses you’ll want to be prepared for while abroad.

Here are some tips for ways you can get the information you need:

• Do a web search for average costs in your city. For example, “average weekly grocery bill Paris France.” Be sure to review the answers that pop up to see if they’re up-to-date and relevant for someone in your situation.
• For some, you can find exact costs on the web. For example, you can probably learn how much a metro card costs in your city on their website. In that example, a web search should lead you to the city’s public transportation website where you should find the information.
• Ask your program contact person.
• Ask other Wooster students who’ve studied in that place. Check with GEO if you’d like to know who’s gone to your city.

Be sure to write notes about your numbers – How much did you budget for alcohol? What non-program trips did you calculate for? Were you assuming you’d buy a pillow and sheets when you got there? These notes will help you know if your estimates were right – and whether, half way through, you need to tighten down your on your spending or can loosen up!

Save your spreadsheet somewhere you can easily access it while away. You might consider an additional tool for tracking your expenses – another spreadsheet or possibly a budgeting app like Fudget (free) or another.