“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”

– Mark Twain

This collection of our adventures, troubles and unforgettable experiences is for our friends, family and anyone interested in exploring the world on a college student’s budget. Enrolled as full time online students for the local community college we planned, we budgeted, left to Costa Rica for 4 months… and are paying for it with our financial aid. Almost everyone gets it, but what you do with it is your choice.

Click here to go to our first entry or scroll to the bottom of the page 🙂

https://outsourcingcollege.wordpress.com/2013/09/04/outsourcing-college-living-in-paradise-on-a-college-students-budget/

The Budget

Kayla’s award total (including-Bog Fee C, Cal Grant B, Pell Grant): $3,887.00

+ Josh’s award total (including- Bog Fee C, Pell Grant): $3,375.00

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$7,262.00

One time expenses:

Bus Ticket to Panama– Proof of onward travel after 90 days is mandatory to enter Costa Rica. We plan on going to Panama for a week in November and then returning to Costa Rica. This is necessary for us because we are staying for 4 months and have not yet purchased a return flight.

$159/each – $318 remaining funds: $6,944.00

Return Flight Home– We decided to budget a $1000 total for both of us.

$500/each – $1000

remaining funds: $5,944.00

Monthly expenses:

Rent– We put a maximum amount on how much we would pay for rent, $500. Why move to Costa Rica if you are going to pay more than in the United States? By the way, this is more than enough to find a 1 bedroom house to rent in Costa Rica that is fully furnished with appliances.

$250/each – $500 x 4 months = $2,000.00 remaining funds: $3,944.00

Transportation– In Costa Rica you can go almost anywhere in the country for less than $10 on a bus. Other than trips to visit other areas of the country, if you are living in most communities, you do not need a car. Taxis are also relatively cheap if necessary.

$30/each – $60 x 4 months = $240.00 remaining funds: $3,704.00

Food– Because we are living and cooking together we can cook very low budget meals on food from the farmers’ markets and local butcher shops.

$150/ each – $300 x 4 months = $1,200.00 remaining funds: $2,504.00

Extra Activities– Visiting other places, hostel stays, eating out, drinks, etc. We definitely made sure to plan for fun money. It’s easy to see beautiful places and do amazing things without spending a lot of money. There are hundreds of free beaches, waterfalls, hikes, and hostels where you can volunteer to work in exchange for stay.

$75/ each – $150 x 4 months = $600

remaining funds: $1,904.00

The remaining $1,904.00 is for emergencies, going over on the budget, etc. Always expect for at least one thing to go wrong. We have run into a few expensive incidents and lessons already. Luckily we also were able to bring a “safety net” of money outside of our financial aid that was previously saved.