That's Money Honey
/Bargain shopping is in my blood. It's like a sport for the women in my family. So it makes sense I'd love the budget part just as much as the travel. I'm a cheap ass.
I was raised by a single mother who had to be frugal for survival's sake. Don't get me wrong; I had a wonderful childhood. My mom was fantastic, our family was supportive, and I never went without. But money was tight, and us kids knew what was necessary and what was extra. Like grocery shopping was necessary, brand names though were extra. Haircuts, necessary. Going to a professional stylist? Extra (oh yes I got more than one perm at the college beauty school).
My bro and I at the fair, being very diplomatic. We wouldn't have dared ask mom for any fair food. We knew it was out of the question and she had plenty of PB&J's in her backpack.
As I grew up and had an income of my own, those budgeting skills were gold. I was fortunate to reach a point where I had enough to spend on extras. But every time I did this guilty voice in my head would say, 'don't waste your money on that!' I have to remind myself if I find value in something then the money is worth spending. I'm lucky to be financially sound and why not enrich life when I can by spending some dough, amirite?!
Still, I don't like spending money on something if I KNOW I can get it for less. The first trip I planned for Amsterdam was a balance between 'oh that has a value' and 'hold on, can I get it at a better price though?' First, I decided I wanted to go somewhere, scoured search engines (Kayak is my go-to) and set up airfare alerts for a bunch of destinations. (Hopper is an amazing app that watches fares and suggests the best time to book for the lowest price). Then when the fare was an 'OMG can't pass that up' price I bought a ticket, and there was no going back
Amsterdam
Ugh, take me back. I loved Amsterdam and fit in so well it was stupid. Since I look very Dutch, I got asked for directions a ton and one time I was able to point them the right way.
Going off season saves $$ plus I'm easily overwhelmed by crowds and enjoy visiting during less popular times like winter when it's colder than most people like. New York is cold too so if I have to bundle up why not do it somewhere new? I settled on December; it's at the beginning of winter when the weather is milder and Christmas is pretty big in the Netherlands which meant decorations, lights, seasonal markets and lots of gezellig (the Danish have hygge, and the Dutch have gezellig). Also, NYC during Christmas might be magical but working in Times Square throughout the season is a GD nightmare which makes it a perfect time to use that PTO.
Amsterdam Light Festival
The Amsterdam Light Festival (not the festival of lights like I kept saying - very different) is a display of artwork using light as the medium. Chosen designs are displayed along the canals in the city center. I didn't get to but a night cruise during the festival would be way cool.
Since I was going alone, I opted for a hostel room with Stayokay Vondelpark. I would use them again. It wasn't the most poppin' party place (no smoking), but it had everything I wanted at a great price. I opted for a private room with an en-suite bathroom because I find value in being alone at the end of the day and it was worth the extra cash for this introvert. As a larger lady, I'm also not keen to climb onto a top bunk in any of those dorm rooms. I did pull the mattress off the top bunk in my room (it accommodated up to two people) and doubled up for some extra cushioning. It helped a lot, those hostel mattresses are flimsy, and I have a lot of LBS that need cradling.
Breakfast was included, which I always prefer. Not only is it budget friendly but also gives extra motivation to wake up early and get going. I'm pretty sure it's technically against the rules, but I did pocket a few items each morning to have lunch later. And I was not the only one. I saw a lot of reusable containers come out at breakfast every morning and felt like I was underprepared with only my Ziploc baggies.
Included Breakfast
I mean come on, slices of bread, meat, and cheese? It was like they were trying to tell us to make a sandwich for later. And hard-boiled eggs and pears were perfect for on the go.
Since the budget was of the utmost importance on this trip, I got an I amsterdam city card. It included unlimited public transport for 96 hours, free or discounted entry into a ton of museums and a free canal cruise plus discounts to other restaurants all for a little over $100. There are options for 24, 48 or 72 hours at lower prices but since I was there for five days figured I'd go with the 96. Just be sure you pay attention to when your transit portion runs out and use your canal ride before it does. I was a dummy and thought the canal ride was part of the museum entries and didn't use it in time. I love going to museums and frankly hate going with other people unless they like to take their sweet ass time too. So all those included and discounted entries were a dream. I went to SO MANY.
Van Gogh's Paints & Palette
It was so freaking cool to see Van Gogh's actual palette and paints in person and I def got a little emotional. It was just so surreal.
- Rijksmuseum - obviously impressive. It's HUGE, and if you want to see a lot, you'll need a full day at least. The Hercules Segers exhibit was fascinating; I spent 2 hours just on that.
- Stedelijk - super funky modern art and a trip to walk around. Visit a coffeeshop beforehand if you really want to trip out if you know what I mean...
- Van Gogh Museum - incredible. Van Gogh is one of my faves, and it was delightful to see so many of his works.
- Dutch Resistance Museum - is a must see. It was tiny, so you could do it in a couple of hours time. It was full of stories about different ways the Dutch people resisted Nazi occupation, in whatever ways they could. Some were big organized groups while others were small individual acts. Walking through less than a month after the 2016 Presidential election, I was raw let me tell you. It was inspiring, and thought-provoking and I recommend stopping by if you can. One of my favorite things I did.
- Museum Ons' Lieve Heer op Solder - aka Our Lord in the Attic Museum - a very cool bit of history. It's a clandestine Catholic Church from when Catholicism was illegal in the Netherlands and preserved immaculately. Worth checking out regardless of being religious or not and a fascinating example of tolerance, something the Dutch do well.
- Rembrandt House Museum - cool but if I could do it again, I would have skipped it and spent more time at Rijksmuseum.
- Amsterdam Museum - an excellent way to get a grasp on the history of the city - informative and if you're a history buff you should go. It was one of the first museums I went to, and it set the scene really well for exploring the city the rest of my stay.
Religious Artwork
I laughed so hard at this cow at Rijksmuseum. He clearly thinks the virgin mother story is bs and I was living for it.
My entire trip to Amsterdam was pretty much just museums, smoking jays in coffeeshops and eating war fries on the street. And it was perfect. If you are supes thrifty, you can do an Amsterdam getaway on a very modest budget. The entire trip - flight, room, transportation, food, all of it - cost under $1,200. If you do go, be sure to get at least one freshly made stroopwafel (they are delicious & iconic), eat as many Flemish fries as possible (a million toppings to choose from but I recommend the war fries for sure) and have a blast!
