Too Good To (Go) Be True?

Let’s talk about money. Not something I am ever keen to do but maybe this will be of interest, or some use, to others. Or maybe you have some insights for us.

We have set a pretty generous daily budget of £30 each, to cover all aspects of our day-to-day living. Food, board, entertainment, toilet roll etc. This average is intended to apply throughout our tour and we were fully aware that starting in Norway was going to stretch things. Hopefully, it’ll be realistic to stick to in the fullness of time. We’ve cut ourselves some slack by ignoring the first ten days or so, under the banner of ‘holiday’, which included some budget-busting public transport costs, and meals to say goodbye to some pals. I think it’s fair to say that transport costs beyond the pedalling bit might always remain as budget-busting, but that’s in part because we don’t intend using cheap flights (or any flights) to get us over the bits we can’t pedal across.

Over the past four days, we have tried hard to stick within our budget, despite being in Norway. This hasn’t been easy and funny things crop up that pose challenges, like the cost of a stamp for a postcard to the UK, or the costs of some tick repellent, because Beck Is A Tick Magnet! Nonetheless, we’ve had a half decent go at it. This has mainly been possible due to two aspects. Firstly, one we were already familiar with, wild camping. We love wild camping and it certainly helps us sleep better knowing that it’s legal in Norway (if not always that easy to find a suitable spot, so far) and the fact there are a few public toilets and shops en route to this point. This is likely to change as we head further north. Secondly, To Good To Go. This is a revelation to us and has slashed our food costs. Food isn’t cheap in Norway, which is fine if it’s based on a system that pays farmers properly and demands high food standards (I have no idea whether this is the case…). This does however pose an issue to the those on a budget who burn vastly more calories than normal due to their chosen mode of transport. So, we tried Too Good To Go. Essentially, we book a Surprise Bag of food from a baker or supermarket and then turn up at the designated time to see what’s in the bag. Invariably it’s mad amounts of food for the money.

Again, this will be harder to do as we go further north but we might also be able to use one of their ‘bigger deals’, where the Surprise Bags are even larger and more varied. We’ll have to carry food between wild camp spots by that point anyway…

We’re not being too hard on ourselves if we break the daily budget in Norway. We will generally pay the entrance fee to a lighthouse or similar. Touring for us is at least partly about exploring the things we come across, and sometimes that costs money.

If you have any tried and tested money saving cycle touring tips, we’d love to hear them. Please just comment below…