An interesting response to "How I feel about being poor"

I wrote a blog recently on how much people now-a-days think budgeting is the same thing as being poor. And its not. Just to clarify, the point of me writing this blog was to say yes i classify myself in the poor category, but its only because my budgeting method is to send my money away so i cant touch it therefore forcing myself to be poor. Im still not someone in true poverty. I still get to go on holidays. That's why i would like to feature this response i got to the post because its exactly the kind of thing i want to be able to tell my children when im older. That all the poverty was worth the journey.

Just thought I would let you know how much I enjoy reading your blogs, even the complaining/depressive ones!!! lol

This one reminds me of my second year at university - lived on 5 pounds a week/wrote everything down - rent 3 pounds, food 2 pounds - that was when one could get a meal at the Students Union for 3 shillings (there were 20 shillings in a pound) I cycled everywhere, and hitch-hiked home for weekends (no car at all) where, of course, I was fed for nothing!

   Out of my annual grant of 360 pounds, living on 5 pounds a week, I managed to save 120 pounds for a hitch-hiking trip around Europe with my sister. I lent her 60 pounds, which meant we both had equal money - 60 pounds each.

   We took the ferry to Zeebrugge in Belgium, and hitch-hiked through Belgium, Germany, Austra, to Vienna, We arrived at my sister's pen friend's mother's flat, JUST as Man was landing on the moon! (which we had no idea about, of course!)

   Anyway, from Vienna, we went through Hungary, Romania and Bulgaria (where my sister lost her gold watch!) to Istanbul, then down through Turkey, Rhodes, Crete, Athens, up through Greece to Igoumenitsa, where the ferry to Italy goes from. That is where I discovered about Greek ferry times - no one seemed to be able to tell us what time it would leave, so we just stayed on the beach, waiting for it/sleeping, until we saw it coming in! lol

   From there, it was Rome, Florence, Venice then home. We stayed in Youth Hostels, and slept on beaches.

It was fun. Pretty good, on 60 pounds, eh? (about 7 weeks, I think) There was a book going around then - "Europe on 5 dollars a day".

I really appreciate this story because being a traveller i can imagine the epic trip that would have been! And if there's any travellers reading, im sure you can too. Also if you've had experience with greek ferries you can empathise.

But my main thought was, 5 pounds!!! Damn inflation!!!