One of my biggest pet peeves is hearing volunteers lament that they don’t have “any money.” Some of this is probably due to people having to live on a budget for the first times in their lives, but most of it is largely due to irresponsibility and living outside one’s means. The point of Peace Corps is to live like a national of the countries that we’re assigned to. What does this mean? It means we get a salary on par with the average Albanian. We all know how money leads to inequalities, so getting similar amounts keeps things even (despite the fact that Albanians seem to think that Americans are all rich).
On a recent school trip to Croatia, I tried to explain to a colleague that I’m a volunteer and that it annoys me that people assume I have money. I can explain over and over again that I don’t get paid any more than they do or try to explain the intricacies of the education system in the US and all the debt I have, but it’s still outside some form of comprehension. This colleague actually told me that I’m not really a volunteer because I’m not here on “my own money.” Maybe so, but neither would any other college graduate be here if they had to pay for their volunteer service with their own money.
So here are a few tips, based on my observations:
1. Don’t leave site every weekend. To begin with, Peace Corps has a rule that we get 8 days out of our sites a month. Although it’s more than reasonable, it’s still not enough for many people. We are PCVs assigned to a specific site and aren’t here to spend two years traveling and partying in-country. Regular Albanians don’t spend their free time traveling (in fact, many people I know haven’t been to the places in Albania that I have) and that’s accounted for in the money we are given each month.
2. Don’t drink and/or smoke every weekend. Although cigarettes are an average of about $1.25 a pack, when you’re getting paid in Albanian Lek, you can really dig into your money fast. A pack a day habit will cut into roughly 18% of your monthly allowance. And although alcohol is cheap (and varies wildly in quality), it’s the same as with the cigarettes. Unfortunately, a common coping mechanism to the ups and downs, as well as a large social element of Peace Corps life revolves around drinking in excess and partying. And although we know that drinking is not the best way of combating depression and stress, it doesn’t stop people from trying.
3. Learn how to cook on your own instead of going to restaurants all the time.
4. Avoid the “European” grocery chains for your daily groceries. I remember the first time I went to EuroMax in Elbasan during training. It was like being in a regular grocery store again. Most Albanian dyqans, or stores, are small and stocked with basic items. Finding items outside the range of everyday items can be difficult and expensive. The western chain stores, while helpful in getting us some more obscure things, import from the west… and are priced accordingly. Conad actually brings everything from Italy, even the produce. Our budgets can’t accommodate constant shopping at these places.
5. Resist the urge for pets. When I first signed up for Peace Corps and found out that I’d be sent to Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan or Turkmenistan, I had this fantasy of getting a big dog for company and protection out there on some Central Asian steppe. And I probably would have done it, too. But it’s a completely different game here: cultural norms usually indicate an aversion to dogs. If you want to get a great reaction, tell an Albanian about the dogs that you keep in your house, in America, and you’ll probably get the typical click of disapproval. It’s not like you can really blame them, considering most dogs are rough ones that roam the street and eat on a diet of nothing but trash while their barks and fights can be heard in the distance at all hours of the night. I thought about getting a dog when I got here but the more I observed the culture I decided it was more of a hassle than a positive thing. That’s not even talking about the cost of feeding them. And it doesn’t just stop at dogs: cats also cost money which isn’t figured into our living allowance. Pets can give you their own brand of support and can help boost your morale. Petting a dog releases the wonder chemical oxytocin in both you and your pet, and dogs are recommended for humans suffering from all kinds of adverse conditions; including depression and social anxiety. Animals are not without their positives, but financing them is tricky.
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