Bulgaria on a Budget

Life in Sofia is getting real now. It's been just shy of a month since Christopher and I joined Matthew here in Bulgaria, and I wondered when the vacation feeling would end. Well...it hasn't, and that's the problem. Most people tend to spend💰spend💰spend💰while they're on vacation, right? Our family has to be reminded that we LIVE here now and along with all the other adulting responsibilities - we must stick to our budget! So I sat down this past week and itemized our plan to keep us traveling. Here's a small sneak peek:

The budget that keeps us traveling!

Some challenges you may face while living in another country is the dual currency. We keep American bank accounts in US dollars but have Bulgarian bills in Lev, so we keep track of both and how much is being spent in each currency. We are average folks with average bills, but you'll probably notice our grocery bill. We. Love. To. Eat. This does include grocery shopping and dining out, so just food in general. It's fluffed a little to give us some wiggle room. 😏

I have found that grocery shopping in Bulgaria is VERY different than the US. Currently, I am surrounded by three small grocery markets all within walking distance, and one of them is open 24 hours!

Today, I am shopping at the Lidl (pronounced "Little) and thought I would share the experience with you through pictures and video. This particular mart is incredibly small and lacks a lot of options, so I'll have to supplement my shopping at the 24-Hour Mandarin Mart to find all my ingredients. Here are some conveniences and some difficulties when I am picking up the groceries for the day:

Fridge in Sofia

Fridge Size - Our Samsung refrigerator can hold MAX two days worth of food which means you end up shopping daily or every other day. Me - daily. It's kind of my gig right now while I'm not working. Because the fridge is so small, all of the food packages are appropriately sized to fit. It has made me realize how LARGE our food packaging is in the US. Just look at that tiny blue and white milk container on the door shelf. No gallon sizes here.

Fresh Sliced Bread - What's the best idea since sliced bread? How about slicing your own fresh-baked bread in the bakery section? This carb-o-load is sooooo soft & delicious with a crusty crust, but it doesn't last long on the counter. Bulgarian bread is not loaded with preservatives, so eat it up within a day or start preheating your oven for croutons.

Do they have this? - Before I shop each day, I make a list of ingredients that I need to prepare dinner. The difficulty is my Pinterest is loaded with American recipes, and frankly I can't find most of the required ingredients. Once I'm at the store, Google Lens comes out to translate labels for me. It's a really useful app for a person living in a foreign world. Tonight, I'm making a Bulgarian dish called The Princessa Sandwich, and it calls for Summer Savory (a piney herb used in a lot of Eastern European food). First problem: I've never heard of this herb much less used it, so finding it may be difficult. This particular open-face meat sandwich was cooked predominantly during the Communists years when money was tight and ground meat had to be stretched to make it feed a family for days. Perfect meal for a budget. Remember, I'm trying to travel Europe! 😜 Update: Summer Savory was upfront, center, and in English! Easiest ingredient I have found thus far.

Don't get scammed by the yogurt milk!

SOOO MUCH YOGURT! - Bulgaria is known for their world-renowned yogurt. It is served in many variations including the classic Bulgarian yogurt & cucumber soup,Таратор (Tarator). Now, I like yogurt. BUT, they next-level like it. Bulgarians drink it as a yogurt milk! Don't confuse yogurt milk for regular milk. Not so good in your Cheerios. Ask Matt.😂

1000g Nutella - Need I say more?

Check out & Get out - Vamos! The check out lines are quick-moving and reminiscent of the express line at Fry's (10 items or less) except everybody has 10 items or less because their fridge is so damn small. Once the cashier has scanned your items and you have paid, get out of the way. No bagger. Bag it yourself, but move aside and do it. Oh! And bring your own bag or buy a plastic recyclable bag for 0.29 bgn. Sounds like California! (I bring my own cause I'm cheap.) The Lidl has a built-in counter where you can move your items and take more time bagging your groceries. Before I realized the purpose of this counter, you should have seen me bagging like I was competing in the Olympics to beat the cashier. Talk about stressful! I'd have to do breathing exercises to control the anxiety. 🤣

Next week....we move into our new apartment! 😍 AND...I get a new grocery store to explore - BILLA. Yay for the joys of adulthood!