My estimated budget for travelling to the Missoula, MT in the United States of America from India is as follows:
Air fare -
Roundtrip airfare for flying out on May 13th and returning on July 15th is $1802
[Departure - Mumbai airport, Arrival - Missoula, MT via Seattle]
Lodging-
In Missoula, I plan to look for a modest motel till I can find a vacation rental or a temporary apartment on lease for the summer, when most university students are away. These details are available on missoulacraiglist.com under housing.
A stay at the Family Inn costs $64 a night or $384/week with a kitchenette [which could reduce my cost of food by not having to eat every meal outside].
On average, summer apartment listing as of May 4th, 2012 cost $300 - $400 per month which is far cheaper than staying in a motel. Apartments also come with a fully furnished and ready-to-use kitchen.
Food-
A week's groceries are worth $40 and include all meals. That comes to less than $6 a day for food. Although, I would want to experience the local cuisine and am estimating another $200 for eating out including the possibility of dining with potential sources while getting to know them better.
Transportation-
The best way to get around in Missoula is by car but in the summer, when I will be there, it is extremely convenient to use a bicycle. It's not a very large town and most places are within biking distance. The local bus service, Mountain Line, also has stops at some prominent places. Thankfully walking, biking or taking the bus are valid options in Missoula but I would like to consider keeping about $300 aside for days when I would need to rent a car and drive to places like Glacier or Yellowstone National Park. That, combined with the $30 for renting/buying a second hand bike and about $20 for bus rides, should total $350.
VISA-
The fee for processing a U.S. VISA is $160 for non-immigrant, non-petition based candidates.
Insurance-
This is an absolute must and luckily, there are some neat options for visitors to the U.S. Insubuy's Inbound U.S.A. visitor insurance, with a "$100 per injury and sickness deductible per person" plan for ages 19-29 costs $29 a month or $0.96 a day.
Cell Phone-
Options with getting a local phone range from finding someone you know that uses a network which covers a large range and adding a line to their plan temporarily, buying a cheap local phone with a local SIM card [At&T has a SIM card system], or buying a "burner" phone from a general store like Wal-Mart which comes with a limited plan and talk-time and is great for short-term use.
A few tips on this one - TMobile SIMS only work with unlocked triband GSM phones so unless my phone in India supports three bands of frequency, a TMobile SIM card will not work with my phone.
Some companies like AT&T also offer refurbished phones with pre-paid plans - which saves me the trouble and expense of buying a phone with a 2-year contract for $400.
Buying a burner costs $50, adding a line to someone's phone and then paying your own bill costs $20 + bill amount, and per minute plans start from a 10c per minute rate.
All in all, including some miscellaneous mishaps with phones, I'd allot $150 for this segment - this also includes monthly phone insurance [basic Verizon Wireless phone pay $6.99 a month for this insurance.]
Miscellaneous-
To be on the safer side, I'd add another $1000 to this area considering Missoula is not a very urban part of the country and things could crop up that I haven't accounted for.
Total: $4,470
Funding Source-
My potential sources for funding are:
The Fund for Environmental Journalism set-up and operated by the Society of Environmental Journalists, and
The South Asian Journalists Association - which offers scholarships for graduate work.
Air fare -
Roundtrip airfare for flying out on May 13th and returning on July 15th is $1802
[Departure - Mumbai airport, Arrival - Missoula, MT via Seattle]
Lodging-
In Missoula, I plan to look for a modest motel till I can find a vacation rental or a temporary apartment on lease for the summer, when most university students are away. These details are available on missoulacraiglist.com under housing.
A stay at the Family Inn costs $64 a night or $384/week with a kitchenette [which could reduce my cost of food by not having to eat every meal outside].
On average, summer apartment listing as of May 4th, 2012 cost $300 - $400 per month which is far cheaper than staying in a motel. Apartments also come with a fully furnished and ready-to-use kitchen.
Food-
A week's groceries are worth $40 and include all meals. That comes to less than $6 a day for food. Although, I would want to experience the local cuisine and am estimating another $200 for eating out including the possibility of dining with potential sources while getting to know them better.
Transportation-
The best way to get around in Missoula is by car but in the summer, when I will be there, it is extremely convenient to use a bicycle. It's not a very large town and most places are within biking distance. The local bus service, Mountain Line, also has stops at some prominent places. Thankfully walking, biking or taking the bus are valid options in Missoula but I would like to consider keeping about $300 aside for days when I would need to rent a car and drive to places like Glacier or Yellowstone National Park. That, combined with the $30 for renting/buying a second hand bike and about $20 for bus rides, should total $350.
VISA-
The fee for processing a U.S. VISA is $160 for non-immigrant, non-petition based candidates.
Insurance-
This is an absolute must and luckily, there are some neat options for visitors to the U.S. Insubuy's Inbound U.S.A. visitor insurance, with a "$100 per injury and sickness deductible per person" plan for ages 19-29 costs $29 a month or $0.96 a day.
Cell Phone-
Options with getting a local phone range from finding someone you know that uses a network which covers a large range and adding a line to their plan temporarily, buying a cheap local phone with a local SIM card [At&T has a SIM card system], or buying a "burner" phone from a general store like Wal-Mart which comes with a limited plan and talk-time and is great for short-term use.
A few tips on this one - TMobile SIMS only work with unlocked triband GSM phones so unless my phone in India supports three bands of frequency, a TMobile SIM card will not work with my phone.
Some companies like AT&T also offer refurbished phones with pre-paid plans - which saves me the trouble and expense of buying a phone with a 2-year contract for $400.
Buying a burner costs $50, adding a line to someone's phone and then paying your own bill costs $20 + bill amount, and per minute plans start from a 10c per minute rate.
All in all, including some miscellaneous mishaps with phones, I'd allot $150 for this segment - this also includes monthly phone insurance [basic Verizon Wireless phone pay $6.99 a month for this insurance.]
Miscellaneous-
To be on the safer side, I'd add another $1000 to this area considering Missoula is not a very urban part of the country and things could crop up that I haven't accounted for.
Total: $4,470
Funding Source-
My potential sources for funding are:
The Fund for Environmental Journalism set-up and operated by the Society of Environmental Journalists, and
The South Asian Journalists Association - which offers scholarships for graduate work.
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