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**Tanja** · September 17, 2010, 01:52 AM

I can't help you with the bidget thing cause I know nothing about LA

But I think you should have some extra money in case you have to buy something from the pharmacy - little accidents can always happen so you can never be too causious.

Just wanted to say that your visit is going to be such a great surprise, I wish I could see his face when he sees you!

**giraffessssssss** · September 17, 2010, 03:05 AM

Hey! I'm from LA! Haha. I grew up there and know the bus system like the back of my hand. The buses reliability changes by the line. For example if you take the 10 which goes from downtown to West Hollywood, you will be waiting for the bus for a long time but if you take the 200 from Echo Park to Exposition Park, you'll be on a bus within 15 minutes. Add me and I can answer specific questions. =]

**ioanna** · September 17, 2010, 03:10 AM

Thanx Tanja

I always keep about 150USD with me as I.C.E.

but your note about the pharmacy made me remember to pack my personal one, unlike this summer trip

It won't be a real surprise, he will need to find out a while before I get there... But he better be happy and excited about it lol! :P
I just can't wait a whole year before I see him again... Even if it means I have to work 100 hours a month PLUS uni, and not having a penny left after each trip...

**ioanna** · September 17, 2010, 03:28 AM

Originally posted by giraffessssssss View Post

Hey! I'm from LA! Haha. I grew up there and know the bus system like the back of my hand. The buses reliability changes by the line. For example if you take the 10 which goes from downtown to West Hollywood, you will be waiting for the bus for a long time but if you take the 200 from Echo Park to Exposition Park, you'll be on a bus within 15 minutes. Add me and I can answer specific questions. =]

Thank you so much for replying

I'll be sure to ask more specific questions as soon as I am home and in front of a pc

its kind of difficult keeping track on mobile...
He lives near UCLA in westwood.. I'd probably be going to museums and beautiful interresting buildings while he's at work

**Rach321** · September 17, 2010, 03:46 AM

Hooray for "surprise" visits!

I've never visited LA, so I can't really comment on transportation.

But in terms of food, I'm sure you know it's dependent on the choices you make.
Eating at home is the least expensive. You should be able to easily survive on $10 worth of food per day for meals at home that are made with less expensive ingredients.

Typically, my meals when prepared at home cost me between $5- $10 per day. The least expensive meals involve grains and beans, sandwiches, cereals. I also eat quite a bit of fresh fruit and vegetables, and I shop carefully to find the best prices on these. Most dairy products and eggs are also fairly inexpensive. Meat/Poultry can range from reasonable to very expensive, depending on what you buy. I prefer to only eat animal products that are organic and raised on local farms. This increases the price significantly, but I just choose to eat less of those things. Anything pre-made that is somewhat healthy (as in not processed junk foods) will be more expensive than things you can buy and prepare for yourself.

For eating out, if you go to sandwich shops and simple ethnic restaurants, you can generally buy a meal for, at most, $10-$12. Depending on your appetite, these servings are often big enough for a couple of meals for me. For a more traditional (yet still casual) sit-down restaurant in LA, I would expect that you would spend more like $15 - $20. For nicer places, $25-$40. For fancy places, much more than this. These guidelines would be about average for what a meal for me would cost if I didn't also have a beverage other than water. It also doesn't include gratuity (15-20% for a sit down place, less for a place where you order/pick up your food from the counter). I don't eat a lot. I do like to share a salad/appetizer from time to time. I never order the most expensive entree, but I also don't like to go to a restaurant and just order a salad... If you have a glass of wine, add anywhere from $6-$10 for the house wine.

Hope that helps!

**Rach321** · September 17, 2010, 03:49 AM

I should add... there are ways to spend less than this, but it usually means eating fast food and junk. Probably not what you're looking to do!

I really did try to give you a realistic idea while still erring on the high side. I'm sure you can find ways for it to be a bit less than what I describe!

**ioanna** · September 17, 2010, 01:23 PM

This is great Rach : ) that helps so much! Thank you : )

you hit right on target

i expected fresh vegetables and fruit to be very expensive (i also heard horror stories of a 20 USD regular salad at a regular take away! i was shocked!!) i love home cooked meals, and preparing my own food. i do also like eating out, but not everyday, and definitely not every meal!
i was planing a daily budget of 30 USD that would include food and transportation/activity so i think it will be ok : )

i am very positively surprised at the prices you mentioned above. when i went to Paris i had to count about 20 Euros for food daily on average... so this is way better... and to be honest i am very much afraid of the portion sizes there! i usually share an entree and salad here (that is if i'm not just having salad) and our portions are a lot smaller :S i don't like wasting food, but i cant carry a doggy bad all day, with the heat it might get wasted....

**Rach321** · September 17, 2010, 02:06 PM

Glad I could help!

$20 is VERY expensive for a take away salad! I don't think I've ever seen something like that anywhere I've travelled in the US. The only place I can imagine finding something like that would be in a 5-star hotel, or perhaps a theme park (like Disney world). Even then, I think I'd search around until I found another option. I would rarely spend $20 on a salad in a nicer restaurant, unless it's covered in seafood! (yum yum...

)

I haven't been to LA specifically, but I have been to San Diego and other large US cities. It's possible you will find places that charge significantly more in the most expensive areas of LA, but even there, you should be able to find a small healthy, tasty sandwich for $10. Never be afraid to ask if they will serve you a smaller portion of whatever you order. The worst they can say is no!

And since you will be near the university, there should be plenty of shops that cater to a student budget.

I'm REALLY excited for your trip Ioanna!!!

Oh, and I think Paris is the most expensive city in terms of food prices I've ever been to. When I visit, I usually end up living off of food from kebab stands and baguettes and jam from the market.

Planning on $30 should be fine, especially if you're not planning on spending too much on sightseeing tours/museum entry fees.

**Silviar** · September 17, 2010, 05:11 PM

I don't have any help for the transit system, but eating food there is more expensive since it's in California and a major city there. I'd probably plan on $50/day for a mix of eating out/groceries if you're eating out every day. If you're making box meals mostly, probably $60-70/week, and if you're going scratch, you can probably stretch out to as cheap as $40/week using non-organics.

When in doubt, buy plenty of $.20 ramen packs, some cheap ass veggies, and have that every day at lunch. Healthy compromise

**Silviar** · September 17, 2010, 05:12 PM

https://www.lonelyplanet.com/usa/los-angeles My favorite travel guide group, they have some bits of useful information about LA on their website, just thought I'd share.

**Moon** · September 18, 2010, 01:04 AM

Here's another good resource site, the hotels and such you can skip, but the forums may be quite helpful...
https://www.tripadvisor.com/Search?q...eturnTo=__2F__

**machstx** · September 18, 2010, 01:42 AM

woohoo my hometown! the ramen n veggies thing is an awesome idea! ramen noodles https://ballyhooligan.files.wordpres...n-noodles2.jpg here is a picture. they also have chicken, shrimp n other flavors. and there sold at every major grocery store. 30 dollars a day for food is fine and if you do cheapy fast food once in awhile and you'll save a little for a nicer meal. 1-800-commute has live operators that can provide bus schedules for exactly where you want to go! you can also go to metro.net for the bus schedules. have fun!

**ioanna** · September 19, 2010, 05:08 AM

thank you everyone : ) this is really helping!

PS:i love ramen

although here we just call them noodles...

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