Week 36 - Luxury - Andrew

A room costs 3 euro. A room with a window and a fan costs 5. Your 3 euro room comes with access to a shared cold shower. A room with a hot shower will run you 12 euro, and aircon could knock you up to 18 euro. Bear in mind that you are in a rural part of Cambodia - You stay in the cold shower, no window, no aircon room.

You need a car, for 2000 Euro, you can get an 8 year old 1.6l Skoda Octavia with more mileage than the International Space station. You'll have to drive to a yard in Stradbally and buy it from a man in a frayed jumper who smells of damp cigarette smoke.

To furnish your house - Ikea deliver the best balance of quality and value. The product won't let you down. You can get cheaper (fractionally), but it will let you down, and you'll end up buying it again. Try and go during a sale, you can put lights in your living room for 10 euro.

Pre-prepared food is expensive, go to a greengrocers and a butchers to get your food. Get cheap cuts, chicken thighs, pork shoulder, stewing beef. Over time, you'll build up the skill to prepare whatever you want to eat, at a reasonable price.

Coffee is coffee is coffee - a big tub of Maxwell house will run you 2 euro and will last you a couple of months.

A room in central London costs maybe 200 Euro, but you can get a nice one for a little bit more. Check Tripadvisor for reviews, make sure you're booking a room you'll get value from.

Don't take a loan out for a car, but certainly buy something you will really enjoy driving. It's ok to pay a bit more road tax and insurance. Buy it from a dealership where they will give you a cup of coffee and will be able to talk to you about cars. You need to have confidence, cruising around.

Everyone's house is full of Ikea furniture, It's nice to get something different. Have a look in some of the other furniture shops, you can get one or two nice pieces for not much at all.

If you want cheese, it's worth going to Sheridan's. Meat, definitely Gleesons - but for unusual cuts, go to Fallon and Byrne. It's nice as well to go out for dinner every so often. Again, tripadvisor is a great resource. Use it to find somewhere really nice.

3fe roast the best beans in Dublin. You can buy a bag for about 7 or 8 euro, and you'll get a week or so out of the bag. But once you try it you won't go back!