How has your spending been this month?

[The Walk of the Penguin Mich]

I had to get caught up on my PT copays from January.  They finally got around to getting their bookkeeping caught up.  So I paid for the 2 visits I had in early Jan. and the last 2.  I need to add in a regular massage too, so am trying to schedule that.  I'm hoping my insurance at least partially covers this, as I need something to help break up scar tissue in my hips.

I just paid for the balance of our October vacation last week.  All I have left is a few hotel reservations to make and that will be fully paid for other than spending money and excursions.  

Foodwise, we have eaten at home a lot this month so our eating out is under budget.  Groceries are under budget, so we are good there.

[ilovedolphins]

I haven't added up my spending for March yet.  I will do that tomorrow.  I don't want to because I had car insurance, property taxes, my furnace broke down, my car broke down in another town, a tow bill for my car, and the expense to fix it will be on April's budget.  Plus my dad was in the hospital 2 hours away so I had money eating out and more gas than I usually do in a month.  Hopefully next month will look up---except for the car repair bill.

[zibazinski]

Mar 31, 2019 19:20:22 GMT -5 The Walk of the Penguin Mich said:

I had to get caught up on my PT copays from January.  They finally got around to getting their bookkeeping caught up.  So I paid for the 2 visits I had in early Jan. and the last 2.  I need to add in a regular massage too, so am trying to schedule that.  I'm hoping my insurance at least partially covers this, as I need something to help break up scar tissue in my hips.

I just paid for the balance of our October vacation last week.  All I have left is a few hotel reservations to make and that will be fully paid for other than spending money and excursions.  

Foodwise, we have eaten at home a lot this month so our eating out is under budget.  Groceries are under budget, so we are good there.

. Do your PT’s do “Rolfing?” It hurts like hell but it works.

[countrygirl2]

We have spent to much, eaten out the last few days.  I apparently didn't pay the internet bill last month so owed double.  I never got a bill, didn't get our light bill either, not sure what is going on.

I haven't added the bills up yet, but tomorrow is a new month, hope it is better.

I am so worried about that hospital bill, if we owe that it will wreck my finances for months, no new flooring, no trips till next year. I told hubs don't ever let them do that again, if I'm not considered sick enough to be admitted, then I'm not sick enough to stay, just bring me home.

[tcu2003]

Crazy month for us as well. I bought plane tickets for our June vacation, plus I had a couple of trips this month (I’ll get reimbursed, but still waiting on the reimbursement for one of them). Because I was out of town, DH took the kids out to eat more than normal. Plus we ended up funding our 2018 Roth IRAs, and car tags were due.

Definitely happy for a new month!

[zibazinski]

Not a word from my Aunt I was supposed to stay with. So I’ve made two more hotel reservations. I’m beyond pissed off. I’m not going to be too communicative with her for awhile. So I’ve added a few hundred extra dollars to an already expensive trip that I didn’t want to take to begin with. To Oregon where it’s cold and rainy. Yuck.

[countrygirl2]

I paid $800 tax prep, $400 for other part of taxes, $850 for personal registrations, $361state taxes, the forgotten prior month cable plus current so $173.  Those expenses bite, next year will have a better idea.

[countrygirl2]

Bad month, almost $7k for ins and taxes at rentals and $5k for personal ins and taxes.  For us I have the money set aside to pay.  I do for the rentals too but tight with buying the AC.

Next month or the next $3k for new AC at the newest rental, has a nonworking one.


I could pay them out in a couple installments, but I want this stuff paid in full so the rest of the year I'm not worrying about buying what is needed for it each month with trying to work around payments.  So will bite the bullet and do this.

[wvugurl26]

$130 on new dress shoes for DH. I also need printer ink. And I bought him another pair of tennis shoes but I paid with Chase points. He really needs two pairs so he can rotate.

I think any savings this month from a reduced grocery bill is going to be eaten up by irregular expenses.

[lund]

So-so. Two birthdays, but warmer so less heating. Have eaten a lot from the freezer; need to continue doing that from both financial and practical reasons.


Apple , which parts of Sweden are you going to visit?

[laterbloomer]

The bathroom is being redone so I'm bleeding money. But within that framework I am doing pretty well. I could have easily spent $10,000 on the materials and kept it at about $2500. And I'm happy with what I've gotten so I'm going to count it as a win.

[Deleted]

Horrible.  First there is Prom, then Dh's flight was canceled, so a longer out of state hotel stay, and now DD's car is broken, throwing codes on 2 cylinders misfiring.  

[wvugurl26]

It's about to increase. Going to buy a kindle for my uncle. He has problems now with his vision in the better eye. He starts every morning reading his Bible. The doctors told him he couldn't do that anymore. So I'm buying a kindle and an audible copy of the Bible. That story just made me too sad.

[Apple]

Apr 13, 2019 6:59:48 GMT -5 lund said:

So-so. Two birthdays, but warmer so less heating. Have eaten a lot from the freezer; need to continue doing that from both financial and practical reasons.


Apple , which parts of Sweden are you going to visit?

I'll be in Stockholm, and other than the side trip to Turku, I'll probably only do day trips out from there.  I'll hit up the northern areas in a future trip

[countrygirl2]

The property tax bills and insurance are coming in.  I expected increases so far they aren't very much at all so that's good.  Waiting for car insurance to see where we are on it.  I changed all this insurance and everything comes due at once, need to spread it out a couple of months at least.

[lund]

Apple,
A bit early in the season, but with clothing for cold/windy and wet weather, it should be OK, I think.
Stockholm can be very windy! I'd pack cap, mittens and good rain gear....

Old Town is nice and walkable. Good shoes is as usual a must  - cobblestone warning.

Drottningholm is a World Heritage Site, and there are tours showing the theater from the 1760ies. Alas they don't show the machinery (including the sound effects) anymore. There used to be a tour ticket from central Stockholm which included a boat tour there on Lake Mälaren (very nice in good weather) and the entrances, sold by the Strömma kanal company.

Skansen is an open-air museum with buildings from different parts of the country. If you go there, I would recommend being there when they open; walking around takes a while and they close rather early (something like 10:00 - 16:00). (Best reached by tram.)

If you like staying in unusual places and hostels are OK, there are two hostels in the city (and one outside) which are a bit special. The three-master "af Chapman" is moored very central in the city. The old prison Långholmen lets is modern clients sleep in the cells, luckily with some modern amenities. It's still in the city. (During the summer, the about hundred year old fort Siaröfortet is a nice two-hour or so boat trip east of the city.)

The Vasa museum at this time of the year should be without too long queues.

There are several other museums where one can see exhibitions about medieval Stockholm (which I find interesting), about Nordic culture and history, the Palace's collection of old carriages, coaches, and other items, some art museums, and a lot more; after all, it is a capital.

As to safety, there are pickpockets. There are "project areas" and less than stellar areas there too. Common sense gets you a long way.

Paying with cc is very common. Making sure that your cc does not tack on a ton of fees can be a good thing...
AmEx is not very popular. Visa and MasterCard work fine (common among Swedes).

If you fly into Arlanda, the transportation to the city can come at a very varying cost.
I've never tried the taxis (most expensive).
The airport train used to be about 300skr with another 100skr if you did not buy it in advance.
The airport coach was about 100skr if pre-purchased.
It is possible to take the local transportation authority's (SL's) train or buses too. The trains go from SkyCity between two of the terminals, while the buses require a change at Märsta. They may be the cheaper option for those having a tourist pass which gives free rides in the SL system (which they had some years ago....) but there is a station fee at SkyCity of about 100skr.
I'd probably take the coach and have a pre-purchased  ticket.

If you stay in a hotel, don't forget to find out if breakfast is included (that it is included in hotels is fairly standard; usually it's buffet-style with several options). Sometimes also an evening meal is included. If the latter is, it is often a simple warm dish. (In hostels you usually have to arrange your own meals or buy them separately.)

Most hotels provide Internet access (ask when checking in). Some cafes, fast food places and similar do too. If it is not included in the room, it is probably cheaper to buy the cheapest burger than to buy any other kind of access.

Be aware that parking is often fairly expensive and not included in most hotels.

[bean29]

My spending has been bad. I have been very bad, I will regret it when I see my CC Bills. On top of that, I paid Uncle Sam a very large chunk of change.

[Apple]

Apr 16, 2019 14:58:38 GMT -5 lund said:

Apple ,
A bit early in the season, but with clothing for cold/windy and wet weather, it should be OK, I think.
Stockholm can be very windy! I'd pack cap, mittens and good rain gear....

Old Town is nice and walkable. Good shoes is as usual a must  - cobblestone warning.

Drottningholm is a World Heritage Site, and there are tours showing the theater from the 1760ies. Alas they don't show the machinery (including the sound effects) anymore. There used to be a tour ticket from central Stockholm which included a boat tour there on Lake Mälaren (very nice in good weather) and the entrances, sold by the Strömma kanal company.

Skansen is an open-air museum with buildings from different parts of the country. If you go there, I would recommend being there when they open; walking around takes a while and they close rather early (something like 10:00 - 16:00). (Best reached by tram.)

If you like staying in unusual places and hostels are OK, there are two hostels in the city (and one outside) which are a bit special. The three-master "af Chapman" is moored very central in the city. The old prison Långholmen lets is modern clients sleep in the cells, luckily with some modern amenities. It's still in the city. (During the summer, the about hundred year old fort Siaröfortet is a nice two-hour or so boat trip east of the city.)

The Vasa museum at this time of the year should be without too long queues.

There are several other museums where one can see exhibitions about medieval Stockholm (which I find interesting), about Nordic culture and history, the Palace's collection of old carriages, coaches, and other items, some art museums, and a lot more; after all, it is a capital.

As to safety, there are pickpockets. There are "project areas" and less than stellar areas there too. Common sense gets you a long way.

Paying with cc is very common. Making sure that your cc does not tack on a ton of fees can be a good thing...
AmEx is not very popular. Visa and MasterCard work fine (common among Swedes).

If you fly into Arlanda, the transportation to the city can come at a very varying cost.
I've never tried the taxis (most expensive).
The airport train used to be about 300skr with another 100skr if you did not buy it in advance.
The airport coach was about 100skr if pre-purchased.
It is possible to take the local transportation authority's (SL's) train or buses too. The trains go from SkyCity between two of the terminals, while the buses require a change at Märsta. They may be the cheaper option for those having a tourist pass which gives free rides in the SL system (which they had some years ago....) but there is a station fee at SkyCity of about 100skr.
I'd probably take the coach and have a pre-purchased  ticket.

If you stay in a hotel, don't forget to find out if breakfast is included (that it is included in hotels is fairly standard; usually it's buffet-style with several options). Sometimes also an evening meal is included. If the latter is, it is often a simple warm dish. (In hostels you usually have to arrange your own meals or buy them separately.)

Most hotels provide Internet access (ask when checking in). Some cafes, fast food places and similar do too. If it is not included in the room, it is probably cheaper to buy the cheapest burger than to buy any other kind of access.

Be aware that parking is often fairly expensive and not included in most hotels.

Wow, thank you!

I just got back from a four-day camping trip, so I'm exhausted, but I'll read through it all again later
I am flying in and out of Bromma, but did find where you can book the shuttle from the airport to the city center for about $7, so I'm going to do that to make my first part a little easier.  I still haven't braved driving in a foreign country yet, so still sticking to buses/trains/ferries/etc!

[Blonde Granny]

This is turning out to be a little uncomfortable for me spending wise. This is the first month I actually tithed to my church and I think my fear of doing this is coming to fruition. My usual YNAB spending is right on target, and unlike some others of my friends, no one has surprised me with deposits to my checking account (no sarcasm in that statement).

And the and of the month isn't even here yet.

[bean29]

We usually go out to dinner for family birthdays. DD’s birthday was yesterday, but she was not available, tomorrow is Easter, DS in competing today, so we went to breakfast/lunch with DD and her boyfriend. $42. Much cheaper than dinner for 6 or 7.

I bought too much candy, no one eats it, so I returned 3 bags of candy. I bought the fur babies toys too. Left them on the table, and C helped himself.

[Apple]

Apr 16, 2019 14:58:38 GMT -5 lund said:

Apple ,
A bit early in the season, but with clothing for cold/windy and wet weather, it should be OK, I think.
Stockholm can be very windy! I'd pack cap, mittens and good rain gear.... I come from a very windy town, so hopefully I'll be used the wind.  I have a lightweight rain coat I used when I was camping this weekend, and I can pack that.  I've got the down jacket for warmth, but I've heard those don't do well in the rain... I can tuck some little mittens in my pocket.  

Old Town is nice and walkable. Good shoes is as usual a must  - cobblestone warning.  I'm bringing an old pair of work shoes as my main pair, then I have another light weight pair as a backup (learned in Rome to always bring two pairs, my single pair got soaked and it was a little miserable!)

Drottningholm is a World Heritage Site, and there are tours showing the theater from the 1760ies. Alas they don't show the machinery (including the sound effects) anymore. There used to be a tour ticket from central Stockholm which included a boat tour there on Lake Mälaren (very nice in good weather) and the entrances, sold by the Strömma kanal company.  I'll look into that this week!  I love old theaters   The machinery would have been cool to see.

Skansen is an open-air museum with buildings from different parts of the country. If you go there, I would recommend being there when they open; walking around takes a while and they close rather early (something like 10:00 - 16:00). (Best reached by tram.) I'll check this out as well.

If you like staying in unusual places and hostels are OK, there are two hostels in the city (and one outside) which are a bit special. The three-master "af Chapman" is moored very central in the city. The old prison Långholmen lets is modern clients sleep in the cells, luckily with some modern amenities. It's still in the city. (During the summer, the about hundred year old fort Siaröfortet is a nice two-hour or so boat trip east of the city.)  Staying in an old prison sounds awesome!  I have a rooms booked for all my nights already, but might change one of the nights if I can work the prison out...  Love to tell my dad, a former sheriff, that I spent the night in jail   Had to change this before I even finished posting...  The room was only a little more expensive than the one I had booked for my first nights in Stockholm, so I just couldn't resist!  I'll be in prison for my first three nights!  Thank you!!  (Can you tell I'm excited, lol?  This will be right up there, and maybe surpass, the time I stayed in a castle.)  

The af Chapman looks cool, but my hotel later in my stay is a private room and bath, so not sure I want to make the switch.

The Vasa museum at this time of the year should be without too long queues.

There are several other museums where one can see exhibitions about medieval Stockholm (which I find interesting), about Nordic culture and history, the Palace's collection of old carriages, coaches, and other items, some art museums, and a lot more; after all, it is a capital. I love visiting museums...  I think there are a couple on my list besides the Vasa Museum.

As to safety, there are pickpockets. There are "project areas" and less than stellar areas there too. Common sense gets you a long way.  I've got a purse that goes cross-body style, with cut resistance fabric and straps, and zippers that can be "locked" in place.  I usually tie a scarf over the strap where it can cover the zipper clip even more, and have not had any issues.  The only time I really carry a purse is when I travel.

Paying with cc is very common. Making sure that your cc does not tack on a ton of fees can be a good thing...
AmEx is not very popular. Visa and MasterCard work fine (common among Swedes).  I still have a stash of Euros from my last trip, so I'll take those to Finland, and hope to use my card for Sweden (only get maybe 1000 SEK from an ATM)

If you fly into Arlanda, the transportation to the city can come at a very varying cost.
I've never tried the taxis (most expensive).
The airport train used to be about 300skr with another 100skr if you did not buy it in advance.
The airport coach was about 100skr if pre-purchased.
It is possible to take the local transportation authority's (SL's) train or buses too. The trains go from SkyCity between two of the terminals, while the buses require a change at Märsta. They may be the cheaper option for those having a tourist pass which gives free rides in the SL system (which they had some years ago....) but there is a station fee at SkyCity of about 100skr.
I'd probably take the coach and have a pre-purchased  ticket.  Bromma has the coach you can pre-purchase online, so I'm getting that (only one, in case my flight is delayed and arrives too late to use it, I'll purchase a second online for the return trip while I'm there)

If you stay in a hotel, don't forget to find out if breakfast is included (that it is included in hotels is fairly standard; usually it's buffet-style with several options). Sometimes also an evening meal is included. If the latter is, it is often a simple warm dish. (In hostels you usually have to arrange your own meals or buy them separately.)

Most hotels provide Internet access (ask when checking in). Some cafes, fast food places and similar do too. If it is not included in the room, it is probably cheaper to buy the cheapest burger than to buy any other kind of access.  Looks like all my rooms will have free breakfast and wi-fi.  I did learn from Debthaven on my last trip that Starbucks always has free wi-fi, so I took advantage of that a time or two (even though I try to avoid any American food place when I travel.)

Be aware that parking is often fairly expensive and not included in most hotels.

[catsareme]

March and now April have been expensive.  I planned for the tax payments, both income and property but it's the nickel and dime stuff that has nibbled away at my budget.  I'm determined that May will not be a repeat of the last two months.  

[buystoys]

I was doing well for the year until last week.  We had budgeted for maintenance proofing the house, but the actual bill is going to be almost double what was in the budget.  We have the extra, but it's going to make the rest of the year really tight.  Worst case scenario is that we take an additional disbursement from DH's IRA, but I don't want to do that if we don't have to.

[lund]

Apple, I'll post again in a day or two.

[lund]

To continue, if you go by taxi, the Stockholm Taxi ones are known to not try to scam tourists, at least not as often as some of the other ones are said to.... And it is comparatively expensive to go by taxi.

I will not drive in Stockholm if I can avoid it.

There is the option of going by bus and subway ("T-bana") to/from Bromma, using the ordinary SL tickets; I would however chose a pre-paid ticket to the airport coaches.
There is a 72-hour ticket available for 260kr, which is available as a paper ticket. (The cost is twice the 24h ticket. One single fare else is 45kr.) (SL.se for information.)

Swedes tend to eat a hot lunch. It is possible to buy one from about 100skr (maybe a little lower if not in a central area and in a cheap place). Watch for signs of "dagens" or "dagens lunch" (literally "the day's", "lunch of the day"), read the sign and look at the kind of place. There are "business lunches" which cost 250kr+, but those places are usually more formal restaurants and look it.
Eating in the evening usually means a more elaborate meal, but also a much higher cost (two to three times and up).
Tips are either non-existent (cheaper places, fast food), included in the cost at least partly (more expensive ones), and else usually are a rounding up to an even amount of the eater's choice.
You usually pay for tap water too.
The word "entree" (food term) means that starter dish, not the main dish (as usual outside the US.)

The city water is safe to drink and usually tastes OK; no need to buy bottled water unless you prefer the taste. The low-spenders usually refill a bottle from the tap before leaving...
(And most bottled water bottles give you 1kr to 2kr when you give them back to the store - the larger food stores usually have machines for it which give you a paper slip to take to the cashier.)

Most hotel and hostel rooms provide access to a water kettle and a coffee brewer, often in the room or in a corridor, or kitchen in case of hostels. I usually bring a thermos which I usually can fill with boiling water and take along for the day, at no cost. I bring my own tea bags (I'm a tea drinker). Bringing your own instant coffee would probably also do the trick.
Tea here means a hot beverage. Seeing the text "iste" (iced tea) is very rare.

For a US palate, Swedish coffee is usually very strong. It often is on the stronger end of the European scale.

I, being usually a low-budget tourist, would probably eat a lot if the breakfast buffet was included and brunch-style, and try to have lunch late (the lunch places usually close sometime between 13:30 and 15:00 - and that way of writing the pm times is common here) or possibly skip it (some breakfast buffets have a lot of warm food too), and then go and buy me something from a food store (like fruit, yogurt or a croissant) or some fast food like a sub or a small McD burger to eat in the early evening.

Food is expensive here. I suggest bringing some dry snacks as emergency food.

Typical weather is well above freezing during the daytime (but freezing nights can occur until mid-June; longer in the North where also the days may be freezing), but it can be very windy and rainy. If the weather is cold during this time of the year, I would wear long-legged, long-armed underwear, a long-armed T-shirt, sweater or turtleneck, a wool cardigan or sweater over that (with a second one as change/extra layering if needed), and then a shell jacket, a scarf, and, if needed, mittens and cap. (I would not wear my down gear; it would be too warm...) I would bring a pair of rain pants.

It can be warm, with temperatures in the high sixties/low seventies (but still the risk of freezing nights), so being able to take off any excess is a very good thing. At present it is warm, with people outside in T-shirts in large parts of the Southern half of the country (where Stockholm is).
Using your thick outer layer of clothing several days in a row is OK. It is assumed that civilized persons change their inner layers, which are the ones which get dirty and need changing.

Make-up is often on the more discreet side. (I usually wear none, and it is not uncommon.)
As to shaving, it is not a must in itself, though most people "shave what they show". (There are many more unshaven legs in the ladies' locker rooms in the winter than in the summer...)
Jewelry is not a must, though most ladies wear ear rings, wedding rings,.... The style is often not very "blingy" among ethnic Swedes.
As an aside, Swedish engagement rings are usually plain, and bought by the pair (one male, one female). The wedding ring (usually one for the wife) may be identical to the engagement ring or a ring with stones.

As to buying food, Sweden is one of the countries with sweet candy, sweet-salt candy (often licorice), and sweet-sour candy. Candy is often sold by weight in the large food stores (where you mix your own bag, weigh it and pay while exiting), as well as prepacked. You probably can have some interesting experiences there.
There is a Finnish licorice which has a tar taste; quite interesting. It's called Terva Leijona. I have only seen it sold in little boxes.

Both Sweden and Finland have cloudberries, billberries/European blueberries, and lingonberries, and sell products of those. (Beware of bilberry stains; they can't be washed out.) Among the products are various jams/preserves and alcoholic beverages (such as the Finnish Lakka and Mesimarja).

Rose hip soup (nyponsoppa) is a thickened sweet soup, which seems to be a bit of an acquired taste.
Bilberry soup (blåbärssoppa) is often no problem for those not used to it.
(Both are best bought as dry powders, generally Ekströms brand, to be mixed with boiling water or boiled. There are ready-made or cold water versions available, but the first need to be stored in the refrigerator and the second has a slightly different taste.)
They are generally drunk/eaten for breakfast, as a snack meal for children, or brought on hikes and similar, often hot in a thermos. They are also common in emergency food stashes due to their easy preparation.

As to the well-known surströmming, I would not bring any... The cans are under pressure, so I would not want it in any checked luggage. And if you bring one, pack it in quadruple plastic bags. When you open it, have a bucket of water and open the can under the surface of the water. Then use a garden hose to change water in the bucket. The stench is terrible. And no, I don't eat that.

The different kinds of pickled herring is another kind of fish. I like many of the different kinds. Among the common kinds are onions (löksill), mustard (senapssill), and matjessill (which is not similar to the German version with the name matjes). They need to be stored cold. The matjessill has a very different taste from the other ones.
Gravad lax (cured salmon) and smoked salmon also classics. These are on the more expensive side.

If you want to buy laundry detergent for washing by hand, the brand Y3 is sold in a packet with a few satchels useful for travel (or as bottled fluid not suitable for travel ). I buy it at a large ICA store.

So, now I'm down from the soapbox for now. Please ask if you think that I can be of help.


I haven't been in Stockholm for quite some time (I'm on the West coast, about 6 hours away by car), and I'd really like to hear if you find something good/bad/expensive/worth the cost.

Sorry that it took a bit longer to get this written than I originally planned for.

Have a nice trip and enjoyable stay!

[Apple]

Apr 24, 2019 0:48:03 GMT -5 lund said:

To continue, if you go by taxi, the Stockholm Taxi ones are known to not try to scam tourists, at least not as often as some of the other ones are said to.... And it is comparatively expensive to go by taxi.

I will not drive in Stockholm if I can avoid it.

There is the option of going by bus and subway ("T-bana") to/from Bromma, using the ordinary SL tickets; I would however chose a pre-paid ticket to the airport coaches.
There is a 72-hour ticket available for 260kr, which is available as a paper ticket. (The cost is twice the 24h ticket. One single fare else is 45kr.) (SL.se for information.)

Swedes tend to eat a hot lunch. It is possible to buy one from about 100skr (maybe a little lower if not in a central area and in a cheap place). Watch for signs of "dagens" or "dagens lunch" (literally "the day's", "lunch of the day"), read the sign and look at the kind of place. There are "business lunches" which cost 250kr+, but those places are usually more formal restaurants and look it.
Eating in the evening usually means a more elaborate meal, but also a much higher cost (two to three times and up).
Tips are either non-existent (cheaper places, fast food), included in the cost at least partly (more expensive ones), and else usually are a rounding up to an even amount of the eater's choice.
You usually pay for tap water too.
The word "entree" (food term) means that starter dish, not the main dish (as usual outside the US.)

The city water is safe to drink and usually tastes OK; no need to buy bottled water unless you prefer the taste. The low-spenders usually refill a bottle from the tap before leaving...
(And most bottled water bottles give you 1kr to 2kr when you give them back to the store - the larger food stores usually have machines for it which give you a paper slip to take to the cashier.)

Most hotel and hostel rooms provide access to a water kettle and a coffee brewer, often in the room or in a corridor, or kitchen in case of hostels. I usually bring a thermos which I usually can fill with boiling water and take along for the day, at no cost. I bring my own tea bags (I'm a tea drinker). Bringing your own instant coffee would probably also do the trick.
Tea here means a hot beverage. Seeing the text "iste" (iced tea) is very rare.

For a US palate, Swedish coffee is usually very strong. It often is on the stronger end of the European scale.

I, being usually a low-budget tourist, would probably eat a lot if the breakfast buffet was included and brunch-style, and try to have lunch late (the lunch places usually close sometime between 13:30 and 15:00 - and that way of writing the pm times is common here) or possibly skip it (some breakfast buffets have a lot of warm food too), and then go and buy me something from a food store (like fruit, yogurt or a croissant) or some fast food like a sub or a small McD burger to eat in the early evening.

Food is expensive here. I suggest bringing some dry snacks as emergency food.

Typical weather is well above freezing during the daytime (but freezing nights can occur until mid-June; longer in the North where also the days may be freezing), but it can be very windy and rainy. If the weather is cold during this time of the year, I would wear long-legged, long-armed underwear, a long-armed T-shirt, sweater or turtleneck, a wool cardigan or sweater over that (with a second one as change/extra layering if needed), and then a shell jacket, a scarf, and, if needed, mittens and cap. (I would not wear my down gear; it would be too warm...) I would bring a pair of rain pants.

It can be warm, with temperatures in the high sixties/low seventies (but still the risk of freezing nights), so being able to take off any excess is a very good thing. At present it is warm, with people outside in T-shirts in large parts of the Southern half of the country (where Stockholm is).
Using your thick outer layer of clothing several days in a row is OK. It is assumed that civilized persons change their inner layers, which are the ones which get dirty and need changing.

Make-up is often on the more discreet side. (I usually wear none, and it is not uncommon.)
As to shaving, it is not a must in itself, though most people "shave what they show". (There are many more unshaven legs in the ladies' locker rooms in the winter than in the summer...)
Jewelry is not a must, though most ladies wear ear rings, wedding rings,.... The style is often not very "blingy" among ethnic Swedes.
As an aside, Swedish engagement rings are usually plain, and bought by the pair (one male, one female). The wedding ring (usually one for the wife) may be identical to the engagement ring or a ring with stones.

As to buying food, Sweden is one of the countries with sweet candy, sweet-salt candy (often licorice), and sweet-sour candy. Candy is often sold by weight in the large food stores (where you mix your own bag, weigh it and pay while exiting), as well as prepacked. You probably can have some interesting experiences there.
There is a Finnish licorice which has a tar taste; quite interesting. It's called Terva Leijona. I have only seen it sold in little boxes.

Both Sweden and Finland have cloudberries, billberries/European blueberries, and lingonberries, and sell products of those. (Beware of bilberry stains; they can't be washed out.) Among the products are various jams/preserves and alcoholic beverages (such as the Finnish Lakka and Mesimarja).

Rose hip soup (nyponsoppa) is a thickened sweet soup, which seems to be a bit of an acquired taste.
Bilberry soup (blåbärssoppa) is often no problem for those not used to it.
(Both are best bought as dry powders, generally Ekströms brand, to be mixed with boiling water or boiled. There are ready-made or cold water versions available, but the first need to be stored in the refrigerator and the second has a slightly different taste.)
They are generally drunk/eaten for breakfast, as a snack meal for children, or brought on hikes and similar, often hot in a thermos. They are also common in emergency food stashes due to their easy preparation.

As to the well-known surströmming, I would not bring any... The cans are under pressure, so I would not want it in any checked luggage. And if you bring one, pack it in quadruple plastic bags. When you open it, have a bucket of water and open the can under the surface of the water. Then use a garden hose to change water in the bucket. The stench is terrible. And no, I don't eat that.

The different kinds of pickled herring is another kind of fish. I like many of the different kinds. Among the common kinds are onions (löksill), mustard (senapssill), and matjessill (which is not similar to the German version with the name matjes). They need to be stored cold. The matjessill has a very different taste from the other ones.
Gravad lax (cured salmon) and smoked salmon also classics. These are on the more expensive side.

If you want to buy laundry detergent for washing by hand, the brand Y3 is sold in a packet with a few satchels useful for travel (or as bottled fluid not suitable for travel ). I buy it at a large ICA store.

So, now I'm down from the soapbox for now. Please ask if you think that I can be of help.


I haven't been in Stockholm for quite some time (I'm on the West coast, about 6 hours away by car), and I'd really like to hear if you find something good/bad/expensive/worth the cost.

Sorry that it took a bit longer to get this written than I originally planned for.

Have a nice trip and enjoyable stay!

Thanks again!  Definitely taking a few more tips from this post too

[lund]

Apple,
Forgot to write that there is a Stockholm pass that I think that you should research to see if it would be suitable for you or not. (stockholmpass.com)

The weather forecast can be found, among other places, at www.smhi.se .

The same city is called Turku in Finnish and Åbo in Swedish.
(Finland has two languages; there are more Finnish speakers than Swedish speakers, and the latter chiefly live in the South and the West, and on the coast.)

In Sweden, the Swedish names are used for places with a Swedish-speaking majority and a few other, which tend to be old cities/towns or on the coast.
You will see Helsingfors (Helsinki),  Åbo (Turku), Björneborg (Pori) (Finnish-speaking majority), Tammerfors (Tampere)(Finnish-speaking majority), to mention a few.
(But for some completely obscure reason, the Swedes usually use Lappeenranta and not the Finnish-Swedish Villmanstrand...)
Quite a few Swedes are not clear that the names used in English are the Finnish names.

[catsareme]

Forgot about our concealed weapon permits, they're up for renewal (every 5 years).  Not a huge bill but I was hoping for no unplanned expenditures this month.  

[NastyWoman]

I tend to be a rather disciplined spender so I normally don't post here. But, after being rear-ended and my car declared a total loss, I can only say ATROCIOUS!!!

However, I now have my "retirement car" just a few years ahead of schedule

[swamp]

I am bleeding money. 

DH and I bought flights to Italy.  We've also bought flights to Wash. DC and a train to NYC for the summer. 

YOLO.