Living on this so-called budget, I was still able to enjoy luxuries like café con leche and medialunas every morning, nice dinners in decent restaurants, lots of fresh fruit, and a clean place to stay with free internet and hot water, all for well under $20 a day. Most other things like museums and public transportation cost only a few coins, and the activity I enjoyed the most, walking, was free.

The more I walked and explored Buenos Aires, the more came to realize where the real bargains were to be found, and how the things I had previously thought of as unimaginably cheap were, in fact, the inflated tourist prices.  I also came to appreciate the economic plight of many Argentines, and the inequities that made the exchange rate so convenient for me.

Yet and as I began to discover the secret corners and treasures of the city, I slowly stopped converting every single price in pesos into its dollar equivalent, and stopped being surprised by its relative inexpensiveness.  I began to simply live each day to its fullest without unnecessary calculating, spending, or splurging. Living this way, I was able to stay in Buenos Aires for two months and still have enough pesos left over to bring back an entire large suitcase of gifts for friends and family.   Now, back in the United States, I gasp at the high price of a movie or a simple cup of coffee and wistfully recall my days in Buenos Aires.

©Erica Rossetto