Budget travelling on Finland

                                         How to live on Finland & cheaply ?

Finland aren't cheap place to live and when you come here minimal budget on
low cost air line.

How to save ?

* Collect cans & botles, there come nice income because cans return 0.15€ and bottles something 0.10 - 0.40€. Returning bottles / cans usually grocery stores like Lidl, Alepa, S-Market, Prisma,
CityMarket. There is returning corner marked "Pullonpalautus" where you get recipt what
cashier returns you. 

*Even Euro Zone says every euros is worth, not in Finland, 0.02€ & 0.01€  coins aren't 
 on use here. Collect them & spend your home country. 

*Cheapest grocery chain is Lidl. Most biggest saving comes using private ethnic grocery 
   stores. On Helsinki, most them are located Itäkeskus / Hakaniemi / Sörnäinen / Kluuvi.

* Mobile tools like YELP helps finds things. Also Facebook Mobile & Places is handy searching
   places. Also TripAdvisor help locate destinations. But normal search engines like
   Google, Yahoo/Bing search lots things. 


*Pay only using payments card like Visa Electron / V Pay / Maestro / MasterCard. These
  are 'basic' payments cards on use. Cards like AmericanExpress, DinersClub, Discover
  are usually accepted only big chains like Kesko (K-Market, K-Extra, K-SuperMarket, Alepa,   Prisma, CityMarket). Using card payment you don't get 'fixed' price, stores charge e.g .99 ->1.00,
but using cards payment you pay just 0.99. 

*Use outlet like SaiturinPörsssi, Tarjoustalo, HalpaHalli, common items are cheap there. 

*Be sure you have Chip payment card on use and PIN code. Some automated ticket
  machine like VR (railway), HSL (Public transport on Helsinki metropolitan area)
   machines accepts only chip cards & PIN sign.

*GAS stations are moved automated here. Major brands are ABC (MOST EXPENSIVE!!)
Teboil, ST1, Neste, SEO. Cheapest gas can be brought station wha are Xpress (Neste OilExpress, 
Teboil Express, Shell Express...). Even there is Visa / MasterCard sticker on card terminal your card perhaps won't be accepted, it must have Chip&PIN card,  NO MG CARD. Even you have right kind Chip&PIN card station may not accepts your card, just Finnish Bank cards. Also
Prepaid payments cards Neteller, MoneyBookers /etc may not work event they are Chip&PIN.
Express stations accepts only cards (Chip&PIN), no cash. 

*Buy HSL travel card, there is option 1 - 7 days. If you spend time just Helsinki price
is cheaper, multiple zones cost more.  

*Hotel cost are high on Finland. New budget hostel chain OmenaHotels are cheaper.
Use On-Line hotel booking to get cheaper price than list prices are. Remember
that not every hotel use same booking system. Hostel & camping are cheap way travel & stay. 

*Alko is place where you buy Wines & Whiskys, stronger beers (over 4.6% ) on Finland.  
  Some rare wines / expensive  products elsewhere may be found here cheaper price. 
  Locals buys they drinks nowadays from Russia, Estonia or even from Germany. So
  stores are empty most of times. Almost every bottle can be returned to recycle and get
  0.10 - 0.15€ back.  


*Currency exchange: Air Port & Docks gives poor rates. Banks won't like anymore keep money on their branches. Chains like: "Tavex" (www.tavex.fi) gives bets rates. Some money changers
 show good offers on table but there is fees. Another changer is Forex (www.forex.fi).
 Best rates come when pays everything on card, giants like Visa & MasterCard gives
 nearly  Interbank rates. AmericanExpress & DinersClubs may not give such great
 rate. Prepare your Passport with you when change cash, there is EU regulations agains
money laundry. 

*Most cheap way travel from Helsinki Airport is use bus than Tax/Cab/Taksi. BUT THERE
IS TRICKS. BUS where reads "Finnair" are more expensive. Use HSL bus 615 is
cheaper. NOTICE: HSL has letters what means line may have different routes.
You may save buying ticket BEFORE from HSL ticket machine. Use payment card
you don't need local cash. 

*Chip&PIN payment card is must have. MoneyBookers/Skrill is good option
if local bank don't have Chip cards (AND PIN IS MUST, no signatures).
Here more info: http://bit.ly/HhgUCj

*How recognize cheap store ? If store don't have sticker like "Plussa', 'S-Etukortti', 'Pins'. Club cards aren't "savings" on Finland, it's extra price what card owners get some back. 
Outlets are cheapest way buy  stuff, secondly flea markets (Kirpputori). Flea markets accepts 
usually only cash (mostly they like coins) and  not any payments cards. 

*Travel checks even they are Visa / MasterCard / AmericanExpress brand and stores has
all or some stickers only cards are accepted. Use card.

*EMV (Chip&PIN) payments is fast usually and you don't need show any Passport or
ID card for cashier (NOTICE DRIVER LICENSE are NOT ID), but if you have MG
card, be sure you have ID to show, or your purchase left on store. 

*Euro notes 5, 10,20 and 50 are most accepted. Bigger notes 100, 200 and 500 may not be
 accepted, use cards. Coins value 0.02 & 0.01 may not be accepted even sum is is right
0.05. 
   
*Kiosk are expensive places buy items but biggest chain is R-Kioski: www.r-kioski.fi/
Items are usually cheaper on normal grocery stores.

*ATM's Finland has 2 big chains OTTO and Nosto. If you have old MG card
OTTO is only option because NOSTO accepts only Chip cards.

*PrePaid mobile: All PrePaid mobile packs can be found from R-Kioski. You need
 mobile phone what is unlocked (accepts all SIM/USIM cards). 3G service works
usually every phones. Most brands are DNA (BEST), Saunalahti (Good), Tele, Sonera.
NOTICE: DNA has best cover on Roaming for Prepaid users.


 *****
WEB LINKS

HSL: www.hsl.fi 
OmenaHotel:  http://www.omenahotels.com/
SaiturinPörssi: http://www.saiturinporssi.fi/
Tarjoustalo: www.tarjoustalo.fi
Tavex: www.tavex.fi 
Forex: www.forex.fi 
Lidl: www.lidl.fi 
Alko: www.alko.fi
Palpa (Bottles & Cans recycle): www.palpa.fi 
VR (Trains): www.vr.fi/ 
ST1 (GAS) www.st1.fi/ 
ABC (GAS) www.abcasemat.fi/ 
Teboil (GAS) www.teboil.fi 
SEO (GAS)   www.seo.fi
HRS (Hotel booking) www.hrs.com 
Hotels.com (Hotel booking) www.hotels.com 
Momondo.com http://www.momondo.com/
SkyScanner http://www.skyscanner.net/
Booking.com http://www.booking.com/
Trivago.com http://www.trivago.com/
Travellink (Cheap traveling) www.travellink.com 
eBookers ( Cheap traveling) www.ebookers.com
 Skrill/Moneybookers (Prepaid Chip&PIN MasterCard): http://bit.ly/HhgUCj 
Biggest kiosk: R-Kioski: www.r-kioski.fi/  
NOSTO ATM: www.eurocash.fi/ 
OTTO ATM:  www.otto.fi/
DNA Prepaid: https://www.dna.fi/prepaid-liittymat
Saunalahti Prepaid: saunalahti.fi/prepaid/
VectoneMobile http://www.vectonemobile.fi/