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The biggest chunk of your monthly stipend will be spent on foods, accommodation, and transportation if you do not live on campus.
In the mid 1980s the cheapest rent for an apartment near my campus, The Catholic University of America, was US $300, and my monthly stipend was US $600, before it was raised to US $700 about 8 months later.
When I first came to Washington, D.
C, I did not know that there was an alternative choice besides staying in an apartment which was, in my opinion, very expensive.
I kept searching the most affordable one near my campus.
I found one which cost US $300 a month.
However, although I had got a cheap one I did not stop searching for the one which was more affordable for an international student like me.
I went to my university library, international students' office, and other information offices which might provide information relating to affordable accommodation in Washington, D.
C.
This search gave me two-fold benefit which later on helped me survive in a big city with a limited fund.
I became aware of the value of information and where I could find it when I needed it.
In the search I found the information that many American families rent out one or two rooms in their house to interested people.
The rent of such rooms seemed to be much lower than that of the apartments, even for the cheapest apartment.
I traced this information through various channels, including other international students.
I found that some of my friends from other countries had made use of this facility.
One of my friends rented a room in an American's home not far from the campus.
I kept searching, and finally I found an advertisement of an American family renting out rooms in their house.
They rented out three rooms, but two of the rooms had already had tenants when I came to inspect the rooms.
One of the rooms was rented out to two international students from Tobaggo Trinidad, the other room was rented by an international student from Chile, and the third room was rented to me.
The rent was only US $175.
I moved out of the apartment and moved in a rented room at Mrs.
Kelly's house, a family of Jamaican born Americans.
I had 2 nice neighbors from Tobaggo and Trinidad and a music student from Chile.
We got along very well.
I thought, this was the experience that I craved as an International student.
When my wife was about to join me 6 months later, I looked for another rented room in an American family's home.
And I got one on the border of Washington, D.
C.
and Maryland near Takoma Park.
We rented a room in a Jewish family home, Mr.
Clark's home, a family with 2 young children around 9 and 10 years old, Manny and Sarah.
We lived like a big family.
Who says that Jewish family cannot live peacefully with moslem family.
We were a real example of that peaceful relationship.
And the rent for this room was amazingly cheaper than what I had to pay to Mrs.
Kelly.
I was just charged US $150 a month for a room equipped with a small refrigerator and sufficient heater during the winter.
My wife and I stayed here until I finished my masters program at the CUA and returned to Indonesia more than a year later.
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