hey Jow Forums going to be doing a semester in Oslo, Norway. Thankfully the uni has a gym, but fuck me-Norwegian living, especially food, is expensive.
What are the cheapest foods/ways to live in Scandinavia? Any tips or suggestions would be appreciated. I hear Rema is a good place to start to shop
Rema and Kiwi are the cheapest stores in Norway.
Things are generally fucking expensive there, they have some products called "first price" that are cheaper blander versions of food, so you can go for those. Generally carbs are cheap, while proteins are pretty expensive, so protein powder is one of the cheapest alternatives.
I would also suggest crossing the border to Sweden to buy food, just ask some of your upcoming friends to join you, and you can buy food cheaper there. They tax less on food or something so its a lot cheaper there.
Good luck
>I would also suggest crossing the border to Sweden to buy food
Not him but this is a Canadian tier solution
Stick to Rema and Kiwi for the most part. Buy bread, spaghetti and rice. These are the cheapest carb sources. I buy a shit ton of ground beef because any other protein source is a bit more expensive.
If you find a Meny or COOP Obs/Mega, they may have sales now and then. You can get certain foods cheap for that week. For example you can get four Grandiosa pizzas for 100kr which is literally nothing considering one usually costs between 50 and 60. I remember this once during my student days. Filled up my freezer that week that's for sure.
Avoid traditionally cheap fast food chains like Burger King and McDonalds. It's way more expensive here.
I don't think I'll be crossing boarders to buy food, but I appreciate the insight. Guess I'll try to find cheap protein powder once I'm there.
The food bill is definetly intimidating, the only moreso is being a manlet in this aryan country.
Still thanks for the advice.
Thanks for the other grocer recs! Always good to know alternatives
Don't squat over two plates. You may get arrested for it.
Oh and I don't know which country you're from, but if you regularly need to drink bottled water because the tap water is terrible, you can stop that here. Our tap water is seriously fucking amazing. I've been in several countries in Europe as well as USA and also in Dubai. Tap water either tasted like chlorine and/or was not recommended for drinking.
Sure but just be aware. It's fairly common for a group of people (or families) to take a day trip by car to Sweden to stock up on stuff, especially meat, soda and candy.
Dont worry about being a manlet. Norwegians are generally very nice, except for those cunts in the "ghettos". Pretty much everyone at unis are nice.
Theyre also retarded for the most part, so you will feel better about yourself knowing youre smarter than 99% of the population.
Be aware that Meny and Mega/Obs are generally more expensive stores. By a few NOK on every item, but it adds up on the bill.
REMA have this app called "AE" (Æ)that apparently lets you scan your recipts and will eventually give you a 10% discount on the wares you buy the most. I don't use it because I don't shop at REMA, but check it out.
Fantastic news! Everyone was telling me it's impossible to socialize if you're an outsider-so my fear of 5months of social isolation would be hell. Heck still, maybe I can find a lifting buddy
Good to know. Yeah everything adds up fast, so I'm hoping if I can get some cheap protein in among all the carbs I'll survive. Have to stock up on seasonings while I'm there.
he will need to go at least 20km from the Norwegian border as the prices are elevated near the border in Sweden
Nah senpai. Oslo is a pretty good city for students. And "going to the gym" is very very popular indeed so you're bound to find someone to lift with.
We're an introverted people, but not Korea/Japan tier of xenophobic.
Making my day, really takes away some of the intimidation. I'm introverted as well but want to make some connections to at least survive the north for a bit haha. Glad fitness is so popular. I hope to go hiking and camping,- thus the want to get to know people in order to better facilitate. I've done solo but in a new area it would be nicer with friends.
Gymgrossisten has the cheapest protein powder from my experience
Meat is expensive, so I generally buy a decent amount of whatever is discounted at my local Bunnpris at a given time
Where in Oslo are you living? A private gym might be worthwhile
>I hope to go hiking and camping
You LITERALLY couldn't have picked a better country. Well maybe Canada.
Keep in mind it takes some time to make new friends though. First couple of weeks during semester is key. But I guess that's true everywhere. For my first few years I dind't realize this and went through most of college without a lot of friends. And I'm from here!
Also, if you're into powerlifting or weightlifting specifically, I know for a fact there are power-lifting gyms in Oslo. It's decently popular here. One of my friends used to train there.
I'll be on the SiO student housing on Stensberggta, in Oslo. Right by the cemetary- Var Frelsrs Gravlund. Oslo met seems to be a 10 min walk from there so it's close enough to make due.
Actually am from Canada, so I'm really inclined to beleive I'll like Norway, just worried about the social aspect, but hopefully I can turn on the outgoingness early on in orientation to make sure when I go back to introversion I'll still have some connections - I really want to do a hytte trip
>going to OsloMet and not UiO
you've fucked up mate
Gå vekk faen
I know, but they were the ones that got me a placement working for the city of Oslo, so I took it. Looks good on a resume at least.
Keep in mind you're not the first foreign student in Norway. Things are made for international students to make it easier to settle in and make accountants. But it does take some work on your part too. I learned that the hard way. And communication won't be a problem because we all speak English pretty much as a first language.
very true. I want to work on making a reall effort. Heck trying to learn norwegianm cause depsite being mostly english speakers it'll be nice to be able to at least read the basics, but heck, my bokmal needs work
Good luck my friend, you're gonna need it.
I think Norwegian is a hard language to learn for foreigners. In my experience of learning Spanish, French and English, I can tell Norwegian is hard because like French and English, there are a lot of words that don't sound the way they are written, consonants are omitted, etc.., unlike Spanish which is pretty straightforward. Also we have a very strong variation in terms of dialects and Oslo is a city where people from all over the country meet. A person from Stavanger (western norway) and a person from Bodo (northern norway) sound just as different from eachother as a person from scotland and a person from the soutern US would.
ah fuck, ah well. I'll just smile and nod and hope to not scare away the tall aryan beauties haha.
Be careful not to spill your autism all over. There are a lot of Jow Forumsizens from Norway.
norwegians do that all the time, there are shopping buses in norwegian cities that take you to shopping centres in swedish border towns
You'll be fine. It's gonna take some time but it's a language like every other. Practice and patience.
But, as I said, pretty much everyone under 40 is fluent in English. As a Plan B.
Take the shuttle buss to Sweden, and buy all the food for half the price that you would buy it for in Norway.
Alcohol is pretty cheap there as well.
I'm a fucking tan hobbit
beleive me I'm worried about going full sperg trying to make friends and woo a lady
Download the mattilbud app, it shows you whats on sale for every store. Plenty of good deals.
I don't know if it's a meme from all the commercials, but accordingly, our meat is the best in the world. And the food industry in whole is very strictly regulated. This may have something to do with the prices.
>One of the most expensive countries in the world with some of the highest wages and GDP per capita
>In one of the most expensive cities in that country
Don't want to be mean OP but you screwed up. Better be something at the end of these six months for you. We have a saying here. "Studentfattig" (poor like a student). I hope you like oats and tuna.
>Don't want to be mean OP but you screwed up. Better be something at the end of these six months for you.
I get a diploma from my school and, sixmonths of work on my resume with Oslo Municipality.
So not bad all in all
Thanks for the tip! I figured I'd be missing the basic apps and know-how of living there.
Usually exchange students end up socializing mostly with other exchange students. There are lots and lots of them here so its going to be fine, and exchange students usually have similar touristy goals like checking out nature and stuff.
Universities, at least UiO, arrange hytte trips so all the students go up there and rent every cabin in the slopes and spend a weekend skiing and partying. Its probably the same for Oslo met.
ah nice to know and thanks. But I always wonder at those that just stick with their own group. It's tough, but what's the point of being around your own kind when you're in a new place? Might as well befriend the locals and see where that goes, heck get a gf if one can dream
Bed a Norwegian girl, and become friends with her group. You'll have Friday plans for the rest of the time you're there
Check if MyProtein delivers to Norway. When I lived in yurop it was a pain in the ass to get cheap whey and natural peanut butter. They ALWAYS have a sale
I don't know how they do it and get so tall and built there with the prices.
Visit Copenhagen while you're there. Then we lift together.
The best cheap tuna is the Rema 1000 brand. Chicken breasts can be bought at Rema/Kiwi for around 100kr/kg. Just freeze those bitches. Best "cheap" coffee brand is Evergood. Cottage cheese etc. is super expensive, just forget about it.
Making friends and socializing is easy, just attend what you called "orientation". Friendly warning: Anglos tend to react on how Norwegians seem to hate food (lunch is typically simple, bland stuff), and how hard it is to approach strangers for small-talk etc. We don't really do that, except for when we're drunk.
Someone else already pointed out how exchange students usually only hang out with other exchange students. That's ok if that's your thing, but I'd recommend not being that guy and trying your best to blend in with the locals and learn the language. Most young people that actually try, end up being pretty fluent after a year.
For transportation i recommend buying the city bike app. It's based.
Oh and go to the west coast (Hordaland, Sogn & Fjordane) if possible for great nature and hikes and stuff.
its sweden youre thinking o
norway and denmark isnt as pussified as sweden is
Fantastic!! Thanks for the insight Nice to know about the food prices. but yeah I want to do my best to blend in- I don't want to be one of those folks who only stick with the english folk. Going to norway, hope t make some norwegian friends. Granted the lack of small-talk will be the tricky part. Heard bonding over alcohol is key but gotta get invited to those events first.
Big thanks for the nature+hike rec's!
i guess ill be seeing you on lidl
norsker faen
goddagens herr norrman, eller vart du nu kommer ifrån.
>goddagens herr norrman, eller vart du nu kommer ifrån.
If I read that right.. I'm coming from Canada
Go out drinking
Norwegian people are autistic as fuck day to day
But drunk they are friendly and nice
Also, pack condoms, highest levels of one night stands in Europe, or close enough, they are very sexually promiscuous, it's great
Alcohol is expensive as fuck though, like everything (11 euro a pint)
>Also, pack condoms, highest levels of one night stands in Europe, or close enough, they are very sexually promiscuous, it's great
Bruh, the chances of me a tan manlet hooking up with a nordic amazon are slim, but I appreciate the confidence and maybe now I can finally see what the hype is all about.
Oof that's a stiff price, but heck, are you saying its easier for an outsider to chat up some norwegian strangers in a bar?
They do. But it's literally twice the price because muh import tax. Not worth it.
Dude, you underestimate how slutty our women are, like you have to be disfigured to be an incel here
Not the same user who you replied to you but I am a fellow Canuck who has lived in and studied in Norway for 3 years. In my experience Norwegian women are racist against some foreigners that have brown skin but if they hear that you speak English as a first language they will love you as you differ from the common potet.
You are making some expectations I am really hoping are true. Fuck if they're real, I'll be overjoyed. Got any tips?
Heck gonna check out some state churches while I'm there too, Basic liturgy to help learn the language and maybe find that honest girl.
oh Great! Thanks man appreciate the hope
Unless you're receiving their paycheck, you'll get destroyed by prices. Unless you get a lot of benefits as a student.
bumping for Norway
nah just 'work experience' and free education+access to uni facilities.
Still paying for housing, ruter and all that living stuff
>You LITERALLY couldn't have picked a better country. Well maybe Canada.
Not OP, but it's funny you mentioned that. I also live in Canada where I joined an outdoor club in uni and the majority are Norwegians and Dutch. They really do love camping and experiencing the outdoors.