Thanks Alix, that is really helpful! We are hoping to get something on the costa, but not too fussed where exactly! Time scale being how it is, if we manage to get somthing for September term we will probably go straight to work, if we can't geanything until January we will travel.

It is really useful to hear from someone that went out with not much start up cash.

Thanks again

Dani

It depends on where you go and if your school will help you with accomodation.  Also, if you plan to do any travelling first.

My school would set you up in a fairly cheap room and you could owe them the rent until you started working, which was great because I didn't have too much with me - a few hundred $, and I was trying to hang onto some savings.

Transport is pretty cheap, gostels anything around $10=15 a night for one that's ok.  Food is cheap if you have a kitchen but if you want to eat out you'd better like chicken and rice if you want to eat cheap!

Taxi's about $1 and buses 25c everywhere.  Of course, cities like Quito are much more expensive than towns like Loja or Cuenca.

If you get straight into work, you'll need at least a month's wages, which will get you through the month until payday with a small amount of luxuries like eating out etc.  If you want to pay youre rent up front you'll need another $200 ish (I paid $65-75 a month in Loja)

Then give yourself enough for getting from Quito/Guyaquil to your destination - a night in a hostel in either of those cities is a bit more expensive plus you'll need breakfast, bus fee, another hostel night possibly..... where are you going?  You can fly from Quito to other towns sometimes but it's expensive.