>>and have allowed a LOT of wiggle room. there is plenty of extra money for sightseeing and short trips<<

Okaaaay -- except your OP states >> to keep costs to $50/day/person(plus transportation costs)<< . . . which would seem to indicate it needs to cover all food/drinks/admission charges/etc.

$50 doesn't give you much if ANY 'wiggle room'.

well i said "$50/day/person(plus transportation costs)"
so i have 50/day basically JUST for food and lodging. which is plenty, and i have more for attractions/transportation other than the 50

You may not care for the opinions of a few quite experienced travelers, but your own posts indicated how you would have to "pinch pennies" and "couch surf." I am just telling you that penny pinching may get old and may be an adventure for only so long. We were trying to be both realistic and helpful because honestly $50.00 per person per day is really meager even just for food (definitely all from supermarket or hostel) and lodging when traveling for such an extended period of time to so many places. Also, you may not always be where some cheap supermarket is handy. You may not easily find couch surfing for two people. How much time do you want to spend scrounging for food and lodging. You will really have to have things lined up, especially lodging.

It is great if, as you now indicate, you have a lot of extra money on the spread sheet for museums, etc. you have hostels, etc. worked out and, if your girlfriend enjoys the couch surfing, you have everything well in hand, you certainly need no other advice. You are doing fine. It will be a wonderful adventure with many memories

>>well i said "$50/day/person(plus transportation costs)"
so i have 50/day basically JUST for food and lodging. which is plenty, and i have more for attractions/transportation other than the 50<<

So we have a moving target, do we? There is a difference between $50 for everything other than transport (the OP), and >>sorry, my $50/day cost is just for food/lodging <<

But it seems you actually have one pocket for transport, $50 in another pocket for food/lodging, and a 3rd pocket w/ >>more for attractions/transportation other than the 50<<

I actually don't think you have any idea how much $$ you have.

Why not just have one number for how much you can afford per day, period?

($50 for food and lodging ain't gonna hack it unless you couch surf everywhere)

my research indicates that 50 for food and lodging will hack it everywhere actually. hostels are mostly 10-30, food wont be more than 20/day if we're not eating out. (and even 20/day is really pushing it as we know how to frugally cook and shop). We already have the 50/day set aside (9000 for both of us), and transportation costs are already more than covered for in my bank account, with more coming in that will definitely cover attractions. i have firm grasp of the financials

I disagree with you on the finances as do all the previous posters, and mainly you ask advice on an open forum but wouldn't get said advice,so what's the point?
If you need strictly advice on your route, clarify what kind of advice you are looking for...You do not give as something to work with, what was your motivation to chose said destinations for example... All I see is a list of cities.

No point in asking for advice and then arguing with the answers. Equally, there is no point in giving advice to someone unwilling to accept it.

With the Euro slumping expenses will be much less than we OP started planning - $50 a day is more realistic now than a few months ago if just talking about supermarket food and hostels or youth hotels.

ive accepted plenty of advice on this forum. everything, even adjusted my itinerary accordingly. my financials are fine, as ive explained multiple times now. but if you guys think that $11,000+ is not enough for this trip then you're crazy.

"if i could post my spreadsheet on this stupid forum"
"if you guys think that $11,000+ is not enough for this trip then you're crazy."

Nice nettiquette.

I'm off.

plenty of people survive in europe on 1k/month. this is fact. and im well above that.

and if you are all deadset on 50/day being REQUIRED, then you jsut dont know much about backpacking