Hostel dorm vs. couchsurfing for my Prague trip, picked the wrong one

I booked a 8-bed hostel dorm for 3 nights and a couchsurfing stay for the last 2, trying to stretch a $400 budget across a week, and the couch ended up being 2 hours outside the city center with a host who worked nights. The hostel cost me $28 a night but had breakfast and lockers, while the free couch cost me $15 in tram tickets and a sleepless night on a lumpy futon. Does anyone else factor in hidden commute time when choosing between free and cheap options, or am I the only one who learns this the hard way every trip?

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mark_price15d ago

The lumpy futon part got me. I did the same thing in Berlin once, saved $30 on a free couch but spent more on transit and coffee just to function. Now I add up travel time and cost before I even look at the price. Hostel breakfast and being in the city is worth way more than people think.