Denise and I never backpacked through Europe after college. I’m not sure I even realized it was an option, but I probably wouldn’t have appreciated it back then anyway. So now, 20-something-mumble-mumble years later, off we go to backpack through Europe – of course Denise is much younger than me so it’s only been a couple of years after college for her 
Although the budget will be slightly larger than a college kid can afford, it won’t be by much. We won’t be staying in $10 a night youth hostels, but we won’t be staying in big chain hotels either. We will be staying at Mom-and-Pop hotels-pensions-zimmers. More along the lines of a bed and breakfast in some cases, or just a really small hotel in others. Much cheaper than chain hotels. Living where we do, you can’t help but get infected by Rick Steves and his style of European budget travel. Hopefully his recommendations are good.
Also unlike college kids, we won’t get to travel for 3 months or more. This trip is limited to 3 weeks (still nothing to complain about). One drawback of being a responsible adult, you can’t go off for 3 months, not if you want to keep your job (but I guess I could lug around a laptop. Hmm, maybe I should rethink this trip).