Blog 5 ideas on how to save money while being a student

University… For some, it’s a time of carefree, parties, traveling and freedom, while for others it’s a kind of survival school. Where do you get the money to live, study and entertain yourself when your parents don’t send you enough? How do you find your way in a big city when you’re on your own? How do you save effectively for university? Check below.

 

Meals

 

Food expenses are the highest in a student’s budget. Regular purchases of ever-expanding food items are unavoidable, and clogging your stomach with ready meals is unlikely to end well for your health. However, food expenses are worth optimizing.The best way to save is meal planning, making a shopping list and sticking to it. This way you won’t throw away food and buy only as much as you need.

If you are unable to eat something – freeze it.

You can also prepare food for college at home and take it with you in boxes.Also watch out for canteens located in the university building. Usually buying in them comes out expensive.

 

Fixed charges

Certain monthly expenses, such as your rent, bills or subscriptions, tend to stay the same from month-to-month. But it’s always worth considering whether you could be overpaying in any of these cases. For example, maybe you could switch to a cheaper mobile phone network or share the subscription with other people if the regulations allow it? Additionally, regularly check for any expenses that are automatically charged to your account – it’s easy to forget about them otherwise!

 

Clothing 

 

When buying clothes, it is important to remember that sometimes it is worth buying more expensive – if the higher price is backed by higher quality. It is also worth considering shopping in second hands. There you can often find quality clothes with labels of famous fashion brands. However, when deciding to buy in popular chain stores, it is worthwhile to hunt for promotions and instead of buying clothes just after the new collection comes in, hold off until the sale.

 

Transport

A considerable expense for a student’s pocket can be a car and the fees and fuel cost that go with it. If you haven’t yet switched from a car to public transportation, it’s about time! If the weather conditions are favorable and the distances are not great, you should also consider commuting to college or work by bicycle – a great opportunity for physical activity, for which there is often not enough time.

 

Culture and entertainment 

 

It’s impossible to pass up the cultural goodies offered by most academic centers – fortunately, however, there’s no need to do so at all. Many cinemas, theaters, pubs and restaurants offer favorable student discounts.  It’s also worth checking out your local library – they are often well stocked and save you the sums spent on books that, once read, you would put on the shelf and never return to.

 

What else…

 

A great way to make some money for yourself is a part time job. If you can afford it and it doesn’t interfere with your studies-we highly recommend it.

 

Having the status of a student means being able to take advantage of many discounts – from public transportation, to special financial products, to various educational courses. Often we appreciate them only after graduation, when we already feel the full prices directly in our wallets. Be sure to keep this in mind.

 

It’s much easier to manage your finances when you regularly check your expenses and are able to easily see what you’re spending too much on, and where you can find potential savings. A student budget is not significantly different from the budget you’ll keep later in the household.

 

Of course, the ways to study cheaply given above are only part of the solutions that an ingenious student can come up with. However, certainly following these tips will enable you to save a lot of money and, as a result, make studying cheaper.