How to Save Money as a Student

Many supermarkets have a clearance sale in the evenings, where any food due to go out of date is sold at a marked-down price. Bread, seafood and dairy products go on sale, and many vegetables, fruits and other fresh produce are labelled with a reduced price. These are great bargains for students, since the foods usually won’t actually expire for another few days. Next time you go grocery shopping, try popping into the store a few hours before it closes and check out the prices. There’s a massive difference! 

Cooking for yourself definitely helps you save money as a student. Eating out is one of the most expensive things you can do, especially if you study in a city where a lot of restaurants are pricy. So guys and girls, channel your inner Jamie Oliver and get cooking from scratch. Not only is cooking for yourself cheaper, but also healthier, better for your body (think of the amount of saturated fat in oily Chinese takeaways) and great fun too!

Let’s face it, you and I are all guilty at times of spending too much money on items that a) we already have; b) are completely unnecessary or c) are just too plain expensive. And usually, taking a credit or debit card out is the easy way to pay for the bill without facing the reality of the price. Many students are tempted by credit cards to buy now and pay at a later date, but this bad habit may lead to overspending or huge bank debts when the end of the month comes. Refrain from this method of paying – keeping count is much easier when it’s cash!

Many people think having fun means spending lots of money on movies, parties, clubs, theme parks or other local attractions. In fact, there are many types of free entertainment available in any city – it just requires a little extra effort and dedication to find! Consult the internet and maybe start from websites like timeout.com, where you can search for all kinds of things to do free of charge. Remember many clubs, cinemas and theaters will offer discounts for students – if it’s not clearly advertised, just ask. The university itself will have plenty of cheap entertainments going on, and joining student clubs will often mean you get to benefit from even more discounts.

Final lesson: You can definitely save money as a student while still having a great time at university!