Budgeting Tips for Students

Bugeting tips for students

Being a student can be hard work, both inside and outside of the classroom, as there are now more obstacles than ever to face when attempting to complete an education. Attending classes, finishing coursework, and finding an internship or placement can all be difficult tasks, but finding time to do paid work – or afford college in the first place – complicates matters much more. Following our budgeting tips for students can help you enjoy your university or college days without the stress of money worries.

Most students are on a very tight budget and it’s only the more fortunate who don’t have to work while they attend school, making it harder than ever to complete a three or four-year education. However, you may be able to get away with working a bit less, so you can concentrate a bit more on your coursework, by using these basic tips to help you maintain a budget as a student.

Vouchers

The very first thing you should do as a student is get on your mobile device, and start downloading vouchers that will help you obtain the best deals. There are plenty of voucher programs that utilise GPS to figure out the best deals within a certain radius. By saving on travel, textbooks, drink, clothes and other student essentials, you can easily stretch your money just a little bit further each month.

Choosing to shop at discount supermarkets, go online to shop for textbooks, and cut out some things that are not essential can also help to strengthen your monthly budget. It’s not a matter of pinching pennies, rather a realistic appraisal of what’s needed – and what’s termed an ‘impulse purchase.’

Student Discounts & Free Activities

Next you should look at local discounts that might be offered to your college community. A lot of restaurants, stores, and museums offer discounts to students. Choosing to visit a museum over the weekend as a main activity, or dine at a restaurant that offers a great student discount, can trim some extra spending every weekend. Over time this money can be used on other things. Every little bit helps, so start adding up the ways you can save within your local area.

Develop Your Kitchen Skills and Save

Finally, learn to a cook a few meals, instead of dining out or depending on a meal plan while at university. Cooking takes some time, and of course you need to buy some ingredients, but most of the time it produces healthier food that stretches further for the price. You can easily cook a “bulk” meal that you can eat over four to five nights, for the same cost as dining out one evening. By doing this at least once a week you should easily be able to cut your food spending in half.