It's not a secret for anyone that life is very difficult for students (financially). Especially if you're studying on a contract, not a scholarship. All this waste on food, housing, love affairs, parties ... To have enough money for everything you need, you need to change your habits. Of course, you won't be able to change everything all at once, but you can start small. Now I will tell you a few saving secrets.
So that there is no need to save money, create your own website and teach it to make a profit.
Method number 1 - "Refusal of unnecessary waste"
- Refusal of restaurants, cafes and even a canteen. Of course, you want to eat quickly without wasting energy on cooking at home. But a lot of money is spent on this. Even if you eat in the cafeteria, it will be more expensive than cooking something at home and taking it with you to the university.
- Saving utilities. This applies to those who live in an apartment, not a hostel. Unplug all electrical appliances before leaving home. Try not to turn on the lights unnecessarily or run the washing machine over just one T-shirt.
- Free software. In fact, in our country, few people use paid programs and applications, but still. To save money, try to use online services or free analogs of the necessary applications.
- Communication in messengers. Now there are many convenient instant messengers and video chats such as Viber, Telegram, WhatsApp, Instagram, Twitter. Correspondence and calls through such applications will significantly reduce the cost of calls and messages.
- Withdraw money at the cash desk or ATM of your bank. Usually other banks charge a fee for using their ATM and not your bank's ATM. Therefore, it is best to find the nearest branch of your bank and withdraw money from the card there.
- Full cashing in of the scholarship. As a rule, money leaves the card faster than cash. Therefore, it is better to remove the entire scholarship from the card and spend finances as needed. Cash is “felt” in contrast to money on a card.
- Doing sports at home, not in the gym. A lot of money is spent on subscriptions and classes with a trainer. But you don't have to go to the gym to stay fit. You can do fitness at home, run outside, ride a bike. And if you also involve friends in this, it will also be fun.
- “NO” to impulse buying. This applies mainly to girls. I saw a beautiful dress or a new lipstick - that's it, I urgently need to buy it. If you are already walking through shopping centers or streets with many shops, then just do not take your money with you. But since you have exactly the required amount, then do not rush to buy this thing, wait an hour, and then a day, and then a week. You will understand that this thing was not so necessary. Also, try to take only those things that can be returned.
Method number 2 - "Changing habits"
- Cook at home. Living without parents is a great excuse to learn how to cook. In addition to helping you save money, it's also a great excuse to see your family and friends more often. Cooking together unites.
- Take lunch with you. The university is doubly hungry. Especially when you know that delicious buns are sold nearby. To avoid wasting money on small snacks during the day, take your lunch from home with you. In addition to a full meal, you can take some other fruit or cookies with you.
- Go to the store well-fed. If you go to a supermarket hungry, then consider that the money that you took with you is gone. When you’re hungry, you’ll buy more than you can eat anyway. Therefore, before going to the store, you need to eat a little, or even better, write a list of necessary foods and stick to it.
- Attend events that have free treats. The internet is a good thing. There is a lot of information about the various events taking place nearby. In any case, there are some where there will be free treats for guests. Go there, there you can not only have a good and interesting time, but also have a delicious meal. Of course, you don’t have to stuff food in your pockets or put it in the basket to take it home, but if you put yourself on a plate full, no one will tell you a word.
- Spend more time at home. Many people think that sitting at home is boring. But in fact, you can find many different activities, if you wish. Instead of going to the cinema, to a club or to a concert, you can watch a movie at home with friends, do your hobbies, clean up your apartment, in the end.
- The bicycle is the best transport. In addition to saving money, you can also keep yourself healthy and fit.
- Ride the subway and trolleybus. In winter it is not very convenient to ride a bike, but this does not mean that you need to ride in a taxi or by car. You just need to start using public transport. It is especially beneficial to travel by metro, trams and trolleybuses.
Method number 3 - "Reasonable spending"
- Buy textbooks online. If the library does not have the necessary books and textbooks, do not rush to buy them at the nearest bookstore. On the Internet, you can find the same textbooks much cheaper. In addition, there you can find students selling textbooks that they have already used and no longer need them.
- Stock shops and second-hand shops. Clothes in these stores are much cheaper. Of course, finding something suitable there will be more difficult. But you can fool around there with friends, trying on different outfits. Plus, you can find good branded items there.
- Groceries in markets or inexpensive stores. It is clear that shopping in a supermarket is much more convenient than in the market. But the markets also have their advantages: you can bargain there, fresh goods and, most likely, there is less chemistry than in the products that are sold in supermarkets.
- A large number of products. Since they have come to buy groceries, then you need to stock up in full, so that once and for the whole week. It's cheaper in bulk. And if you don't live alone, you can buy food together.
- Frozen food. Although they are not particularly useful, they are practical. Frozen food has a much longer shelf life, so you can spend less money on it.
- Cheap analogues of goods. Expensive does not mean the best. There are many analogs of products and drugs that are several times cheaper, but no less of a quality.
- Take advantage of discounts. Nowadays, almost all stores have discount and savings cards. Ask the administration how you can get them and use them for health. There are often promotional days or hours. This is also very beneficial.
- Rent a house with someone. Living in a dorm is of course ideal for your wallet. But often I don’t want to live there, I want to live like a normal person, in an apartment. Therefore, it is very convenient to rent a house not by yourself, but with someone. It is even possible for 3-4 people. So it is more profitable and more fun.
Method number 4 - "Provide yourself"
- Grow vegetables at home. Even if there is no piece of land on which to grow vegetables, you can always grow greens on the windowsill. There is also a certainty that the food is organic and something to eat too.
- Old textbooks and clothes can be sold. You need to get rid of unnecessary things. Do not throw them away. There are many websites and online services through which you can sell textbooks that you no longer need or clothes that you definitely won't wear. And they got rid of the trash, and earned some money.
- Find a suitable job. Of course, the main task of the student is to study. Therefore, there are many part-time job options. Remote work is ideal for students.And if you have a favorite pastime, for example, you like to play the guitar and you are good at it, then you can even give guitar lessons for beginners.
- One-time work. In addition to stable work, there is also a one-time job. You can find a one-time part-time job on the Internet, donate blood, earn extra money as a loader, hand out leaflets.
Method number 5 - "Manage your finances"
- Notebook of expenses. Create a notebook or notebook in which you will write down all income and expenses. This will help you keep track of where more money is going and reduce costs. By the way, there are special applications for phones with such functions.
- Open a bank deposit. A piggy bank at home is, of course, good, but it is safer to open a savings account in a bank. In order not to spend all the money at once, put it in a savings account. Many banks have offers specifically for students.
- Develop a budget. Add up all your income: salary, scholarship, parental help. Now, subtract the required expenses from that amount - rent, tuition, utilities, etc. What's left is your monthly budget. Calculate how much you can spend, for example, per day. It is advisable to distribute all financial expenses for the month.
- List of what you want and what you want. What you need and what you want are two different things. Make a list of what you really need - clothes, groceries, hygiene products, and the like - and a wish list. First, get what you need, and then, if the budget allows, what you really want. It is advisable to arrange the lists in order of priority. That is, at the top of the list should be what you need most.
I hope that this article was useful to you and it will help you to properly allocate your finances. The main thing is to start, and then everything will go like clockwork 🙂
