When in living in college it can be very hard to find the time (or the money) to get by in your busy day to day life. Whether its paying rent, buying books or going out, college tends to be very expensive. Here are our top 6 tips for living on a budget in college.
1. Make a budget
Okay, this one may seem a little on the nose but trust us it makes a world of difference. Keeping track of your expenditure and income makes your life much more structured and helps you make savings in the long run. Although this process can be quite stressful(that swell of anxiety you get just before you look at your bank balance) but the crucial thing is to remember to tell yourself ‘how much money do I need a month?’ Try to always set aside money to pay your bills such as rent, utilities, food etc and of course the internet and phone bills.
Saving will save your life
2. Be Smart With Transport
Walking is free. It’s not lavish, it’s not fun but by God it’s free. If you can walk, cycle or even take the bus I would always opt for those options as opposed driving. By doing this you save money on gas/petrol and if you absolutely have to drive try set up a carpool with the local people in your area, there are actually services that help you with this sort of thing.
3. Get A Place Off Campus
Everyone knows that student accommodation can be very expensive and therefore it can be very hard to live on a budget so the best thing to do is find accommodation off campus that is nearby. It’s cheaper, more affordable and not to mention its much easier to throw a session when you don’t have RA’s breathing down your neck for eating too loudly. We’re in the middle of the housing crisis but there’s a lot of inventive renting opportunities popping up like
4. Sesh Responsibly
Don’t worry this isn’t a preachy PSA on partying(but you know don’t overdo it and be respectful and blah blah blah..) but rather some advice on college nightlife. Avoid overly expensive clubs and plus most nights these days have some kind of cheap list or ‘free before’ offer so the frugal student will make use of these. Always pre-drink, like pre-drink HARD. If you spend 30 euro on drinks when you’re on a night out, you’re not doing it right.
Don’t Forget That You’re A Student
Look there’s a lot of sh*tty things that come along with being a student, but there are also a lot of perks. For one you can get student overdrafts that charge you no interest, most places have some sort of student discount and if you have a part-time job you can apply for a lower rate of tax just for being a student. Also, items like the ISIC Student Card opens you up to literally thousands of student discounts in Ireland and abroad. Look, we’d be here all day explaining the ways in which students can game the system so we would advise you to do some research and find the deals that best work for you.
