If you’re a student living on a budget,
there’s no doubt that your living situation might not be everything you hoped
for. This is even more the case if you’re studying abroad and are needing to
adjust to a different way of life at the same time. The good news is that a
budget can be managed in a way that you can squeeze the most out of it, however
tight it may seem. In this article, we demonstrate a few of these great and
simple tips to help give you a better understanding of how your budget can work
better for you.
Start getting organised
If you’ve taken out one or more business
student loans, you should have some idea how
important a budget can be for a student. The first thing you should always be
doing is making a plan. This is to ensure you can properly keep track of all of
the money coming in and going out, and having an understanding of where it
actually going. Developing a list of your expenses – such as rent, utilities,
public transport and groceries – will give you a much clearer idea of where you
can spend less, rather than you just having money disappear from your account
every month. It also allows you to accurately understand how much money you can
allocate to your fun budget, as underspending or overspending here can have
negative consequences either way. If you’re finding that your fun budget is
taking up too much space in your allowance, this would be a good opportunity to
start figuring out fun things to do that don’t cost an arm and a leg – staying
in and preparing meals with friends is much cheaper than going out, as is
sharing a bottle of wine rather than a few expensive glasses out.
Save money in the little things
One of the best ways to save money in the
long-term is by being very careful where you shop, which usually involves you
doing your research and keeping an eye out for supermarket specials. The big
supermarket chains usually do a lot of half price food, so it’s a good idea to
structure your meals around these specials, rather than the other way around.
It’s also a great way to help you find new and interesting food to eat that you
might not have otherwise considered! If you live quite close to a few of these
chains, you can split up your shopping between them if it is convenient to make
the most savings possible.
Significant sums of money are also spent on public transport – although it is
unavoidable for some, trading public transport for being more active can save
you a lot of money. Even if it requires you to purchase a bicycle, consider the
net savings you can make in the long-term – plus, you now have a bike!
Small savings add up
Although you might not think it to be the
case, lots of small savings can help bring a ballooning budget under control.
Paying attention to small things like student-related
benefits and cost savings can also save you a few dollars here and there. There
are also a few lifelong money saving tips that you can learn along the way,
such as making your own food instead of eating out – it all just takes a little
bit of practice!
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