Last month we focused our theme on the topic of finances with the goal to educate and inspire our members to make smarter choices with their money. We shared many tips and tricks, reading and podcast recommendations, apps to track your finances, sidehusteling options, cheap but delicious recipes for budget meals and a lot more! We also had a wonderful mini-workshops event where some of our members shared their knowledge on different topics such as cheap cooking and grocery shopping, upcycling, saving up on water and electricity, budget travelling and financial fallacies.
In today’s blog post we want to share with you the essential ways to save money daily as a student. So keep on reading because hopefully you’ll find some new ideas to implement in your life!
First off, here are some clever tips to consider if you want to spend less money on food and shopping:
- Plan and prepare your meals beforehand for a longer period of time (the whole week for example).
- Additionally, try not to do groceries every day but plan in advance, so you won’t end up buying snacks or unnecessary food daily.
- Try to go to the shop with a full stomach, so you won’t buy anything you don’t need!
- Use e-shops for buying groceries if possible to track your shopping list without emotional buying.
- Consider wisely what you eat: it is cheaper to make porridge than a sandwich in the morning for example.
- If you are not able to eat homemade food on some days, look for lunch offers and happy hours (päevapakkumised.ee/tartu)
- Consider growing your own edible plants and herbs, such as basil, onion, parsley or tomatoes.
- Bring your own coffee/water in a thermos to avoid buying expensive from a cafe or shop.
- Make plans and calculations before your more expensive purchases and do not settle for the first option because you might be able to find cheaper alternatives.
- Ask for discounts because some places might have special deals for certain people
It is also possible to save up with your lifestyle choices. Here are some ideas to consider!
- Prefer inviting friends over, to eating at fancy restaurants – you can cook together and chill afterwards.
- Using an ISIC card as a student gives you discounts both in Estonia and also when travelling around Europe.
- Think twice before you buy something – do you really need it or is it just an emotional purchase? PS! you do NOT have to buy something only because it’s discounted.
- Always prefer quality over quantity, whether it be buying clothes or household utensils, because it will last longer and also is more sustainable.
- Share your accounts (e.g. Netflix, Spotify, Disney+) with multiple friends or simply watch videos from YouTube or Jupiter for free.
- If you need something (books, clothes, household gadgets etc) try borrowing it from your friends/neighbours.
- Buy your stuff from second-hand or recycling shops, moreover set certain days when you do your shopping so you won’t spend money too often.
- Plan your cultural events and travels as much ahead as possible, that way you can find early-bird passes, discount deals and much more.
- You can work out at home for free or try discounted/free group trainings offered to students at gyms or The University of Tartu Academic Sports Club.
- Try upcycling and using your available resources to maximum capacity – you probably have clothes or similar items that could be given a new life.
Perhaps these lists inspired you to change some of your financial habits or sparked new ideas on how to up your saving game even more. Good luck and happy experimenting!
Article composed by: Aulika Laagus, edited by: Liisa Õunpuu