Money Saving Ideas for International Students

Money Saving Ideas for International Students

Starting university can be a costly experience for most, and we all know that student loan isn’t going to last forever. But thankfully with a little know-how you can reap the benefits of being a student and have a lot more cash in your pocket than you would have expected. Being a money-savvy student has never been easier – check out these top money saving tips for students. 

Money Saving Ideas/ Tips for International Students

Money Saving Ideas / Tips:

1.    Create a budget and check your finances on a weekly basis. Know how much money you need for your fixed expenses like tuition, gas, books, insurance, rent etc.

2.    Understand your bank charges and fees. Check your online bank statements often and make sure there are no nonsense fees like account keeping fees.

3.    Conduct research to see if you qualify for a health care card that can save you money, medical expenses, and other health related items.

4.    Apply and get an international student ID card. With this card, you can save on different types of transportation and attractions. You can get the international student card at a STA travel office.

5.    Look for trip saving cards or discounts that you can purchase online before you arrive in Australia.

6.    Ride a bike to school and take your bike or metro to work. 

7.    Use the back of free photocopy paper or use the back of old notes.

8.    When you get your haircut ask them to cut it short or have a friend cut your hair. 

9.    For birthdays and holidays make your own gifts for family and friends. Personalized gifts can mean a lot for someone because they will recognize that you have put time into making the gift.

10.    Brew your own beer and or wine. Learn from others or by informational reading online.

11.    Eat healthy and get enough sleep because becoming sick can cost you a lot of money and lost time.

12.    Go to the supermarket for your daily foods and cook for yourself. This will save a lot as eating out ads up fast.

13.    Look up activities offered by the student union that can offer you cheap and fun recreational activities.

14.    Go to the ticket office for cheap movie tickets and other attraction discounted tickets.

15.    Make sure to return your library books back on time so you don't get charged a late fee.

16.    Turn off your air conditioner and other electrical appliances when your away to save on the electricity bill.

17.    Keep a record of all your transactions to see how well you are spending your money and also to see what you can cut back on to save money.

18.    Keep all receipts and warranties.

19.    Make sure you have car and medical insurance as doctor visits and car accidents can be extremely costly.

Bonus Money Saving Tip:

Spend less on textbooks
Before you rush out and spend your entire student loan on books, check your lecture outlines and figure out which books you really do need to own, and which ones you can just borrow from the library. If there are some you need to buy, see if you can get a copy second-hand, and maybe even split the cost with course mates and share.

A few wise investments are necessary, as you’ll find that some of the key reading list textbooks will be useful throughout your degree. If you keep these in good condition, you’ll also be able to sell them to other students when they’re no longer needed.

There’s nothing quite like the feeling of finding some spare change down the side of your couch. So why not save money by collecting all the change you can find in a jar? Rummage around and you’ll be surprised at how fast this will add up. Use the coins for laundry, or when your jar is full you can take it to the bank and exchange all the coins you’ve been saving for some brand new notes! Speaking of which, be careful of cash machines that charge you for taking your own money out. It’s always worth walking a little further to avoid the fee.