The broke uni student: Living on a budget

Anyone who has ever been a student will know the struggle when it comes to living on a tight budget. Or maybe you're one of those super heroes who is both studying and working full time. (We salute you) For me, the struggle is real. But fear not! I have put together a list of money saving tips that will help you enjoy life without breaking the bank. Don't worry if you're not a student, these tips can be applied by just about anyone who want's to save a few dollars!!

Pack your lunch This may not sound exciting, but it is definitely the tip that is going to save you the most money in the long run! I'm sure it's nothing new, but have you ever done the math behind it? I worked out how much I would save packing my lunch vs buying it 3 days of the week whilst at uni. Here it is:

Typical lunch at Giri Kana (You may not eat the same thing every day, but lets face it, Giri Kana is too amazing to pass up)

Small take away meal - $10

Kofta balls (because yum...) - $4

Tiramisu (again, because yum) - $8

Total - $22

Now, as you can probably tell, I'm slightly addicted to Giri Kana, (I possibly treated myself to it today, but hey, I had a buy one get one free deal, so why not...) hence why I opt to pack lunch most days over getting sucked in by all that deliciousness. But, if i did decide to eat lunch out, that adds up to $22 PER DAY. And that doesn't even include any snacks to eat throughout the day. Now, for the sake of reality, lets say you only ordered the take away meal. (Go you, look at that self control) That still equates to $10 per day, $30 per week, $120 per month... you see what i'm getting at? It costs A LOT to eat out. Pack your lunch, you can thank me later.

Take advantage of discounts This next tip is something that has been instilled into me. (Thanks for that, mom) Wherever and whenever you possibly can, take advantage of discounts! Student discounts, shopper docket discounts, loyalty discounts... The list could go on for this entire blog post. One thing that I save big on is going to the movies, because I know where to find the discounts! Did you know, if you are a member of RACQ you can get discounts for lots of things, including movies! My local cinema charges $16.50 per ticket for a student, however, you can purchase it through RACQ for $12.50, meaning you save $4.50! (Anyone can do this, not just students) Now this is a good price, but, I also know if I drive a bit further, another (slightly less fancy) cinema offers student tickets for just $6.50. I bet you can guess which one I go to...

Shop online This next tip ties in with taking advantage of discounts... shopping for your uni supplies online! You can get some awesome discounts at places like Typo (my fav place for uni books) just by doing a quick google search for discounts. This semester, I got all of my supplies for uni for 40% off, received free shipping, and didn't have to leave the house. For me, that's a WIN!

Get a menstrual cup Now, as you can probably tell, this tip is rather lady specific. (Sorry guys) I'm not going to tell you to look away (although I kinda just did) if you're squeamish, because lets face it... Menstruating is a normal thing. So, jumping right in. Getting a menstrual cup can literally save you a ton (okay, maybe not literally...) each year. Let's say you spend $10 a month on tampons, pads, ect. That adds up to $120 PER YEAR. And for what, something you use once and throw away? Although there is a bit of an upfront cost, (mine was about $50) it definitely doesn't take long to break even. I have bought ONE pack of tampons (which is still 90% full) in the (almost) year that I have been using my menstrual cup. I'll let you do the math on that one.

So, there you have it! I could go on for days with money saving tips, but that should be enough to get you heading in the right direction. If you have any other tips that you find helpful to reduce your spendings, leave me a comment below!

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Teah x

#lifestyle #budgeting #savingmoney #Thebrokeunistudent