Saving Students

Many of us are stereotypical students: we wear crazy clothes, we party harder than we actually study, and we are ALWAYS broke. One of the most valuable lessons we should take away from our student days doesn’t necessarily have anything to do with the degree we are studying – it is the lesson of budgeting and saving money!

ALIYANA has compiled 10 tips on how students are able to save money:

1. Firstly, never carry more money then you actually need when you’re on campus – it will just lead to temptation! R10 or R20 should be sufficient. If you think about it, the only thing you should pay for is printing credits. You’re on campus for a reason, and that is to study – not spend!
2. Pack a lunch. And no, this doesn’t mean two sandwiches tightly covered in cling wrap then neatly tucked into a Hanna Montana special edition lunch box with a small orange lidded juice bottle on the side. Unless that’s what you’re into. It means that you can bring last night’s leftovers, quick sandwiches or maybe a fruit salad that you have prepared the night before or morning of. Find an empty bottle and fill it up with a drink of your choice. This could save you about R30 a day, which could be R150 a week, which translates to R600 a month! Hanna Montana lunch box = not cool; saving R600 = very mature.
3. For students who live away from home or in self-catering accommodation, buying food in bulk could save a lot of money, and help out during the mid-month run out (i.e.:  the period of the month when your food supply runs out and two-minute noodles are considered a full meal). Wholesalers should definitely be your destination of choice for the monthly grocery shop.
4. Make use of discounts. For example, if a certain carton of milk is cheaper than the one you usually get, buy it! Your bones need the calcium, not the taste.
5. Bank charges will leave you with far less then what you thought you had in the bank; we all know that that R20 could help out a lot. Don’t withdraw money too frequently. Estimate the amount you’d need during the week and withdraw a little extra if necessary, for emergencies.
6. Date Night? We all know that the price of a movie now costs about as much as a full meal. Save money by entertaining your significant other at your place. Hire some DVDs and enjoy a home-cooked meal, and be thankful of the money you’re saving!
7. For those with cars, listen up. Yes, you may have found the answer to quick no-hassle and personal energy-saving travelling, but remember that before you drove you made another plan. So, when you can, make another plan! If possible, make use of any shuttle services provided for students, walk wherever possible. Not only are you helping to save our ozone layer by emitting less carbon, you’re also saving money…
8. Calling people from your cellphone when you could text instead wastes unnecessary rand. Buy a certain amount of airtime for a certain period of time (e.g.: R50 twice a month). If there is not a specific need for you to be calling people, be wise and send a text.
9. Students are notorious party animals, but try party as cost efficiently as possible. Look out for specials, host get-togethers at a friend’s place and have each one bring food or beverages, maybe get to know the manager at the restaurant close by! Think of anything that would result in you saving money.
10. Lastly, stay true to your budget! This may prove to be very hard as (probably unnecessary) items you had ‘forgotten’ to include while writing up your budget have now set you back a few rand, and as a result; you’re eating beans on last week’s bread or two-minute noodles for the remainder of the month.

Homelessness, the times you were broke and the many times you begged your parents for extra money are all part of the exciting life of a student. But if you are wise and find (legal) ways of making money and spending it wisely, it should be a time you’ll enjoy reminiscing about.