How to Study Without Breaking the Bank
|Being a student means stretching your budget to breaking point and living hand to mouth. This is all part of the fun of student life though; you should embrace it and find fun ways to have fun with no money in your pocket.
There are plenty of ways to make sure you don’t spend too much money though. Here are some great tips to help you study without breaking the bank, enjoy!
Don’t Fall Behind on the Rent
Falling behind with the rent can be disastrous, so don’t fall into this trap. If you don’t pay up on time, you might be faced with late payment charges. It’s best to make sure you always pay on time, preferably a little time in advance.
Some landlords will even give you a discount if you choose to pay a long time in advance. This is definitely a good idea if you have the resources to do it.
Make a Budget
Drawing up strong, unshiftable budgets can be a great way of making sure you don’t spend more money than you can afford to. Your budget should be conservative, yet realistic. There’s no point in making a budget that’s impossible to stick to.
To fully understand how much money you have to spend it might be worth using a spreadsheet where you can keep track of your incoming and outgoing money. This will mean you can plan treats and nights out when you have some excess money to spend at the end of the month.
Take Advantage of Scholarships and Bursaries
There are lots of ways that universities, colleges and academic organisations try to help out students. So, make sure you check if you’re eligible for any scholarships or bursaries that might be on offer.
There are many ways in which you can find them; check out this college scholarship from Web Education HQ. There are many other opportunities like this is you look hard enough for them, so keep your eyes peeled.
Pool Your Resources
Most students live in a shared house; this is a must for most students on a budget. However, there are more ways in which you can spread the cost of living as a student. The more you can pool resources with your friends, the better.
Try buying food in a group and cooking meals for everyone in the house. It’ll be a lot cheaper than buying your food individually; and you’ll avoid the arguments that come with that. The same goes for travel expenses where possible.
Work a Small Number of Hours
Getting a job is obviously a great way of boosting your budget, but it’s never easy to strike the right balance between work and study. You don’t want to dedicate too much time to working, otherwise your studies may suffer.
The best way to sort out this problem is to work a small number of hours. You’ll get a little boost to your budget without having to sacrifice your academic commitments. It’s the best compromise on offer, and I’d recommend it.