Education logo

How To Survive Being a Broke Student

Because let's be honest, we're not going to stop going on nights out.

By Fiona IngramPublished 6 years ago 3 min read
Like
Yet another Tiger Wednesday where I throw my money away.

There's always that moment in the year where I log onto my internet banking, see how deep I am into my overdraft, and realise I probably could have been a little more smart with my money in the past couple of months. My mum will always be the first to say "Students just can't afford to be going out every other night, it's your own fault!" But I've found some handy ways to cut down on spending without also cutting down on fun.

1. Delete your takeaway apps.

Do it now, I know it's hard. One of my favourite pastimes would be to scroll through the restaurants on Just Eat and drool over all the food I could be eating. Problem is, more often than not I would end up saying "fuck it!" and ordering something yummy instead of pasta for the third night in a row. This doesn't mean you can never have takeaway again, but having the apps on your phone is a temptation none of us need: leave it for special occasions.

2. Smart Food Shopping

Ever since I moved away from halls and into my student house I have become a big fan of online food shopping. I realise that this does cost a little extra for delivery but hear me out! Ordering from your local supermarket means you can have more food than you can carry, so you can take advantage of 3 for 1 type deals. I would also recommend being more adventurous with food. Since becoming vegetarian I was forced to get a bit more creative with what I was eating. I went from eating frozen pizzas and chicken and chips to stir fries, fajitas, and a whole lot of veggie sausages. You don't have to be vegetarian to be adventurous by any means, but it gave me an excuse to eat better. Turns out buying noodles or rice gets you through lots more meals than frozen pizza. Plus, not only will your wallet thank you, but your body will too!

3. Do you really need to buy that?

This one probably applies a little more to girls. I KNOW the Asos sale is very tempting and I understand how good you would look in that crop top, but is it really that much nicer than the 10 other crop tops you own? It is? Fine. Here's how not to break the bank. Is it near your birthday, Christmas, or any other gift giving ceremony? Slip it into conversation that you love that dress on that site. Maybe someone will be nice enough to get it for you. Failing that, you could try the bank of Mum. Even know I'm 100% certain if I asked my mum to a buy me a new top she'd laugh and tell me that I am an adult and should get it myself, it's always worth a try!

4. Drink smart!

I am very lucky to live in Newcastle upon Tyne, where everything, especially alcohol, is very cheap. But wherever you are it's worth working out what is the cheapest way to get drunk. For me and my friends it's not buying vodka from the shop and drinking at home, but going to the student bars and taking full advantage of their deals. For you it may be to make sure you do all your drinking at home so you're not tempted to buy the overpriced drinks at the bar. Whatever it may be, work out what's best for your city and stick by it. Failing that you could just not go out as much, but let's be honest, that's not a realistic option.

So hopefully these tips are somewhat helpful. You could always just stop depending on your student loan and get a job, but for the lazy students like me, buying Tesco value pasta is the way to go!

how to
Like

About the Creator

Fiona Ingram

Just a girl with lots of ambition but no motivation.

Reader insights

Be the first to share your insights about this piece.

How does it work?

Add your insights

Comments

There are no comments for this story

Be the first to respond and start the conversation.

Sign in to comment

    Find us on social media

    Miscellaneous links

    • Explore
    • Contact
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms of Use
    • Support

    © 2024 Creatd, Inc. All Rights Reserved.