Five ways to save money at uni
School is over. The longer summer holidays are a perfect time to relax in great weather and get a casual job over Christmas. When university begins, there’s enough money to be saved. But within weeks the hip pocket can take some serious damage. How do you counter this and not lose all of your money while studying? Let’s find out.
Get a job near your uni
This is an easy way to ensure you always have money coming in. If you are able to hand your CV in around your campus and secure a job there, then whenever you go to uni you can then go work after. By hanging around for an extra few hours, you can make some handy cash If your uni is in the city then there are plenty of opportunities, while other campus’ have food places and stores that could always do with your helping hands.
Work on weekends
Part of university living is the social life. You meet heaps of new people and going out for a few drinks is the easiest way to bring everyone together. But that comes at a cost. Before you go out on that Saturday night, having a job where you can work a few hours on the Saturday afternoon may give you the money you need for that night, meaning you don’t lose any previously held money. If you’re lucky enough, working on Sunday will give you a pay bonus and may even mean you save a little money the night before by getting home a tad earlier.
Have one-two ‘food’ days a week
A major problem facing your wallet is the amount of awesome food available on campus. You can smell it wherever you walk, and it’s not necessarily cheap. Therefore, it’s important to restrain yourself. Some positive mental control may mean you make food to bring in for most of your days at uni, and then allow yourself one or two days where you buy lunch. If you’re able to find a cheap place with a great filling lunch option, then one or two days of that won’t exceed $20. Keeping yourself on this budget may make the world of difference.
If using public transport, get a concession card
The concession student card is around $10 and means you can travel with a concession myki. Rather than forking out the extra money for an adult full fare trip each time, a concession ticket will be steadily cheaper and means you’ll have to top up less. It’s also way cheaper than getting caught with a child myki or a concession myki without the student card, as those fines will hurt you financially. It may be a pain to obtain in the interim but it’s worth it to avoid forking out over $20 a week just to get to uni.
If driving in, know the petrol price fluctuations
It’s the great pain of driving. When driving to your campus, petrol seems to trickle out like there’s a big leak in the bottom of your car. But the worst part is when you go to fill up (the petrol light has been blushing brightly for too long) and the prices have jumped up by 30 cents from when you drove past last night. A way to get around this is by actively following the petrol prices, and understanding the dips and rises that go with it. It may mean filling up your tank completely when the price drops down to around $1.30 per litre, but it’s worth it when it shoots up to $1.60.
