How To Reduce Expences
As you know, students can be tight with finances. It is difficult to combine study with work, and therefore many students do not have enough money for their expenses. And so we are trying in every possible way to earn extra money and save on everything. As a student, I am familiar with this. In order to buy the necessary gadgets, I had to save for months. I realized that I was wasting a lot of money on the most unnecessary things.
And so I thought about how to reduce these expenses and rationally distribute my budget. Below I will describe some techniques that can be applied to any student.
Pack food from home food and cook for yourself
Every day a person needs to eat food three times a day and the student is no exception. We have lectures and seminars almost every day, which is why we have to have lunch or dinner outside the house. Therefore, we often buy food if we do not starve. Among the cheap options there are fast foods, such as McDonald's, KFC, Shawarma and all kinds of pies. Or you can buy it at the nearest supermarket. You can also enjoy a set lunch in the dining room. But firstly, eating fast food is unhealthy, you can quickly get fat. And even if you buy cheaply, if you eat 2 times a day five days a week, for a month you will spend 7 ~ 9 thousand rubles, which is not enough for an average Russian student. Therefore, I recommend always cooking and packing food with you from home. It can be sandwiches, fries in a plastic container, chicken breast - anything. You will save a lot if you do not buy every time.
Transportation cost reduction
Apply for a student’s social card and for 600 rubles you can ride the metro and bus all month. Use a taxi as little as possible, go around a lot, because it is useful.
Rent an apartment with a friend or acquaintance
Payment of rent takes a lot among the budget. Of course, you can live in a hostel, but it’s not as comfortable as if you were renting your own apartment. If you rent an apartment, it is better to rent it with a friend and divide the bill equally. So you can save a lot.
Do not buy what you do not need
Previously, when I spent on everything I wanted, I bought Samsung Galaxy phones every year, games for playstation 4, tablets, iPads and other unnecessary equipment. Also chasing fashion, I bought north face jacket, nike sneakers, bape shark, supreme, hoodies and etc. It seemed to me that it was necessary for life. But it turned out that I abandoned playing at the playstation after 2 weeks, did not use the iPad and did not wear any kind of hoodie supreme, because they bothered me. This money, which I spent in vain, could accumulate and be spent on really necessary things. I regret that I spent several hundred thousand rubles on any trash that I did not even use. Always think three times about how to buy this or that thing. This habit is very useful to you in life.
Do not go to the gym, do sports on the street
I spent tens of thousands on an annual fitness club membership. And you know how many times a month I went there? I went about 10 times for the whole year, because I was too lazy to leave the house and go there. And in the end, it did not help me lose weight and build muscle. Maybe this is my laziness, but I dropped ten kilos just by walking 10 kilometers every day. I just walked along the streets of Moscow, measured by the pedometer the number of my steps. I visited a lot of interesting places and it helped me lose weight much more than any fitness clubs. Therefore, think carefully before buying a subscription to a fitness club.
Shorten the trip to cafes, restaurants and various establishments
I also like to have fun with friends, especially after the sessions. I hung out a lot with friends after couples in local cafes and restaurants. But it cost me a lot because I also liked to pay for my friends. Reduce the cost of visiting bars, clubs, restaurants, cinemas, cafes, etc. In addition, nothing remains after them.
Reselling what is unnecessary (used textbooks, gadgets, things)
Resell used textbooks, electronic devices, clothing, etc.
Use the library
I spent a lot of money on buying textbooks that helped me, but I could borrow them in the libraries. If the textbook is really needed, then buy it online, it will be much cheaper than if you buy it in an offline store.
Use student discounts.
Many shops and institutions discount students, use them.
Record all your expenses in Excel
Many people don’t like to do such things, but if you get into the habit of writing all the expenses in an Excel file, then you can control your expenses much better. I have no doubt that this habit will be very useful to you in the future.
We looked at ten cost-cutting methods for students that are easy to use. These methods have helped me save a fairly large share of my expenses, I wish that these methods can be useful to many more students.
Text by
Iliya Kim