Our top 5 life hacks to increase your budget when you're a student
Monthly budget planning sheet with pen and wallet
When you are a student it is sometimes complicated to find a part-time job in order to gain some extra money. However, a recent study shows how 46% of the interviewed students would work but 17% of them think that this would negatively affect their academic results. So here you’ll find a list of life hacks in order to increase your budget without having to find a new job.
#1 Ask for a financial support to the state
You must know that when you are a student you can receive financial support from the State. But this process is often difficult to understand and really time-consuming. You must juggling between APL (housing financial support), CROUS and the numerous scholarships existing and sometimes you can easily get lost. But you need to learn to bear with the organisations and take the time to understand how they work because this financial support may be crucial!
In order to make this process easier we found for you a website that can help you calculate the financial supports you can apply to. It will only take 2 minutes of your time! The website is called Fibii and it will simplify your life!
#2 Student discounts
In France, most of restaurants and shops will grant you with student discounts if you show a valid student card. At the same time, the same thing works as well for public transportation and trains, fast-food restaurants, sport clubs, cinemas and even theatres! Another important thing is that most of the museums in France are free for young people (18-25 yo).
Feel free to ask when you checkout, you never know you could save a few pennies. Be careful, however, that the dates of the current year are clearly indicated on your student card, otherwise, some merchants refuse to apply the discount.
#3 Travel cheaper
Being a student often means living far away from your friends and family. How many times have you traveled for a weekend to see them? Trains and planes can be very expensive especially during holidays. But we found the solution for you.
If you travel throughout Europe, you can try BlaBlaCar or OUIBUS. On average, busses are 46% less expensive than car sharing but also 35% slower. Additionally you can try to join some facebook groups where people organise their departures. Doing that will allow you avoid taxes, but be always cautious.
#4 About passing your driving licence ?
In the past, passing your driving licence was a huge investment for a student. Code learning and training hours costed between 1500 and 2000€ depending on the region! But for the past few years prices have been significantly decreasing. Nowadays, you can register in an official examination centre for only 30€ (instead of 300!), but you will not benefit from common code classes and help. This solution will allow you on one hand to save some money, but on the other will force you to study alone without any supervision. So, just make sure you pick up the right highway code and start studying. Several free classes are available on the web. Once you know the code, you’ll eventually need to register in a driving-school, but by studying by yourself, you can save up to 270€!
Once you have your driving licence, you will be able to offer your own rides on BlaBlaCar and share your travels!
#5 Stop eating junk food
Studies confirm that students spend on average 159€/month for food (Source OVE 2011 + évolution de l’indice de consommation des prix). However, bad eating habits can blow up this budget. For lack of time, fast foods and junk ready food are the preferred solution by students. And let’s be fair, this food is far from cheap. The easiest solution require a little more time and dedication but you’ll see all the benefits! Of course we are talking about cooking your meals yourself. Because yes, a homemade meal is way cheaper that a bought one, whether it be in a restaurant or even at the supermarket. Cooking your own food will make you more aware about your eating habits and you will at the same time saving a lot of money.
If you’re not the best cooker in the world, don’t worry. Start from something easy like pasta or rice with vegetables or meat. Some cooking classes reserved to students are available as well!
Now you know all the tips we had on this subject. Respect them and you’ll not be disappointed: you’ll see a big difference in your budget!
And when flatsharing, it is even easier to save money 