If you are not the son or the daughter of Bill Gates…
No…No…you’re not! :p In that case, we recommend you to make a monthly budget for your expenses or otherwise you will receive many complains from your parents or even worst, you will end BROKE by the three first months!! bye bye good life. 🙁
We know when you’re in a new country it’s almost imposible to control yourself from buying new stuff, eating in restaurants, hanging out, partying a lot or traveling to new places, but you need to CONTROL YOURSELF and organize your expenses in order to avoid being broke and going through a hard time all by yourself and far from home!
To make your life more easier, We detail you a list of the most important expenses you need to consider and some ways to save money while studying abroad in each of them:
- Flat rent
We know when you think of studying abroad, you dream of having your own modern flat! but…unless you have luck, it will cost you a fortune. Almost in every country you can rent rooms in students flats. This is also a good way to meet new people, have a new family overseas and to save money in the rent, the most expensive of all the expenses! Picture this: Modern flat 600€ Vs. Nice flat 300 € or less.
Which one you preffer or which one you can afford to pay?
- Food
Rule #1! Don’t spend all your money in restaurants! we all love a good lunch in a restaurant but honestly it can also make you spend all your food budget in just a couple of visits to restaurants! It’s healthier and cheaper to buy food in the supermarket and cook everything by yourself or with your flatmates! you will save money $ and you will also become a better chef : ) You can allow yourself to eat in restaurants 3 or 4 times a month if you are planning to stick to your budget : )
- Mobile
Don’t let all the big mobile companies fool you! Please! make a research before making a contract with a mobile company. In almost every country you will find companies that will offer you mobile plans with better prices for students than the big ones!
- Public Transportation
AVOID taking too much taxis! at the end you will regret of taking taxis instead of using public transportation! Many countries offer you a monthly card that includes all the transportation of the city. This is the best way to save money in transportation or ride a bike! : )
- Leisure
Not everything is bittersweet in this article… we will allow you to create a special budget for leisure! : ) we know you are there to study! but also we believe you need to have fun and learn about the culture! you need to visit museums (students receive special discounts), travel to cities, buy things you need in a particular moment or to hang out with your new friends, at the end this will take part of the experiences you will take home with you!
