How to save money on monthly bills as a student?
There are a couple of skills that every college student needs to have in order to survive. They need to know how to cram a whole semester worth of knowledge within two days. They need to know how to function on three hours of sleep. And, most importantly, they need to know how to survive on limited finances. Now, the first two you will learn as time goes by. And, if you are a responsible student, you might not even have to. But, the last one is something that you’ll simply have to deal with. So, let’s take a look at a couple of ways in which to save money on monthly bills as a student.
Save money on monthly bills
So, how are you supposed to save money on monthly bills as a student? Well, there are a couple of methods that you need to apply. Some are important principles that you need to adhere to. While others are smaller methods that you can pick and choose from. But, even those smaller methods can pile up into a decent amount of money saved. So, try to incorporate as much of them as you can into your everyday life.
The more methods you incorporate, the easier it will be to save money on monthly bills.
Principles
The principles we will outline should not be limited to your college days. True, they will help you save money on monthly bills as a student. But, they can also help you keep your finances in check later in life. Therefore, if you want to greet your adult years with responsible financial habits, here is what you need to do.
Budgeting
As a student, you will probably have a limited budget to live on. Whether you are studying in your hometown family is providing financial help, or you are seeing yourself through college, there will be a finite amount of money that you can use. So, the first thing to do is to separate that amount into necessary groups. This is what we would call budgeting. Now, the more time you spend budgeting the better you will understand your lifestyle and how to organize your groups. But, for starters, we suggest that you have six groups:
- Rent
- Utilities
- Food
- Living supplies
- Savings
- Auxilary expenses
Keep track of your spending
Once you set up your groups, we suggest that you keep track of your spending. You’d be surprised at how much money people spend without even noticing. A little purchase there, a small amount here and you are soon left wondering “Where did all my money go?”. Well, in order to properly manage your finances, you need to keep track of your spending. Luckily, there are numerous apps that make this quite easy. So, do yourself a favor and install one as soon as possible. Saving money as a student will be much easier if you have a clear idea of where your money is going.
There is no way that you will manage your finances if you don’t keep track of your spending.
Know your priorities
Notice that the groups we mentioned in the paragraph above have a number next to them. Well, that number represents the priority that the group should have in your spending. Once you get your monthly income, you first need to set aside the necessary money for rent and utilities. After that come the living expenses like food and supplies. Those can be altered and mitigated which is why they are not so high up. After that come savings. Now, as a student, you probably won’t be able to save a lot. But, as a general rule of thumb, you should put away something every month.
That way you will have the necessary funds to deal with an emergency. After that, we come to the auxiliary expenses. Those are usually funds that you use for fun. And there is a good reason why they are at the bottom. While spending money on the last group is tempting, you need to keep your wits about you if you are going to save money on monthly bills as a student.
Methods
By following the principles we have outlined you should have a good base on which to save money on monthly bills as a student. And you can even learn how to move cheaply from sites like statetostatemove.com. Nevertheless, there are further methods that you can use to save a bit extra. But, remember to always keep the principles in mind, as without them no method is going to help you.
Do your research
As a student, you probably already have a bunch of ways to save money. You are just not aware of them. From student discounts to various little tricks and tips that can do you a world of good. So, what we advise you to do is to simply keep doing what you are doing now. Explore. Talk with other students and get as much info as you can. Getting second-hand books, sharing storage in order to have safe space for your stuff, and exploiting system loopholes can all help you save money on monthly bills as a student.
Even college staff can give you helpful tips for saving money.
Learning to cook
Food is one of the major monthly expenses, which is why we didn’t group it up with other living supplies. And one of the ways in which you can reduce your food expenses is to cook from home. A lot of students ruing their health because they start eating cheap junk food once they come to college. So, instead of eating instant ramen 24/7, we suggest that you learn how to cook. There are countless cooking channels on Youtube that can teach you the basics of cooking in no time. Plus, you can even learn further tips on saving money.
Plan your fun
Having fun as a college student is a must. But, the one thing you want to avoid is spending a lot of money while you are drunk. So, do yourself a favor and plan your fun ahead. At least try to limit your spending and avoid the YOLO mindset once you are drunk. The last thing you need to suffer a hangover with an empty bank account.
