Studying abroad? Here’s some student hacks to save you money!

So, you’re off to study abroad in a completely new country? Exciting times are coming your way and you should enjoy every moment! You may be starting to plan your time there already, and with that comes the problem of funding yourself properly. If you’re worried about money and how you’re going to live while you’re studying abroad, you’ve come to the right place! We’ll be sharing some super helpful money-saving hacks for our fellow international students, so you can stop worrying and start looking forward to the future ahead of you.

Learn to budget

You might have heard this one from your parents by now, but nonetheless it’s just as important as the rest of our tips! Not only will learning to budget help you save money while studying abroad, but it will also help you later on in life. It’s a really valuable life skill, so make sure you learn! If you’re not much when it comes to budgeting and calculating your out-goings, it’s not the end of the world. Using currency cards such as FairFX will help you keep track of your money and avoid any foreign transaction fees. With most travel cards you can keep track of your money and regularly pop-up the amount on your card whenever you want, so you always know how much money you have. You can also convert money and check currency rates to make sure you’re getting a good transfer rate! If your family want to give you a helping hand, you can also get a FairFX Family and friends card, which will let your family easily transfer and send you money if you need some help.

Master public transport

We get that studying abroad can be overwhelming at times, but this really is a no-brainer. Don’t waste money on taxis, do your research! Learning how to use the local public transport in your new country will help you save money easily. Some countries even offer free or discounted travel for students, too. Using sites like Citymapper can help you find the best means to get around your new home, using bus, tram and rail routes. Depending on your location, you could also benefit from using a bicycle instead! Countries in Europe such as Belgium and the Netherlands tend to favour bicycles over other transport methods, and if you do the math, a 50€ bike will save you more in the long run than a 50€ monthly tram ticket!

Call & text for less

Unless you have an amazing phone provider, international calls and texts will cost you a small fortune. To save money and stop yourself racking up huge phone bills, it might be best to stop using texts and calls on your phone. Instead, you can use messaging apps like MyJuno (available on Android and iOS) that let you message family and friends from all across the globe, using wifi or cellular data. MyJuno is a great way of keeping in contact with the new people you meet while studying abroad, too, as the app comes equipped with instant messaging translation! Not only does this take the heat off your phone bill, but it’ll ease the pressure of being in a country that speaks a different language to you. You’ll be able to talk with and message your new foreign friends without either of you having to speak a second language or manually translating your messages!

Feed yourself on the cheap

Being smart with what you eat can really help you save money. It goes without saying, ordering fast food and takeouts will rapidly eat through your funds, so try to avoid this as much as possible. Depending on where you’re studying, it can also be quite costly to find foods from your home country, too. Although you might be craving a little taste of home, it’ll be better for your wallet to explore your new country’s ways of cooking. While studying abroad, take this chance to really experience the foods and culture. You never know, you might come back home with a few amazing new recipes under your belt! This is also a great icebreaker if you’re living in shared accommodation and if you all chip in and cook together, it can cost you even less. You can easily access and search for new recipes using cooking sites like All Recipes!

Take advantage of your student discount

There are so many places that offer student discount, you’d be mad not to take advantage of it! Some places will be happy with your college or university’s student ID, but for those that need a more reliable ID, you should get an ISIC card. With an ISIC card, you can claim student discount in over 150,000 shops and stores worldwide. ISIC offer a plastic card and a mobile card, so you can always have one handy. You can get discounts on clothes, transport, restaurants and so much more. When studying abroad, we know you can’t always stay in and scrimp on your money; sometimes you just have to go out and enjoy yourself a little. Now we’re not saying you should go out to the cinema or have a shopping trip every week, but there’s no harm in doing some extracurricular activities with your new friends, as long as you take advantage of that student discount!