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Need to crunch some pennies for a later goal in life that’s just in reach? Then we’ve got you covered with this easy-to-follow money management article guide. With just a little bit of discipline and some lifestyle changes, anyone can save money.
On a side note, for students who want more time to make money and want to allocate some of their academic burdens to an expert helper who can tackle them, then it’s high time to invest in Studyfy.
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Moving along, here’s the guide.
Take What You Need
It’s tempting to consume, and buy, buy, buy, but if your goal is to save money, then as a student, you’ll need to live with the essentials and not spend on things that aren’t crucial. This isn’t the most enjoyable thing to do, and we’re not saying you need to be frugal obsessively, but try to:
- Identify what’s essential in your daily life to allocate funds to that
- Identify what’s important as a hobby/passion and allocate your money to that
- Identify purchasing habits that don’t help you save money, especially if these purchases do not add value or are not necessary
Buying something because it brings joy is a normal thing. As humans, we’re never always going to be responsible with our spending, but this has to be sacrificed if you’re intent on saving money for more important reasons. It’s challenging but one of the most crucial steps forward.
Make A Budget Plan
As a student, you either receive money from your parents as an allowance, have some type of part-time job, or, if you’re a resourceful one, you have a way to make income online or through a side hustle. Either way, try to come up with a budget plan to help save some money. This will give you a realistic view of where the money is going each month.
It will quickly show you how much you can save each month and for how long saving up will be needed to reach a target goal. It will also help you eliminate any expenses that might take up too much of the initial budget.
Budget plans can look like anything; there’s no one way to do it. Consider the easiest way you learn and retain information and create your budget plan around that. Some people prefer using color-coded notes, others like to use a visual board, and some like to use their computers or mobile devices for all their data. It’s up to preference at the end of the day.
Eat In
The amount of money a student can save by not always ordering take-out or eating out every chance they get can be pretty substantial for their savings. While eating out once in a while is fine, and so is take out, it can accumulate drastically if done too often. So, learn a few simple recipes that serve your appetite and cook them at home.
Eating in might be a hassle for students who are not used to cooking at home, but it can seriously save some money at the end of the day. Besides, the food you’ve cooked on your own can taste fantastic when you have enough practice cooking a specific dish.
Photo by Clay Banks on Unsplash
Get A Bike
A bicycle can save some time and effort for any student and a few pennies. Depending on how much public transport goes for where you live, bikes can eradicate the need to get on a bus, pay for gas for a car, and for walking short/long distances. On top of that, students can get in a workout every time they decide to go on a bike.
The initial investment can still cost a substantial amount, but students can also opt out to buy a second-hand bike or perhaps even get one from someone who doesn’t want their bike anymore. Even if it costs a bit of money initially, it will save money in the long run.
Learn To Make Money, and Not Just Save It
Being overly frugal, and trying to save money, isn’t always the only thing that can get you money. It’s important to live reasonably and not to spend like a fool if the goal is to save; however, learning how to generate income is even more critical in the long run.
Depending on what you think you’re good at or what you already have experience with, students can:
- Build up a resume for online and offline
- Find a job that you can do with your skills
- Find up to multiple jobs as a freelancer
There are millions of guides on making a resume and setting yourself up for job hunting online, so do some research and start from scratch. Everyone has to start somewhere. For students confused about where to start, simply evaluate where you already have experience or where your interest lies.
Now look it up online on how you can make a profit in that specific field and learn from scratch.
Final Thoughts
We hope this has helped you figure out ways to cut expenses down. It’s hard to save money as a student, especially with no source of income, but if you have a job or an allowance, you can easily apply what we’ve written in this guide to help you manage your funds.
And we hope our readers find a way to make money and save it; it’s not the easiest thing to do, but by being disciplined and creative, it’s not an impossibility. Money doesn’t grow on trees but can come through work and consistency.
