How to save money as a university student?

The question ‘how to save money as a university student?’ is one of the most frequently asked questions among young people. This new stage brings with it a financial independence and a need to manage money that is a novelty for many university students.

Unihabit offers you a list of tips to help you learn how to save money as a university student. Thus, we want to facilitate this economic management and accompany our residents in managing their money while they are studying at university, helping them to save.

How to save money as a university student in Barcelona?

The Catalan capital is one of the main attractions to study a university degree, master’s degree or postgraduate course due to its long university tradition, welcoming students from all over the world. Moreover, Catalan universities are considered to be among the best universities in Europe. Barcelona achieves a unique environment in which young people can develop personally and professionally.

From our Unihabit university residences, we offer you a list of tips on how to save money as a university student. Below, we share with you a few practical tips, classified into the following categories: General, Home and Academic.

Accommodation for students in Barcelona city centre

6 general tips on how to save money as a university student

1. Find a part-time job

It is very important that you find a source of income that suits your needs and your class schedule. You should never lose sight of the fact that, during your time at university, your main priority is your studies.

2. Manage money

One of the most issues is that you can be aware of what, how and where you spend your money. Fortunately, there are many mobile apps that can make this easier, so you can optimise your spending or even do it the traditional way with a good old-fashioned piggy bank.

3. Set a monthly budget

As in many other areas of life, it is essential to set limits. Once you know your income, you should divide it up so that you know how much you can save and how much you can spend on the activities you need or want to do.

4. Leave the gym and do sport at home

One of the first expenses that we can save, without a doubt, is the gym membership. We recommend that you do sport outdoors. Likewise, in our university residence halls we have fitness facilities that are completely free of charge for residents. In addition to outdoor spaces for practising sports, such as the volleyball court of the Unihabit Girona university residence hall.

Advantages of our student residences in Barcelona

5. Use public transport

Using public transport is a great way to save money as a university student and reduce costs. There are even cards with exclusive discounts for young people, which allow you to save a significant amount of money on travel. Likewise, we also recommend walking, cycling or scooters, as long as the distances allow it. At the Unihabit Ciutat Vella university residence hall, we have a car park so that you can leave your transport safely while you are not using it.

6. Second-hand products

There are many products that you need when you become independent, such as furniture or crockery for the house, among many others. To save money when shopping, you can take advantage of some of the many options in second-hand shops.

3 tips for saving money at home as a university student

1. Cook in advance

A key point to know how to save money as a university student is to set aside one day a week to cook for the following days. This way, you will be able to organise your meals and avoid ordering from home, which is always more expensive, or buying pre-cooked food, which is also more expensive.

2. Don't shop with an empty belly

Shopping when you are hungry is one of the main impediments to saving money. In this situation, everyone ends up buying products they don’t need and which are often expensive treats that we can avoid.

3. Save on household expenses

Unfortunately, the price of utilities is getting higher and higher, and nowadays even more so due to price increases. That is why, in order to save money, we have to reduce our use of electricity, water and gas as much as possible.

5 tips to save money at university

1. Scholarships

Scholarships are a reward for the student’s effort and dedication. In addition to general scholarships, there are also scholarships specific to each university. Don’t waste a second and contact your study centre so that they can explain how to apply for them. This is one of the best options for saving money as a university student, since the economic refund of the registration fee or the non-payment of this can make it easier to allocate this money to other key points such as materials, books, etc.

2. Free credits

Each university presents a series of activities that can be exchanged for credits that you can validate and save the cost of these credits.

3. Library services

The library will allow you to drastically reduce expenses. The more time you spend studying there, the more you won’t be spending on coffee and supplies at home. You can also consult the books and documents you will need to study there, without having to buy them.

4. Print only what is indispensable

In many faculties, they make you pay for each document you print. Although it may not seem like it, printing such lengthy documents ends up being a major and unsustainable expense.

5. Student discounts

Finally, there are various discounts with your student card and other options such as, for example, the Carnet Jove. These offer you many leisure options at a reduced price.

Contact us to find out more about our halls of residence

At Unihabit we have university residences in Barcelona, Sant Cugat, Girona and Manresa, specially designed to guarantee students an unforgettable experience. If you want to know more about us, you can write to us at info@unihabit.com, or call us on 935 953 953 or 608 608 829.

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Tips on how to save money as a university student