How Students Going Abroad Can Save Money

One of the most common problems faced by students going abroad is a lack of funds. Everyone has heard stories of living in run-down houses and feeding on pot noodles, and unfortunately those do continue to hold true, even if students are studying away from home. However, with a bit of planning and some careful budgeting, it is perfectly possible for these students to make a pleasant living for themselves whilst studying abroad.



Disregarding for a moment the need to pay for tuition fees, which should be deducted from the budget at the onset anyway, there are three major areas students going abroad should focus on when drawing up a budget: living quarters, food, and entertainment (clothing is a minor add-on to these three, as most students will bring plenty with them.) Within each of these three areas, students should aim for the highest quality of living they can afford, albeit not the highest available. Many students will be surprised to discover that, with a few budgeting tricks, they will not need to settle for low-quality products in order to survive.

Perhaps the most dangerous area of all to neglect is accommodation. Although many students going abroad are likely to be staying with host families, those who are not are easy prey for disreputable landlords. Many university-age youngsters end up being overcharged or otherwise deceived by letting agents, who profit from their lack of experience finding accommodation. Students should therefore never settle for the first house they find and should do their research, which in the end could mean a better house, flat or room that offers more value for money or is located in a better area.

Food is another major concern for most students going abroad, or even just studying in a different part of their home country. However, while most tend to gravitate toward the easy comforts of fast food, it is actually not necessary to put your health at risk in order to have an affordable diet. Dried rice or pasta is rather cheap, and it can last for a number of meals. Sandwiches are another good option for the student on a budget. And then of course, there are the home-cooked meals that those staying with host families are likely to enjoy and should make the most of.

This leaves the question of entertainment. Students more prone to go partying might find that they will have to cut back on the number of nights out if they wish to make a living in another country. For sightseeing, however, there is always the possibility of a walking tour, which has the added perk of revealing a little of the ‘real’ city that tourists may not get to see.

So, we can see that is not impossible to live in a foreign land, or even just a different city, on a budget. All it takes is some planning before and during the stay.