10 ways i save money while in uni $$$

1. bring your own water

i know its really tempting to be buying bbt when you're out and about or in school. a cup of iced milo in school costs me $1.60 which may not be a lot, but it adds up! make use of your owalas and stanleys pls!

2. make use of student discounts for meals

lunch promos, student meals, you name it!! make sure to search and make a list :)

3. shop only once every 2-3 months

when i want to purchase something, i'll take a screenshot and put it into my notes. i will then revisit my "wishlist" again after 1.5 months? to see if i still want it. usually, i dont want it anymore lol!! in between, i curb my urge to shop for new clothes by doing window shopping 😆 i'll just walk in the shop, pick out what i like, try them on and take a few pictures. if i REEAAALLYYY like the fit, i'll find cheaper variations of them on carousell or taobao 😆

4. shop secondhand or get free stuff!

carousell and flea markets (the luggage market and the hammock market are great options!) are your best bet to getting nice clothes at a fraction of their original prices, while also helping to promote a circular economy ♻️ of course this works for other purchases apart from clothing!

use the 'olio' app — people give away stuff on this app so sometimes if i really need something but don't want to buy it, i'll hop on the app to see if theres any available

5. skip the monthly nail/lash appointments

i've switched to press-ons and self-adhesive lashes to eliminate spending excessively on those appointments. but i'll still spoil myself once in awhile!! alternatively, you can try getting these things done across the border 🫢

6. ditch the cafes and restaurants

it costs sooo much to have a meal at these places. im pretty sure you can get good quality and delicious food that fills your tummy the same way at hawker centres/coffee shops! i try to only eat at a cafe or restaurant on special occasions or 1-2 times a month.

7. side hustle

it would be good to find a long term part-time job that you like and work as much as you can without compromising on your studies. otherwise, i also go on the staffie app to look for adhoc jobs at cafes and restaurants. perks of working at these places are having meals provided!!

8. take public transport + buy a concession pass (if needed)

i only ever take a taxi if its an emergency (e.g im late for smth important) or theres no more public transport available. make sure to check how much you are spending monthly on public transport (bus/mrt)! you can consider getting a student concession pass if your monthly costs exceeds the concession amount to save some money :)

9. say no to food delivery 🙅🏻‍♀️

imo, food delivery is only worth it if you are doing a group order. if you're ordering for yourself, its honestly a huge waste of money + they mark up the prices. just go out and get your food 😭

10. deposit your money into high-interest accounts

gxs and chocolate finance are pretty easy to use and offer daily interest with no lockups on your money! its a good start to let our money work for itself.

#mindfulspending #savingmoney #studentlife #MoneyTips #money