This blog post was updated on July 10, 2019.
If studying abroad was cheap, everyone would do it! From the tuition costs to the airfare and housing, living and studying in a foreign country involves carefully researching tried-and tested study abroad tips and stashing away every dime you can muster. What many students fail to factor in comes after they’ve booked cheap international flights and saved up enough to sustain themselves through a study abroad; it happens when they actually touch down. The costs don’t end when you arrive, and yet the ways to save money shouldn’t end when you hit the tarmac either. Studying overseas yields more opportunities to travel if you know how to save up some cash while you’re on your sojourn abroad. We’ve compiled six easy ways you can save money while you’re actually studying abroad so that you can travel more and worry less about your bank account.
Cook Your Own Meals
When you first reach your study abroad home, there can be the temptation to act as though you’re on vacation. You might start eating out a lot as you would on a vacation. However, eating out for breakfast, lunch, and dinner for weeks or even months is simply not sustainable. While dining out can be an integral part of getting to know your new home for the semester, it does add up. Instead of treating your study abroad like a giant vacation, try to cook most of your meals when you aren’t traveling. By cooking your own meals and shopping at local markets where produce is fresh and affordable, you’ll stand to save a healthy chunk of change.
Ready for a life-changing adventure abroad? Check out these cheap international flights that can help save on your trip!
Inquire About Odd Jobs
Many students save and save for a study abroad semester because they won’t be working their part time job back home for awhile. While keeping a part time job on your study abroad isn’t quite possible, you can pick up odd jobs here and there. If you don’t know where to begin to look for those odd jobs, your school is a great starting point. There could be small jobs at the school itself or even connections your school can put you in touch with. Remember: a little bit of income from an odd job can pay for that weekend in Paris!
Fly Budget Airlines on the Skinny
Budget airlines aren’t always so glamorous to fly. You may be able to save a bit on cheap international flights to your study abroad destination, but the extras will cost you. Once you add in the seat selections, checked baggage, and meal options, the fare is suddenly not quite so budget. As a student, however, now is the time to fly these budget airlines if you know how to travel on them. Don’t check a bag. Take the seat they assign you. Pick up a sandwich on your way instead of buying the meal. The fares will be downright affordable and you’ll still get to travel in the process.
Cancel Subscriptions and Services Back Home
If you subscribe to streaming services back home, a study abroad semester presents an ideal time to cancel those subscriptions for a few months and save the money. You shouldn’t be binging shows when you can be out seeing the world anyway! In addition to streaming services, see if you can cancel or put on hold any other services at home that you might not be using abroad like car insurance or your cellphone data plan. If you can lighten the financial responsibilities back home while you’re abroad, you’ll only have more and more savings coming your way.
Seek Out Student Discounts
From museums to accommodations to flights, you can save a handsome sum of money simply by being a student. If you don’t see a student rate, ask for one. You’ll need to have a student I.D. card in most cases, and sometimes you may need the International Student Identity Card to get these discounts. The International Student Identity Card is the internationally accepted proof that you’re in fact a student and tends to be more widely accepted. It’s one of the most important study abroad tips you should follow, so make sure to seize those student discounts to knock off some costs here and there and save a bit of money to spend on travel later.
Walk, Walk, and Walk
Hopping on cheap international flights seems the obvious way to get to your destination, but once you’re settled in to your new temporary home, the best way to experience where you’ll be living for the next few months is by foot. It’s hard to notice all of the details when you’re only taking public transportation. And all of those bus fares, train tickets, and metro passes quickly add up. If your study abroad city is walkable, try and walk when you can. You’ll save money and get to experience your new home a little more carefully and slowly. You never know what you might discover on foot that you wouldn’t when whizzing past on a bus.
Do you have any easy ways you’re saving or saved on a study abroad? Share your tips with us in the comments!
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