So you’ve moved away from home and finally got your student loan. As a fresher, that amount of money in your bank account may feel like you’ve hit the jackpot, but trust me, hold on to it and start learning how to make the most of your money, especially if you’re wanting to travel while at uni. Here are some tips to make your money go further.
Choose Cheap Accommodation
It may seem obvious but always use hostels if you’re travelling on a budget. In most capital cities there’s a huge range to choose from and they sometimes come from as little as £5 a night. Hostels are usually in superb central locations and are a great way to socialise and meet other people. I would personally recommend Jimmy Jumps Hostel in Vilnius, Lithuania, and the Orient Hostel in Istanbul, Turkey. A lot of hostels will take you on bar crawls too, so you don’t have to figure out where the best places are to go at night.
Get a Job
If you’re looking to travel for a longer period of time, getting a job abroad is also a good money saver. If you follow my tip above and find a hostel you love, you could always speak to the manager and see if you could stay and work there. Other jobs abroad include becoming an au pair, doing seasonal work in hotels or ski resorts, or volunteering through websites such as workaway.com, where you can volunteer in return for free board and lodging.
Find the Best Deals
You can also get the most for your money by taking advantage of the many travel websites designed to help you find the best deals around. For cheap flights, use skyscanner.com to compare fares, and if you ever plan on going to Scandinavia before the age of 26, have a look at the SAS Youth Fares, which give you huge discounts on flights between Scandinavia and the rest of Europe. For the braver of you, blablarcar.com is a good website to arrange car sharing all over Europe, just make sure you feel safe with the person before you get into their car!
Eat in non-touristy restaurants
Once you’ve arranged travel and have reached your destination, there are still ways of saving your money. Try and find non-touristy restaurants off the beaten track, as the prices are always hiked up for gullible tourists. You’ll usually benefit from a much better atmosphere, proper authentic food, and a real chance to see how the locals live.
Take advantage of walking tours
For sightseeing, most capital cities will have free walking tours. These are usually really informative and are run by tour guides who have a real passion for their cities. You just tip as little or as much as you like at the end. Additionally, always look up what you can visit for free within cities, as plenty of museums and monuments are free of charge. And finally, wherever you go while at uni, ALWAYS take your student card with you and remember to ask for that life-saving student discount.
Joanna Hill
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