Chances are, as a tertiary student about to begin or continue your study career, you are about to start living a very different life to the one you had at home. That is, of course, unless you are one of those students who gets to live at home while you study. But many of you are moving into tiny dorm rooms or crowded share houses with shared bathrooms and your budgets, which were probably already reasonably limited are about to be blown by things like rent, food and well, let’s be honest, data streaming.
Image: Incurable Wanderlust
What does this mean for the most important part of your student life – your travel plans? (you know its true). Well, frankly, it means that you will need to be frugal and simplify the things that cost you everyday money so that you will indeed have some budget at the end of the Uni year for that Euro train trip or even (shudder) that cruise you’ve been hankering to try (we know it’s about the the all-you-can-eat-buffet, but still….) Ytravel is here to help. We know that travel is what keeps your soul fed, so here are top three ideas our ideas on keeping the rest of you fed, clean, healthy on a limited budget so that the world is still your oyster (sorry, expensive food restaurant. You won’t be eating oysters this year.)
Ytravel is here to help. We know that travel is what keeps your soul fed, so here are top three ideas our ideas on keeping the rest of you fed, clean, healthy on a limited budget so that the world is still your oyster (sorry, expensive food restaurant. You won’t be eating oysters this year.)
- Food. It’s all about self-control with food. You can eat well if you are prepared to eat repetitively. You CAN actually afford to eat high-quality and even organic food if you are willing to eat it… a lot. In other words make yourself a huge organic vegetable curry with brown rice and eat it every night for a week. Next week you can have a high vegetable content pasta. Make a huge pot on Sunday and pack it in Tupperware (get this at Vinnies, don’t waste money on earth-destroying disposable packaging) in the fridge or freezer. You can do the same if you fancy something other than Weet-bix for breakfast too – make yourself some home-made toasted muesli with all the amazing things in it you love, but make a month’s worth at a time. These meals can have a huge variety of vegetables, fruits, grains and superfoods in them – oh, and put chickpeas and beans in everything. Its cheap and long lasting protein. Oh, and speaking of protein – a protein smoothie is a cheap way to stay healthy. Throw in frozen fruit (or buy the imperfect fruit at Harris Farm) and you’ve got a cheap and cheerful vitamin filled health kick each day.
- Body. This is not the time in your life for every beauty product under the sun. You won’t have the money or the time to bother. But it is definitely not the time in your life to buy cheap chemical-filled bathroom products that will have ramifications for your health later in life. Vanessa Gray, founder of the award-winning Vanessa Megan Organics, a luxury skincare range, has a couple of pieces of advice for students with neither time nor cash flow. “Cut products, not quality. You can get away with an amazing natural cleanser and moisturiser as your entire beauty regime if you have to, just make sure you buy organic products with quality ingredients so that they actually work.” And of course, the better your skin, the less makeup you need. Supplement this simple program with a good natural sunscreen, body wash, shampoo and deodorant and you’re set. Once again, self-control is needed. Buy yourself a large, good quality product for a few dollars more and you’ll save the cash in the long run. Vanessa has generously offered up a skincare prize for one lucky reader – take a look at how to enter below.
- Curb your enthusiastic spending. Repeat after me: I do not need to buy a coffee every day. I can survive with the free version of Spotify. I can live without Netflix. I will use Youtube wisely. It doesn’t take long for your weekly budget to be blown on everyday luxuries –and yes, all of those things are luxuries. A coffee at home, even a good, quality filtered brew will cost you one tenth of a latte at the coffee shop. Save these for occasions where you are meeting people or studying in the café, not for the on-the-run coffees that get thrown down and barely tasted. Cutting back from five barista coffees a week to one will save you up to $600 a year… or more. Not even joking. As for Netflix and Spotify – seriously, you can live with less TV and a few more ads. Your study regime will thank you. And Youtube is sucking your data like the time vampire it is. You don’t need to watch seven cat-fail videos. One is enough. And for study? Work in the library, with the Uni wi-fi. You’ll probably get more done and you’re prepaid will last until the end of the month. We’re not saying have no fun – we’re saying think about how much things cost as you go, and be wise. And think of the Greek Islands… or Cancun… think of that and drink one less cappuccino.
You only need a couple of grand at the end of the year to go explore a new part of the world. But that little pool of cash can easily vanish if you aren’t careful. If you need the inspo, put a few travel pics on your laptop to remind yourself why you are eating fried rice for the fourth time and wearing your Sketchers to a wedding… because shoes and the new season of Vikings are for now – travel is forever!
Want to win a gorgeous skincare pack worth over $100 from the cult organic brand Vanessa Megan? The pack includes a Clementine Foaming Cleanser and a White Tea Antioxidant Day Cream. Just share this Ytravel post on one of your social sites and comment on our post with your best tip to save $ as a student. Oh – and if you enter AVONDALE20 at the checkout at vanessamegan.com you’ll get 20% of some of the most beautiful products in Australia. Entries close 18th March, 2017.
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