Taking the train to Galway was cheaper with the Young Adult Leap Card
Studying abroad can be quite expensive. Looking after your money is therefore important and sometimes easier said then done. But luckily, I have collected some tips for how to budget smartly.
Budgeting hack number 1: keeping a list with all your expenses. This can be, if you want to feel like a true professional, an excel list, but I prefer using my notes app. This allows me to stay on top of my spending – and keeps me from being surprised when looking at my bank account. Since I often pay with my debit card, I don’t really see what I am spending, until I look at my list.
Another tip is to give yourself a weekly limit. At the end of each week, I add up my expenses and compare them to my weekly budget. This allows me to adjust my budget for the following week accordingly. It is nice, if you have the means to, to let your limit be stricter than it needs to be. This way, you always have a Puffer as we say in Germany: some extra money for emergencies.
Cheap grocery shopping is made easy by the discounts of Lidl, Tesco and co. These big chains have apps and loyalty programs, for example Lidl Plus, which allow you to save money on chosen products. Just a few cents saved are better than none! You can download these apps for free and simply need to create an account to be able to use the benefits. After my first couple trips to Lidl, I decided to get the app and have saved a few euros already.
Trips to Lidl are cheaper when using Lidl Plus.
The app lists current offers, too. So, if you need inspiration for your next meal, you may find some discounts there that can inspire your lunch.
Additionally, impulse buying can be kept at bay if you make a grocery list and stick to it. I was surprised by how much less chocolate I eat here, and how I do not miss it at all.
My tip for saving money and time is meal prepping. Buying the larger bottles and packs that you would need for multiple days’ worth of food will often be cheaper in the long run. It is also less expensive to eat lunch at home, or to bring it with you and heat it up in the microwave at the Chaplaincy, then to eat in the canteen.
Freebies are the dream. I have always believed that pens are gifted at the most random of informational booths, not bought. Sometimes there will be some down at the TARA building. For example, one of my water bottles is a freebie from EDII.
If you don’t drink alcohol but still like to hang out with your friends at the pub, then you should know that asking for “just a glass of water, please” will cost you nothing. If you’re lucky, you’ll even get a slice of lemon, too! A friend from Stuttgart who visited me here was amazed by this, and we enjoyed the atmosphere and Irish music at Locke’s Bar without paying a single cent.
Free water at The Locke Bar.
The Young Adult or Student Leap Card will not only make taking the bus easier, it will also help you save money on trips to other cities! The fares for bus rides in Limerick are only 65 ct each with this Leap card, and the train ride to Galway cost me only about 9 €. If you don’t have the Leap Card already, you can order it online under this link. It costs 10 € (but of this, 5 € are already part of your initial travel credit).
Taking the train to Galway was cheaper with the Young Adult Leap Card.
And for my last tip: Look out for free events! Culture Night was completely free (although I did spend some money on a muffin), and Twilight Thursday offers free events and great discounts all over Limerick. You can also get a 40% discount on taxi rides! The next Twilight Thursday will be on 30th October, and there is one every month. I’m already looking forward to it!
Enjoying the Sionna Festival for free thanks to Culture Night!
Studying in Ireland can be expensive, yes, but there are ways to reduce your spending, and I hope that these tips can help you with that!
By Nadia Durakovic, Germany
