When you’re about to go abroad on an Erasmus+ or Turing Scheme work or study placement, you’ve hopefully got everything in place. There’s your grant which covers a lot of your outgoing (accommodation, course material, activities if you’re travelling with us and more). Hopefully, you’ve also saved up a little extra, to help you with your food bills, leisure time, transport and other incidentals that you’ll need to take care of. Don’t make the mistake of using up all your grant allocation in the first few weeks of your placement, or you’ll quickly run out of money. One of the challenges of a work or study placement abroad is to learn how to manage your money and become an independent adult. In this piece, we’ll look at ways you can maximise on your funding and make your money stretch further, without stripping out all the enjoyment associated with your placement abroad.
1. Take Advantage of Student Discounts
Your ESN card is an essential! Get it done well before you leave because it comes with a wealth of benefits including student discounts, travel discounts, vouchers and it’s constantly updated with new information. Also, you should search online for student discounts in your host city and when you go to bars or pubs, look for happy hours or 2 drinks for the price of on (share the second drink with a friend!).
2. Shop From Markets
Rather than spending money on supermarket shopping, which is notoriously more expensive than food from local markets, explore your area and visit the markets usually held at the weekend to pick up low-cost fresh fruit and vegetables. You can also shop for homeware and clothes from markets, rather than paying over the odds at stores and boutiques.
3. Get Social At Your University or College
Look at the boards for social activities which are often free of charge or come with a nominal charge. Rather than going clubbing or out for a meal, these types of events are always price-conscious, you’ll find the student bar a lot less expensive than going to clubs and bars in your local area.
4. Cook At Home
Of course, you should go out and sample the local delicacies but cooking at home is a great way to hone your culinary skills, eat on the cheap and entertain as well. If you share with other students, why not designate a night each to cook for each other? You could showcase your home country’s national dishes and enjoy your housemates’ national dishes in exchange!
5. Buy Second-Hand
Rather than shopping for brand new houseware or clothing, try the second-hand shops. This is great for your wallet but also good for the circular economy and is an environmentally friendly way of shopping. Upcycle your purchases by sewing on trims, patches, changing the colour or if you’re a dab-hand with a needle and thread, altering the shape entirely. If you’re really good at upcycling, consider selling items onto friends and making some extra cash!
6. Organise a Clothes Swap
Fed up with your old clothes? Why don’t you get a group of friends together and organise a clothes swap! This is a great way to revamp your wardrobe on a budget. It costs you nothing and in just a few minutes, you’ll have a whole new wardrobe!
For more Erasmus+ and Turing Scheme information – why not read other articles on our blog here or get in touch with our team?
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