“How to live frugally as a female student?”- Are you facing this question in your student life? Well, if you are thinking to be frugal as a student, that’s really a good initiative. It’s the right time to think about frugality and saving money.
Even I started to adapt frugality in my life as a student during my childhood. So, I can say that living frugally one of the best initiatives in student life. Every student won’t think about frugality and saving money at this early age. But feel proud that you are sensible enough to take good steps in your life.
Now I’m in my early 20s and still practising frugality in my life. Frugal living is like an endless, life-long journey. I can’t say that I’m perfect frugal being because it’s a life long journey. Day-by-day I’m implementing many practical ways and becoming more frugal.
How to live frugally as a female student?
We all have heard the line ‘student life is the golden life’. In student life, we want to explore everything, like learning new things, fun, party, friends and much more. But while exploring so many things sometimes we perform by going out of the track. So it’s the time to check where we are heading in our life.
Many high school students or even teenage and 20s students spend more money while exploring life. Just a few years ago I was also a student so I can understand how student life looks like. We meet so many new friends and experience so many new things for the first time. And according to some stats and data teenage students start to spend more money at the age of 13.
Do you really want to know how to live frugally as a female student? Well, it’s important for all the students to have basic knowledge about your cash flow. Many of you may think frugal living is a very boring life. But it’s not completely true. Frugal living is actually an art of living, one should learn this art. Some people say that frugal living is difficult and boring because they may not understand the real concept of frugality.
How to live frugally as a female student? Beginner’s Guide
Do you know in some aspects female students spend more money than male students. Female students spend more money on things like cosmetics, clothes, food, chocolates etc. Whereas male students spend more money on gadgets, shoes, bike etc. Do you know teenage female students start to spend more money on food from the age of 13. An average teenager spends $1040 per year just on food. Know how to implement simple and practical ways to save money on food.
There are so many factors which influence the spending habit of the students. But I feel one must start to live frugally as a student. Frugal living helps to get you the life which you desire. Take simple steps to adapt frugality in your life. Frugal living does not mean that you should compromise everything in your student life.
Before thinking about how to live frugally as a female student, you should know the real meaning of frugality. Frugal living means living your life wisely and happily without spending more money. To be frugal no need to be cheap or miser. You just need to analyse your cash flow and have a little control over it, that’s it.
10 simple and easy ways for female students to adapt frugality in life
Do you think you are already having stress of studies, career and now the new burden is frugality? Well, frugal living should not look like a burden for students. As I was also a student just a few years ago, I would like to share my experience about how I’ve adapted frugality in my student life. These are all very simple and easy ways which will help you to follow frugal living in your life.
Let me elaborate on some aspects which one should consider while thinking about frugality-
| 1. Start frugal living by saving money on study materials |
| 2. Don’t plunk down your money on entertainment in your student life |
| 3. Avoid frequently going out with friends for shopping |
| 4. Learn to handle peer pressure which will help you to save more as a female student |
| 5. Have home-cooked meals instead of spending money on outside food |
| 6. Adapt a simple living lifestyle as a female student |
| 7. Start to earn money as a student |
| 8. Know how to live frugally as a female student by having good friends |
| 9. Deposit money in your own bank account even if you are a student |
| 10. Be aware of your impulse buying behaviour in your student life |
1. Start frugal living by saving money on study materials
In student life, we all spend money on study materials like notebooks, textbooks, bag and much more. But one can save money if you observe your cash flow here. I’m not saying that you should not purchase study materials. But here with a proper strategy, one cut down the cost.
How I saved money on study materials during my student life?
During my student life, I was taking textbooks from the library. I was not purchasing all the books. Even I was reading novels, storybooks, general knowledge books from the library. And I was purchasing notebooks in a bulk quantity. I’m sure you can also find such wholesale dealer in your city where you can buy notebooks in a bulk quantity for a wholesale price.
I advise, take your friends also with you and buy a large quantity of notebooks. Then you can divide books and money among your friends. This is a very simple and practical idea of living frugally. You don’t need to compromise on quality of books here. But still, you can save money on books. This is exactly what one should learn the art of being frugal. This is how one should save money smartly. Even in my life, I’m implementing more such practical ways to save money.
2. Don’t plunk down your money on entertainment in your student life
I’m not against entertainment. After all who does not like entertainment! But student life is all about distractions. So you must seek free entertainment instead of spending more money entertainment. No need to watch every movie in a theatre. You have other free entertainment options also. So use those free entertainment like YouTube, playing outdoor games and playing indoor games like chess. Do you know playing chess actually sharpens one’s brain. Playing chess is similar to creating a business, this is the game which sharpens the brain and improves wisdom. So this indoor game will help you in your professional life.
Well, I enjoy following my hobbies. These are all like free entertainment for me. I like drawing, painting, craft. I’m sure you too have some type of hobbies. Some of you may like dancing, singing etc. So in your free time instead of spending more money on entertainment, follow your hobbies which makes you happy.
3. Avoid frequently going out with friends for shopping
Have observed your buying behaviour when you shop with your friends? Well, when we go shopping with friends frequently we buy more things. It’s all because of peer pressure or distraction. We always try to copy our friends. And even friends force us to buy more things. We get influenced by the buying behaviour of friends. So try to go shopping alone. Pre-plan your shopping list.
4. Learn to handle peer pressure which will help you to save more as a female student
Every student must learn to handle peer pressure. Even I’ve faced peer pressure in my life. But my life experience and the realisation of the importance of frugal living helped me to overcome such peer pressure. I can understand that when your friends are using any type of costly products like gadgets, branded clothes then you also want to have such costly items.
But you know what, all this is a temporary pleasure. In the long run, costly gadgets or branded clothes won’t help you to set your career or to get the life you desired. But if you start to live frugally then you can save more money and you can fulfil all your dreams in a very near future. So think practically, instead of buying costly products due to peer pressure you can use that money to improve your skills like computer skill, speaking English which is global language. Nowadays you can just sit at your home and excel in spoken English. There is an online platform where you can actually speak with others who are expert in English. You can take the trail of 15 minutes free session to practice English speaking. All this will help in your professional life.
5. Have home-cooked meals instead of spending money on outside food
I can understand that you can’t say ‘no’ when your best buddies say -“Come on girl! we’ll hang-out and yummy food outside today”. But make sure that it should not be your daily activity. If you frequently spending money on outside food then you can’t save more money. So you must inculcate the habit of munching food at home.
If you continue eating outside food in your student life then in future it will be difficult for you to overcome this spending habit. So from now onwards make a routine of having home-cooked meals. You can have outside food only on any special occasion. Even I was not eating outside food more in my student life. And I was carrying the lunch box with me. I was carrying a steel tiffin carrier which was good for my health as well as good for my pocket. So you too strat to take simple steps to be frugal.
6. Adapt a simple living lifestyle as a female student
Student life is a phase where you get distracted by trending fashion and end up spending more money on branded clothes and other accessories. Even you don’t need to spend more money on grooming. Avoid wasting money by regularly visiting saloon. Instead, you can try colouring hair, making nails at home without spending more money.
Always simplify your life. You don’t need to wear branded clothes, branded shoes to impress others. Be simple and focus on other things which really matters in your life. By spending more money on clothes and shoes you won’t get anything great in your life.
7. Start to earn money as a student
As a student, you can’t do any full-time job and earn regular income. But there are other options for students where one can earn money. Yes, you can look for internships during your vacation. Imagine all your friends will be doing nothing during vacation and you will be making some money. Isn’t it a brilliant idea? Internships not only help you to make some pennies but also you will get working experience.
Even you can try a part-time job. If you are a college student then part-time job will be a better option for you. During my college days, a few of my friends were doing a part-time job. All these simple steps empower you. You will be more sensible if you adapt frugality in your life.
8. Know how to live frugally as a female student by having good friends
In student life, we all meet new friends. But one must be wise enough to stay in a good company of friends. In my life, my childhood friend is the main reason for me to adapt to frugality in my life. She used to tell me about her piggy bank and used to tell how many coins she added to her piggy bank. This encouraged me to have my own piggy bank and save money.
But I’ve also seen the students who ruin their life because of the bad company of friends. While exploring new life and freedom students start to explore unwanted things like pubs, party, and even addictions such as smoking, alcohol and much more. Spending money on such things is not at all good for your pocket but as well as for your health.
9. Deposit money in your own bank account even if you are a student
Even if you are a student and not earning money then also you can save money. So I advise you to have your own bank account. In developed countries, students are aware of all this and they manage their finance. But in most of the countries students never think about finance. They never think about having their own bank account.
In India, we have a zero balance bank account facility for students. Where students can open an account with no money. You don’t need to have a minimum balance in your bank account. So I say- open your bank account. The main reason is you will feel motivated to save money when you have your own account. When I was in high school I opened my bank account. This encouraged me to save more money and deposit to my bank account.
10. Be aware of your impulse buying behaviour in your student life
Nowadays online shopping is trending. Most of the youngsters prefer online shopping. But do you know how these online marketing companies influencing our buying behaviour? Online advertisement captures our attention and then we get trapped into an impulse purchase.
According to some survey, marketing industry target the youth to sell their products. So don’t get trapped into impulse buying. Whenever you feel any online product don’t buy that immediately. Just leave it in your cart for 15-20 days. And after 20 days when you go back to your cart, you will be shocked that your cart is filled with unnecessary things! Try it out, even practically I’ve done this in my life!
Frugal student will reach a better place financially in a very near future. If you are thinking about how to live frugally as a female student then you have already taken your first step towards frugality. Take a few more simple steps to adapt frugality in your life. Be a happy frugal student.