9 budgeting tips for university students

Monday, November 8, 2021

Hooray! You made it to university and you get to decide which courses to take, which clubs to join and what to eat for dinner. Also: how much money to spend.

By Mariya Postelnyak

University is often the first time many students have to start thinking about how to balance their various expenses—books, groceries, even going out. And sometimes trouble crops up when your financial skills are still playing catch-up with your new-found freedom. When there isn’t much stopping you from a midnight pizza run or buying that third (or fifth) home team sweatshirt, you can easily lose track of your spending. Before long, you can find yourself on an all-instant ramen diet after a weekend of bar-hopping.

To help first-year students avoid these hurdles, we’ve asked university staff, students and finance experts to share their top budgeting tips for saving during the school year.