Student living expences

[rajj]

living away from home for university cost alot of money, rent, food ect. Just food is like $10 a day atleast. anyone have any money saving tips?...lol....neeed it badly..how much $ in expence does an average student living alone have other than tution fees and rent.

[frugalman]

get a summer job.
coop really helped and kept me out of debt during school

lose the cell phone
lose drinking habits
lose smoking habits
pack cheap healthy lunches and avoid eating out
avoid bling clothing

[gei]

how much $ in expence does an average student living alone have other than tution fees and rent.

we spent at least $100/week on alcohol too.


but you're young, so live it up... dont wanna look back one day and wish you enjoyed these times more

[AzNCrAzYcOoLeR]

avoid eating out and visit the local supermarket, You'll be surprised how much you can get with the same amount of money you spend outside

[Princess Buttercup]

live off of KD, buy hamburger helper, buy bread and cheese, get a big lettuce and make lettuce and cheese sarnies, get peanut butter and use that for sandwiches.

don't ever eat out. only drink at the weekends and not in bars make your own beer or wine.

its only a few years and then you get a good job and you can live ;)

[manixc]

living away from home for university cost alot of money, rent, food ect. Just food is like $10 a day atleast. anyone have any money saving tips?...lol....neeed it badly..how much $ in expence does an average student living alone have other than tution fees and rent.

food is probably $400-500
drinking who knows
going out who knows

[B40]

we spent at least $100/week on alcohol too.


but you're young, so live it up... dont wanna look back one day and wish you enjoyed these times more

Just pre drink...you can get drunk off $20 of liquor...and then just buy a few drinks at the club...or if you drink at the club only you're looking at like $100+

[porsche22]

Just pre drink...you can get drunk off $20 of liquor...and then just buy a few drinks at the club...or if you drink at the club only you're looking at like $100+


Oh man 20 doallars of liquor!??! you must be HUGE! buy cheap liquor (buck a beer).. if it taste bad splurge on the good stuff then drink the cheap stuff when everything taste the same... go before 11 to catch free cover... try to walk to the club if not try to bum rides off drunk ppl haha

as for food.. tuna sandwiches are ur friend.. cheap.. healthy.. and filling.. there about 50 cents a can and a can can make about 1.5 sandwiches. drink tap water... grab as much ketchup, salt, pepper, sugar packets u can at the school cafeteria... and when times get desperate raid the washroom for TP haha.. (it was late all the stores were closed and our house really needed TP bad!) or u can collect all the empties fri,sat,sun night when the drinkin is heavy in ur neighbourhood!

Yes I do agree school is fun so u should spend.. but man was it fun saving money by being cheap...

[TheOneBarton]

$200 for food for a month. Start learning to cook, you'll probably pick up some cooking ability along the way and possible impress some girls/guys. Start eating two meals a day, why do you need more??? People eat too much now a day and look what happened, they got fat and started suing Macdonald. People in third-world country don't even get a decent meal like you.

Cell phone, do you really need it? Stop having people calling you and trace your location, haha. Get a land line with answer machine, or call display. Even better, no phone so no one will ever bother you. If you need to reach someone, payphone. I'm sure you see your friends frequently.

Smoke/alcohol are really personal preference. Why smoke and cough your lungs out? Do you really want to end up like a bum on the street smoking and coughing? You like to go to clubs? Drink some before you go, so you can tell your friends how you were so buzzed and still manage to fake your way to the inside of a club, haha. Maybe you can start your own house party with bring your own drinks. Or turn your room into the ocassional night club selling drinks and charging entrance fee.

Bling clothing, why? So you think you look gangsta??? Lol, real gangsta don't take the TTC, and don't have fake blings. Real gangsta are paranoid freaks who looks back to see who's behind them, see the cops yet? No? Oh wait, they are waiting in font behind that fence, better get a running start. As for dressing professionally, why are you wearing that suit to class??? You are going to class to learn, not making business deals.

[KevC]

Maybe you can start your own house party with bring your own drinks. Or turn your room into the ocassional night club selling drinks and charging entrance fee.

You were probably joking, but that's illegal.

As for dressing professionally, why are you wearing that suit to class??? You are going to class to learn, not making business deals.

Maybe if you're an MBA student you need to do that :D

[najibs]

living away from home for university cost alot of money, rent, food ect. Just food is like $10 a day atleast. anyone have any money saving tips?...lol....neeed it badly..how much $ in expence does an average student living alone have other than tution fees and rent.

I'd say to calculate each meal at $10 to be on the safe side. So lets say $500-600 a month on food alone. Maybe $30 on condoms. Couple hundred bucks for going out and to spend...it adds up...

[porsche22]

I'd say to calculate each meal at $10 to be on the safe side. So lets say $500-600 a month on food alone. Maybe $30 on condoms. Couple hundred bucks for going out and to spend...it adds up...


HAHA 30 bucks on condoms.. there's a post in Hot deals i think it was like 20 bucks for 200 condoms... so ur using 300?? 10 times a day?? I envy u.... unless u jus use them to make water balloons.. which is still fun

[najibs]

HAHA 30 bucks on condoms.. there's a post in Hot deals i think it was like 20 bucks for 200 condoms... so ur using 300?? 10 times a day?? I envy u.... unless u jus use them to make water balloons.. which is still fun

I'm built for speed. :cheesygri


All in all there's ways to save. But you don't want to deprive yourself from eating right, going out and having fun too. I guess it's a mix of balance, priorities and yeah, asking people how to save. I'm a spendthrift though, so I can;t give good advice.

[TheOneBarton]

Maybe you can start your own house party with bring your own drinks. Or turn your room into the ocassional night club selling drinks and charging entrance fee.

That's not illegal if it's private by invitation only, thought u probably should get a permit from LCBO

[porsche22]

Maybe you can start your own house party with bring your own drinks. Or turn your room into the ocassional night club selling drinks and charging entrance fee.

That's not illegal if it's private by invitation only, thought u probably should get a permit from LCBO

Actually it's not that illegal if you do it right.

My buddies threw a keggar and we looked into that. If at the door u charge them like $10 and give them a cup.. you are technically charging them $10 for a plastic cup and the booze is on the house. That's why at a keggar it's all you can drink cause they can't charge you per drink. (correct me if i'm wrong.. i dint' look into it 100% cause i wasn't liable)

However if you dont' bribe ur neighbours at around 10 oclock cops will come by warning you to be quiet.. ( ya right.. 100 ppl smashed ebing quiet good luck)

all in all.. u make decent coin.. meet tons of ppl.. and enough girls to go around.... jus make sure u don't underbuy the amoutn of beer or it can turn nasty.. u cna always return untapped beer keg for a full refund..

[pandaharo]

When I was living away from home, I was using about $1300 cash a month, so I had to get a job. Rent alone was ~700 and gas for the car was ~100.

[sdm242]

Wow, you guys spend a lot of money on food! We're a family of four (2 adults, 2 young kids) and spend about $350 a month. This includes all our food, toiletries and diapers for my youngest child. I cook mostly from scratch-it's cheaper and better for you and it doesn't have to take a lot of time. We order in pizza or the like once a week, which isn't included in the $350.

[ragin_pyro]

Wow, you guys spend a lot of money on food! We're a family of four (2 adults, 2 young kids) and spend about $350 a month. This includes all our food, toiletries and diapers for my youngest child. I cook mostly from scratch-it's cheaper and better for you and it doesn't have to take a lot of time. We order in pizza or the like once a week, which isn't included in the $350.


:-0 I think your gotta post some meal plans/recipes! 350 :-0

[najibs]

:-0 I think your gotta post some meal plans/recipes! 350 :-0

Agreed. Im one person, and I spend well over $350/month.

[DISH]

I drop an easy $600-$850 a month on food ( meal plan). I don't eat a lot either. Everything is overpriced and the portions are small. A drink and a sandwhich will set you back $10.

Cigarettes: $120-$140 a month ( quit last week)
Alcohol + ( not including going to bars or clubs) $160-$240/month
Bars/Clubs $200-$300+ depending on how often I go out
Residence $625/ month
Meal plan: $600-$850
Dates: $100-$200 month
Cell phone: $35
Car ( insurance, gas, maintenance etc.. ) $1000/ month

It adds up.

[bionicbadger]

I drop an easy $600-$850 a month on food ( meal plan). I don't eat a lot either. Everything is overpriced and the portions are small. A drink and a sandwhich will set you back $10.

Cigarettes: $120-$140 a month ( quit last week)
Alcohol + ( not including going to bars or clubs) $160-$240/month
Bars/Clubs $200-$300+ depending on how often I go out
Residence $625/ month
Meal plan: $600-$850
Dates: $100-$200 month
Cell phone: $35
Car ( insurance, gas, maintenance etc.. ) $1000/ month

It adds up.

Rent an appartment or share a house or something. For $625/month you can find a decent place and save at least half if not more of your food budget by buying groceries and eating at home.

[Princess Buttercup]

something really cheap and tastes good for dessert
prices are approximate but not too out there total cost $6.75
1 graham cracker base, $1.99
1 pot of 95% fat free Cool Whip $2.50
2 packets white chocolate jello pudding fat free no sugar $1.00
1 can sliced peaches in fruit juice, $ 0.95
1 cup skimmed milk $0.30

this will feed 4 adults or 6 people who don't eat big portions.

mix up the jello pudding with the milk, add 1 cup of cool whip
drain and place 1/2 the peaches on the graham cracker base
slap the pudding mix all over it
slap the rest of the tub of cool whip all over the top
decorate with the rest of the peaches.

This is easy to make and is cheap and will last in the fridge for 4 days so you can have 4 desserts one each day if you don't share with your roomies

[Princess Buttercup]

you can use any fruit even fresh stuff
also any jello pudding as long as its fat free and sugar free, you defeat the purpose if you load this with fat and sugar