Boston is not a cheap city, but depending on where you study abroad, you might end up having an even higher cost of living. I would say that Melbourne is generally slightly cheaper than Boston, but frankly, I am also only here for six months and am trying to enjoy every bit of it. That means going out to eat a lot, participating in every trip I can, and enjoying cultural things around the city. Although things can be very expensive while abroad, there are various ways in which you can save money. Some will take more effort than others, but once you get in the groove of finding free/discounted things, it ends up being a fun challenge.
Grocery Shopping Like a Pro
Like I mentioned before, I have been eating out much more frequently while in Melbourne than I do in Boston, which ends up being more expensive. If I really could not burn through my savings at all, I would cook all the time, but I think that part of the experience of being here is trying the charming restaurants. When I do grocery shop, however, I always try to spend as little as possible. One of the things I do is only buy the supermarket brand items, which are typically just as good as the name brand things and come at a fraction of the price. There are also times when I encounter brands that I am used to buying in the U.S., but they often are pricier. Back home, I always buy Chobani yogurt, but here I would pay AU$3 more for that brand in comparison to a brand that I was unfamiliar with but turned out to be just as good.
When it comes to shopping for fruits and vegetables, going to a market can save you a few bucks. Another thing to look out for is what tends to be cheapest at the moment. In Boston, I always buy green apples and would never buy mangos due to the price and quality. In Australia on the other hand, I do the opposite and have changed the repertoire of fruits I buy so it can fit my budget better. Since I am in a completely different part of the world, it makes sense that the cheapest fruits vary from those in the U.S., and it ends up being a good way to eat and try other foods.
Another thing worth looking into is rewards programs at your neighborhood grocery store. At the store I shop it was super easy to sign up for a rewards card which gives me back money and has special discounts. Even if you end up eating out frequently, these small tips can help you cut corners here and there when going to the supermarket.
Taking Advantage of Your Student Status
Being a student can be really tough financially speaking, but it also means that you can get student discounts. Here in Melbourne, I have seen students get marked down prices for restaurants, bars, the public transportation pass, cultural events, and much more. A good way to find out about these discounts is around your school since they are often advertised there. During the first week of classes, I ate free food at my university every day and took every possible coupon or discount I could find. The best thing that I acquired due to being a student was a free ticket to the Formula 1 races happening in Melbourne. It was an amazing experience to watch F1 in person and it was even better getting to do it for no cost at all.
Food, Food, and More Food
My friends and I joke that the only thing we can think about is food because we are often eating and looking at other restaurants on Instagram to plan our next visit. Since it is not cheap to eat out, I have found discounts through multiple apps. Both McDonald’s and Burger King, or Maccas and Hungry Jack as they are referred to in Australia, have apps with amazing discounts for when you need trashy American food. Other apps I have used here include EatClub and Liven, both of which give customers access to promotions at different restaurants. What you can do is open the app, select a restaurant you like that has a good discount, and then eat there. You can let the savings help you decide on your next food destination. When my friends first told me about these apps, I could not find them on the App Store. I realized that my Apple account was linked with a North American App Store so I could not see the Australian apps. If you find yourself in a similar situation when you are abroad, all you need to do is change the location on Settings and start to enjoy the great savings!
Biking vs Public Transportation
Melbourne is a pretty large city and I am lucky to live by the city center, so there are numerous things to do in walking distance. With that being said, my university is not so centrally located. By taking public transportation, it takes me 30 minutes to get to school, but also costs me a bit of money, even with my student discount which cuts the price in half. If I bike to school, it also takes me 30 minutes but it means that I get to squeeze in a good exercise and do not have to pay for transportation. When I arrived here, I decided to purchase a used bicycle so that I could commute to school as well as other places around the city. I ended up paying AU$100 for the bike, which comes out to US$70. Public transportation is expensive here, so I will quickly make my money back and can even potentially sell the bike at the end of my stay. Another reason why I enjoy my bike is because of its basket, so when I go grocery shopping I can carry things there.
Volunteering and Working at Events
The last way in which I have saved money took the most effort but was also the most fun. Here is Australia, there are many music festivals and people often volunteer to get free admission. I went to the Pitch Music Festival and worked eight hours in return for a four-day pass to the event. It would have cost me more than AU$300 for the pass, and all I had to pay that weekend was transportation, which came out to AU$70 or US$50. I ended up having an amazing weekend essentially for free, and even the volunteering part was fun. In order to volunteer at festivals, you have to apply online weeks in advance and once you are accepted you pay a security deposit which is refunded once you successfully complete your shift. We camped while at the festival, so the accommodation was free. My work shift involving picking up trash, which does not seem super fun. However, doing it with friends while dancing around to the music and chatting with festival-goers actually proved to be entertaining.
Although these tips take various degrees of effort, they can really help you not burn through all of your savings while you are abroad. Just do not forget to make the most out of your experience, so if that means splurging here or there, then go for it!
