How a Mississauga Student Lives on $1000 a Month
Published February 25, 2016 at 2:37 pm
As students, we know it’s hard to live on a tight budget. Life is tough when you’re trying to get good grades and pay rent. Even with loans and a part-time job, you might not have enough to survive while away at school. To help you out, we have thought of five ways you can survive on $1000 a month. Follow these simple tricks and post-secondary will be a breeze!
Get a roommate:
Living on your own can be expensive. Even in a small apartment, you can expect to pay around over a $1000 a month. So getting a roommate may be your best option, as you can both split the rent. If you have a bigger place, you can accommodate more roommates and split costs even more. Just make sure you can live with those people! The last thing you want is a roommate who eats your Oreos. Those people can’t be trusted.
Presto Card:
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Mississauga is a big city and if you’re trying to get from one end to the other, you might find yourself taking the bus. Taxis and Uber’s can get way too expensive, especially if you’re on a budget. So if you need to travel this great city on a budget, Presto is the way to go. The fare for one ride on a MiWay bus is $3.50, but if you’re using Presto, it’s only $2.90. And if you find yourself using the bus almost every day, they have a monthly pass for $125 that grants you unlimited rides for the whole month. While $125 might seem steep, you’re absolutely saving on fares in the long run.
Food, Walmart, Costco, No Frills:
When you go away to school, there’s a good chance you’re living on your own for the first time. Get ready to experience the insane price of food! And with the price of cauliflower these days, you’re going to start looking for deals. It’s time to stop paying $10 for a block of cheese when you need to be paying $5. If one of your family members has a Costco membership, GO WITH THEM to shop and get a tub of Nutella for about $10. Keep an eye on the prices — instead of buying frozen meals for $7 each, you can buy fresh vegetables and meats for about $20. Write down everything you need and figure out how much it will cost you.
Work at School:
Going to school and living on your own is tough, as you now need to start saving your money so you can successfully live. It’s hard to work a job and attend university or college at the same time. One way to make some extra cash and still keep up with your school work is to get a job at your institution. Many universities and colleges offer on-site employment opportunities for students. You can be a student tutor or even work at one of the many offices or food establishments on campus. When I was in college, I worked for a program called Leave The Pack Behind. It was a program that helped encourage students to quit smoking. It was a super part-time job that didn’t take up a lot of time and gave me some extra cash for rent.
Save bottles:
Do you like to have parties? Or even go to parties? Here is a trick to help you save a little bit of extra money so you can afford another night of partying. If you have friends over to your place for pre-drinks, small hangouts or even massive parties, remember to keep all the cans and bottles! I know your initial reaction will be to toss them out. If you go around collecting them all and saving them till you have a significant amount, your next night at the bar is free! It’s a simple trick that can help keep a small amount of money in your pocket.
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