Credits to Carmen @wen31xx___ and Tow Wan Tian @t.w.tian. 

Image from @taylorsuni 

If you think ‘college life’ consists of fancy brewed coffee, wearing cool, casual clothes, having library dates and doing aesthetic Tumblr-esque study notes, well, you may want to hold your breath for a second before reading this. Let’s face it, every college student knows there’s more to those #collegegoals – tons of assignments, burning an awful lot of midnight candles, catching up deadlines and of course, making sure you don’t go bankrupt by the end of the month. No matter how much people like to say ‘money doesn't mean everything’, college students know very well that money means at least 80% of the things we do. 

But, don’t start having a panic attack on us just yet! College life may seem hard especially when you are a student who probably only has five Ringgit a day to spare but you still can have an enjoyable life just like anyone else. You just need to learn how to save and spend wisely. Without further ado, here are five ways to survive college as a penniless student. 

 

Image from LIVE JAPAN Perfect Guide 

Google every article you can, and meal prepping will always be at the top of the list because it is true! Cooking and preparing your meals can save a hefty amount of your savings! It might take up a lot of work with all the chopping, frying and cleaning but it is worth the while to save a huge chunk of your budget. So, delete those takeaway apps and try out these incredible, simple recipes. You can even get your creative juices flowing by adding your own twists and turns to it! 

BONUS: Besides saving money, constant cooking can sharpen your culinary skills that who knows might come in handy in the future when you’re trying to win a man’s or woman’s heart? *wink, wink* 

Image from SoyaCincau.com 

The advantages of travelling on public transport really outweighs its downsides such as avoiding ghastly traffic jams, which can last for hours especially in the evenings. Mass transits are also a great way in reducing transportation cost. In a city that’s easy to navigate due to being able to go to places with just the tip of your fingertips and a touch-n’-go card, you are not only doing yourself a favor but also to the environment! Learn how to commute with this comprehensive guide that will help you get around Kuala Lumpur with just public transports! 

Image from @tlsc.star 

All play and no work makes Jack a broke boy. Never heard of that? Well, now you have! Money comes from hard work. That is a difficult-to-swallow fact, but nothing is more rewarding to see your hard work pay off in cash! Besides, you also get to earn some experience which might be a fancy touch-up for your resume in the future! If you are interested in helping out at Taylor’s University’s Campus Central and Student Welfare, you can apply to be a student assistant. They pay RM 5 per hour and working hours are super flexible. You can even sign yourself up to be a student ambassador that helps the university during events like open day. Just keep a lookout at their hiring notice on the students’ portal! 

Images from @myburgerlab 

Sometimes we may think discounts do not help much but if you count them one by one, they actually add up a lot. Keep an eye out on promo codes online or sales because sometimes they do come in handy! Don’t be afraid to ask if there is any student discount at retail stores. In fact, there are a plethora of benefits you can feed off from being a student such as catching the latest blockbusters at TGV cinemas with only RM 10, singing to your heart’s content with just RM 11 at karaokes, showing your student pride in style by getting 15% off at Cotton On or even eating till you drop at Kenny Rogers with its 25% discount off. 

Image from @heyalfred.co 

Last but not least, the most pivotal, sticking to your own budget. This is a consequential step in making sure you are able to get out of college without being on your own beam’s end. Money may go out from your pockets with the snap of your fingers, but it certainly does not come in as easy and fast. Therefore, budgeting is crucial to make sure you do not dig your own financial grave. There are tons of ways for you to plan your money: you can use the reliable, old-fashioned ‘envelope system’, jot your outlay on a notebook or even record them down on apps like HeyAlfred and Money Manager to track your financial assets. To learn more about budgeting, here is a full-on guide that might help you get right into them! That is all from us! ETC. Magazine would like to give a warm welcome back to all the returning students as well as the freshmen in Taylor’s University. We hope your time and journey at Taylor’s this year will be a fun as well as a fulfilling one and that with these tips above, you might be able to dance your way out of here as a happy, ‘not-so-broke’ student.