Studying abroad is the most exciting thing in the world until you realize how much it costs… Everything becomes stressful, panic sets in, and you get annoyed when you can’t spend money. Here’s some tips for saving the money you need to study abroad worry-free.
1. Start a Go Fund Me. You’ve probably seen these popping up all over Facebook and they have proven to be successful. Close friends and family will be more than happy to donate small amounts over time. If 100 of your friends donate just $5 each, that’s already $500 right there- enough to buy them the souvenirs they’ll be expecting!
2. Ask for money instead of gifts for birthdays or holidays. If you have a birthday coming up, be sure to have a party or just a casual get-together so that people will have to show up with a gift and kindly voice on social media beforehand that you’re looking for study abroad money.
3. Eat out less. But how?! First, figure out how often you eat out, whether its sit down or take-out, and then make a goal to cut back by roughly 50%. As much as possible, when you are craving Dragon Chef or Dominos, instead of ordering, put $10 into an envelope labeled “Study Abroad Money.” That’s $10 that you can spend on pizza in Italy or tapas in Spain. Figure out what kinds of food you usually order and take a trip to the grocery store to stock up and save.
4. Purge your closet of all the things you don’t like, don’t fit, or simply don’t wear enough and consign them. Research local shops to see exchange rates and set up meetings to see what things of yours they will take.
5. Have a yard sale to get rid of all the extra furniture, books, DVDs, and random knick knacks you have lying around. For even better results, collaborate with multiple people- the bigger the yard sale, the more people will stop!
6. Host a fundraising party or dinner with friends. Plan a spaghetti dinner, pancake breakfast, or ice cream social where guests pay a small fee to get in or include raffles where people pay to enter their name into. You can use this opportunity as a going away party- fun for all and split the profit with your other hosts/hostesses!
7. Do some landscaping for neighbors. In addition to your regular job, take just a few hours a week to mow some lawns or do some gardening for others. Easy money and exercise- win-win!
8. Apply to as many scholarships as possible. Such few people apply to select ones, you are almost guaranteed to receive money. Look at deadlines and plan ahead of time when you need to complete each one, because as the semester rolls to an end, time management will be key as work piles up. Good luck!