Budget tips: How to not spend your money every time you’re on campus!

This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Toronto MU chapter and does not reflect the views of Her Campus.

Every time I step onto campus, it feels like my bank account is under attack. A quick coffee before class, a snack between lectures and maybe a “treat yourself” lunch with friends. Then weeks pass, and lo and behold, when I have to pay off my credit card, it’s always a number bigger than expected.

A major con of going to school in downtown Toronto is that you have access to everything and are the major target of Toronto’s high food prices. For students, whether we are balancing tuition, rent, transit or groceries, these everyday purchases can make a big dent in our budgets.

But here’s the good news: we don’t have to sacrifice our social life (or caffeine intake) to save money. With a bit of planning, there is a way to keep your wallet happy while still enjoying campus life. As a nutrition and food student, I have learned over the past two years how to make the most of food, which has definitely helped me save a bit of money on campus! 

The first would be to remove Apple Pay or a card on your phone. If your card is in your wallet, when you want to go get something to eat, the process of digging through your bag, finding your wallet, and then pulling out the card, you would have an ample amount of time to decide, “Can I justify buying this, or can I just eat at home?”

Now, as a commuter student myself, having to wait and transit for over an hour to get home, you’ll definitely be hungry before you arrive back at your place. So this may not be ideal, especially when you don’t live nearby to grab something from your apartment in between classes. 

This leads to the second option, which is meal prepping — something that has been drilled into nutrition students since their first year. I have learned how valuable meal prepping can be and how much of a lifesaver it is. It may seem intimidating or a lot to do, but this one step goes a long way. Whether it’s prepping the night before or having meals prepped for the whole week, it’s super efficient as you don’t need to stress about what to eat, run around in the morning to make a meal, and you have food made by you! This is a great way to eat healthy, save money and have something ready for the morning.

You can start your day by eating a heavy breakfast before leaving your house. Instead of buying snacks at home, consider buying ingredients and making a hearty breakfast to feel more satiated for longer. Other than the fact that most people tend to skip breakfast, by having something to eat, especially something full, you’ll be less compelled to buy something and can go through your three-hour lecture without thinking about food.

You can also have healthy snacks with you to keep your hunger mediated. So, even if you didn’t have time to pack a full meal, you can still have food such as yogurt, fruit, and nuts to be healthy.

Lastly, keep in mind that even a $7 to $ 10 transaction can still eventually add up! Is it okay to splurge once in a while? Yes! Maybe grabbing a coffee before class, or having lunch with friends once in a while, is OK, just be sure to limit it, so you’re not surprised by a $500 statement on your card.

Overall, making sure you’re eating a full meal, removing your card from your phone (if you can), meal prep in advance and bringing healthy snacks can definitely be a challenge being a student in downtown. But if we keep pushing those thoughts and prioritize homemade meals, we can save a ton of money and see that reflected in our bank account!