New To Student Life? Make Affordable Choices

Howdy students! How is life as an independent individual navigating studies and the first steps of adulthood? At Study & Stay, we understand that student life can be daunting and somewhat challenging. But fear not because, in this article, we will take you through navigating student life while still enjoying your freedom and managing your time and lifestyle well. Read on to find out how you can make the most out of your student experiences affordably.

First, Find Your Feet and Your Places

When you are new in a city or province, you want to ensure that you are well-versed in all things convenience stores and more. Because we offer shuttle, laundry, and furnished accommodation for those looking to live alone or want to share, you don’t have to worry about finding a space that will cater to your primary needs.

Study & Stay’s accommodation is in Bellville, and here you have access to shopping, eating, and entertainment spots that will make your student-life balance work just right. Willowbridge Mall and Tygervalley Shopping Centre are your go-tos if you are looking to add a bit of your personal touch to decor or are simply looking for your next outfit or grocery essentials. Speaking of groceries…

Eat In More By Cooking For Less

If you want to live an affordable student life while still enjoying good food and trying out those TikTok recipes you’ve saved for months, consider cooking more and ordering out less. Our houses offer shared kitchen spaces and facilities that make your cooking experience a joy as you bond with other students while creating delicious and wholesome meals. So, brush up on your skills, chef, it’s time to get cooking.

The cost of buying food and beverages can build up and mess with your budget. Some diversionary tactics and temptations, including going out with friends, meeting up with classmates for coffee, getting a drink, or having supper, seem enjoyable but are also costly.

You must schedule meals in the dorm to prevent the stress of exceeding your budget. For those hot beverages, invest in a coffee maker or electric kettle, or use the one on-site. If you want to make something like a hot chocolate, then milk and chocolate chips should be placed halfway up the cup.. Prepare two glasses of water for the tea, mix it, and serve the hot chocolate. See? Easy and delicious.

Thrift Stores And Second-hand Shops

Being a varsity student means having to let go of the school uniform stress, but it also means having to navigate a whole new wardrobe, which can seem stressful. Lucky for you, Bellville, and Cape Town as a whole, is one of those places where thrifting is huge and just keeps growing. By now, everyone knows what thrifting is, but in case you are new to fashion and decor finds, thrifting is simply purchasing second-hand items at affordable rates from stores and places that sell them. Places such as Bang Bang Vintage Market (a store in the city of Cape Town) and markets around the city during First Thursdays (a popular art events theme for every first Thursday of the month) will have lots of options for you. As a student, you want to capitalise on thrifting in an effort to stay fashionable while keeping within budget. Another consideration to make is visiting old age homes and dry cleaners and asking if they have old clothes and decor for sale.

Milk The Free Entertainment

We spoke about First Thursdays above, and if you are an artsy student or simply enjoy art in general, you may be looking for places to experience, see, and immerse yourself in some art and culture. But, we all know entertainment is not free, however, it can be. Every first Thursday of the month, Cape Town (and other provinces and cities) galleries and restaurants have specials and free exhibitions for visitors to enjoy. So, if you are looking for a day or night outing, consider visiting galleries such as Young Blood Africa in the city or simply gallery hopping while indulging in some 2-for-1 specials on food and drinks at some of your favourite eating spots. Remember though, a balanced student life is a must, so only indulge in First Thursday shenanigans if you do not have a lot of work and studying waiting for you on Friday. Trust us, it gets hectic.

You can also enjoy beach days, hikes, and park runs and walks for free in Bellville, Durbanville, and Cape Towns’ parks and hiking trails, and that is free entertainment for you and a chance to meet people too.

Avoid Credit

We know trying to fit in and navigate student life can feel like a lot of pressure, but do not let the pressure turn you to credit cards in order to achieve your goals. Student apartments in Cape Town can seem like an unaffordable reach, but Study & Stay bridges that gap between dorms vs apartments by creating convenient houses that cater to you and your needs so you don’t have to find an expensive flat to rent just to survive.

Come Study & Stay With Us and experience the best Student Life

If you are wondering whether hostels are good for students, we at Study & Stay pride ourselves in offering affordable living for our students in a beneficial and healthy environment that will not only help them with time management (as we offer shuttles making it easy to get to and from campus), making friends (our shared facilities are a great way to connect with people), and getting your cleaning and laundry done, but we also offer tips on how to navigate student life. This article and others are a great example of that, so if you are looking for student accommodation in the heart of Bellville, look no further. Follow us on Instagram to get updates on all things Study & Stay and student living.