Through My Eyes

Student Budget Tips and Tricks:

It is no secret that some of us occasionally experience financial difficulties while being full time students, let's not sugar-coat this in the current economic climate some of our lecturers are even working part time at Wakaberry just to afford their tweed jackets and ivory tobacco pipes carved in the shape of an Apple logo.

Some may be reading this and shaking their wallets at me, still wide at the end of the month, either as a result of being financially superior or just being frugal and not spending so much money. This short piece will illuminate the possibilities which wise budgets and smart saving decisions can do for you.

The year is 2015 and inflation has steadily been climbing up every year since 1982, I haven't been to a shop in ages because I can't afford petrol but I heard that bread is R30 now. With prices as high as they are there, there are a few tips that you can use to try and spend less money.

One fun and entertaining activity to do by yourself, or with friends if you like, is once you have spent all the money you have budgeted for the month and maxed out all of your credit and it is still the first week is to go for a very long walk. Pack some clothes and a tin of baked beans (R7.00) and just make your way up the N1. Remember that it is important to be careful of some truckers, as they will promise you food, shelter and a safe ride but they do not deliver on some aspects of the original promises! Believe it or not, one of them even asked me to kiss him on the lips in exchange for a crunch burger. It was worth it, of course, so I did it (naturally).

This experience brings me to my second idea to stay financially secure is to do favours for other people in Stellenbosch in return for money. These illicit activities can vary from helping an old man install his ADSL to becoming an unsuspecting drug mule and having to jump over the boarder to get into Zimbabwe. I would stick to simple tasks at first, as I find that jumping straight into the whole Zimbabwe prison thing just shortens life expectancy and really reduces the maximum potential for pleasure experience, don't take my word for it though, I have heard some great things about Chikurubi Prison so by all means, check in. You will find often that while being in prison you don't have to worry about paying for you prepaid electricity or if you are going to have enough money to see your favourite beatbox performer at the Kirstenbosch gardens because you will be busy doing prison stuff.

Over and above all of these tips the best thing to do in order to not spend a large amount of money is to begin taking your life seriously. You don't need to be going out on Tuesday nights, spending your mom's money on the industrial grade ethanol that is being marketed as vodka in the bars around Bird Street. Avoid all of these needless expenses and just stay indoors, only leaving to attend class and write tests, when you are not busy with work you can hang upside-down like a bat in the living room to pass time, a cost-effective and fun activity for all you funky teens and young people out there. Remember, keep safe and avoid Chikurubi Prison!