By MJ Dewji
Being a student is extremely challenging for your mind, your body, and of course… your wallet. Finances are not something you should have to worry about as a student. However, it is unfortunately an area of concern for most students these days. Here are 3 ways that you as a student can save money in a city as expensive as Vancouver:
1. Facebook Exchange Groups
These are extremely key and most universities have them. An example is the book exchange group at KPU pictured here:
*Image obtained from Facebook.com
These groups are crucial in allowing you to find second-hand textbooks for cheap. Tuition already costs you an arm and a leg, so at least you can save a bit on some second-hand textbooks. Not only can you save here, but once you are done with a textbook, you can come back to these groups and resell it to other students. Cha-Ching! It is always a win-win situation for both the seller and the buyer here.
2. Purchasing Online/PDF Textbooks
We’ve all been there: lugging our textbooks around in our heavy backpacks, thinking to ourselves that not only is this textbook super expensive, but so will the physio treatments be for that sore back! The solution is clear: online or pdf textbooks. This alternative not only is cheaper, but it is much more environmentally-friendly! A website that you can use to purchase online textbooks that seem to have all the textbooks is VitalSource. You can purchase textbooks on this website for up to 80% less than you would spend on physical textbooks.
3. Apps That Help Save You Money
As a student, you can’t avoid going either grocery shopping or out with your friends. Let’s be honest, it’s expensive! Those bills add up and sometimes you can’t exactly do anything about it. We may have a solution for you…there are apps out there that help you save while spending money! In fact, two Vancouver based companies are here to help you. The first company is called Perk Hero. They are an app that allows you to earn cashback rewards on what you spend. You can find great deals from local and international e-commerce brands all while earning redeemable loyalty points – score!
The second company is called Yumii Rewards. If you are ever going out for bubble tea or dessert with your friends, this app is perfect for you. You get rewards for purchasing bubble tea or dessert at certain locations around Vancouver, which then turn into free purchases and discounts. They are essentially your Vancouver-based stamp card for bubble tea! Both these companies are great as they support local Vancouver based companies while also supporting local Vancouverite students’ wallets.