I started grad school as a broke student.
It was a new phase of life with joining a new lab and moving states. There was a lot going on with me, and I had little clue how to navigate spending wisely within my means. I realized I was spending money on things I didn’t even realize were draining my budget.

After tracking my spending for a month, I made a few simple changes and cut my expenses almost in half.

Here are the exact things I stopped buying (and what I did instead).

1. I Stopped Ordering Food (saved ~$300/month)

Due to many hours spent on research in my first years, there was little time left to cook from scratch (or so I thought). I ordered food 3–4 times a week without calculating the total cost.
Once we started meal prepping simple meals (pasta, rice bowls, prepped salads, simple breakfast), I cut my food spending almost in half. Groceries is relatively cheap, and the other resorces is sparing some hours during the weekends to prepare the food in batch for the rest of the week. This saves a lot of money and time!

Research shows that cooking at home can cut food costs by up to 40%.

2. I Stopped Buying Morning Coffee (saved ~ 120/month)

My mornings usually start with drinking coffee habitually. Buying coffee daily from Starbucks adds up pretty fast without knowing. An average Starbucks cup of coffee is about $5. When you religiously buy this atleast 6 days in a week and multiplied by 4 weeks in a month, you’ll be surprised how fast it racks up. Instead, I bought a bag of coffee beans and made mine at home. Same caffeine, way less money. Since I wanted to cut down on coffee, I switched to tea, which helped a lot.

3. I Stopped Mindless Subscriptions (Saved ~$100/month)

I had multiple streaming service subscriptions I wasn’t using, yet I was charged each month. The mindless monthly subscriptions hurt my finances. I used an app to list all monthly subscriptions, and I cancelled the unused ones. Do you know all the subscriptions you pay for? You need to account for the quiet monthly financial leaks, such as subscriptions, and fill them up. A notorious one is the free trials you might forget to cancel. Yes, check your emails, you are probably paying for that too. Once I canceled everything I didn’t actively use, I immediately freed up extra cash.

4. I Avoided Uber Services (Saved ~$500/month)

For the early years, I did not have a car. I heavily used Uber for many months. This was a huge expense that created a big hole in the finances. To significantly minimize cost before eventually buying a used car, I walked where I could, carpooled and used the public transportation system. Before I knew it, I got drawn into the Uber eats too. This complicated my habits and impacted my finances as well. This significantly reduced costs and improved my health!

5. I Saved on Books (Saved ~$500+/month)

Textbooks are insanely expensive. However, books are an integral part of a student’s expenses. Good news: you don’t always have to pay full price for them, or even any amount at all. Books can be expensive, especially specialized editions in a field you are interested in. To cut costs, here is a list of alternative options I have tried that save me a lot.

• Buy used books
• Rent textbooks
• Look for free PDFs or library copies

This is one of the easiest ways to save hundreds each semester.

6. I Stopped Impulse Shopping (Saved ~$100+/month)

On the weekends, going to the mall with friends was a fun activity. However, these exposed me to impulsive spending that could be avoided. Sometimes, the prices may seem small and harmless, but when you do the math, the small purchases are a major budget drain. Random Amazon buys and “Quick” Target runs led to buying things I actually don’t need, which potentially become clutter. Now I use a simple rule: If I don’t need it, I wait 48 hours before buying. Most of the time, I don’t buy it at all and my budget thanks me for that.

7. I Stopped Wasting Groceries (Saved ~$50/month)

I used to buy groceries with good intentions… and then let them go bad. The vegetables are the perishables with the lowest shelf life. Now I combine food prep with grocery shopping to save my time and money. Other things I do are:

• Plan meals before shopping
• Buy only what I’ll actually use
• Freeze extra food

Less waste = more savings.

8. I Stopped Ignoring Student Discounts (Saved ~$20–$50/month)

I wasn’t taking advantage of the discounts available to me. You will be surprised by the available resources you may not be fully maximizing on campus.

Now I always check for:

• Student pricing
• Discount codes
• Campus deals

It’s free money you don’t want to miss.

9. I Stopped Buying Lunch (Saved ~$200+/month)

Bringing lunch to school or work is a great hack to saving your money. Instead of buying lunch at the cafeteria or the bustling salad shops on campus, I bring my lunch. This is one of the significant ways I have saved my money and extended my budget.

10. I Started Tracking Where My Money Was Going

This was the biggest change of all, which has no price tag. Before, I wasn’t paying attention to my spending.

Now I:

• Track my expenses with Rocket Money
• Review where my money goes
• Adjust when needed

Awareness alone helped me make better decisions.

Here is a list of money leaks you might want to check out today

• Subscriptions and expired “free” trials
• Uber
• Coffee
• Snacks
• Food delivery
• Small impulse purchases

How to save money as a student (power points)

• Track spending
• Cook more
• Use student discounts
• Cut subscriptions
• Stick to the basics and buy what you need
• Cut down on your wants and trendy buys
• Thrift.

Final Thoughts

Saving money as a student isn’t about being extreme or a miser

It’s about being aware of your habits and making small changes that add up over time.

For me, cutting these expenses made a huge difference, and it can for you, too. I hope this helps.

Find other Money-saving activities that are great for weekends. Budgeting ideas for the new school year