High costs of education and living along with low income can put you in a difficult situation. House rent is one of the biggest expenses that you have to pay as a student. Flatmate finder services can help you find flatmates to share your rent to reduce your expenses and save money for other things. Apart from sharing financial responsibilities, a flatmate also gives you a sense of safety and companionship. Here are few general tips that you may find helpful:

1. Use flatmate finder service – Use a flatmate finder service if you are in the initial stages of searching for a flatmate. Use the best services like yChatter.com and you can instantly find a potential flatmate who has similar preferences like location and budget.
2. Save energy and water – Become environment friendly to conserve natural resources…avoid using excess electricity and control your energy bills. Using energy efficient products can help you in saving a lot of energy and control your electricity bills. Avoid wasting water by using buckets instead of showers…it will not only save water but electricity on heating water as well. Ring up the company and tell them you are looking to change to another provider – is there any best deal they can give you?
3. Use your phone wisely – Avoid talking over phones unnecessary and compare plans provided by different service providers before finalizing to get the cheapest services. You can save a lot on your phone bills. If you have just finished a mobile plan – ring up your mobile provider and tell them you are looking to change companies and asked for a discount.
4. Act as a law abiding citizen – Always be a law abiding citizen and do not break rules to avoid hefty fines and penalties.
5. Avoid bad habits – Quitting smoking and alcohol will not only improve your health but also save you a lot of money.
6. Avoid frequent hangouts – Eating out is always a fun but avoid it to save a lot of money or spend wisely like going out on cheaper nights not Friday and Saturday – when they have specials on. A lunch is cheaper than a dinner since many restaurants are often cheaper during day hours.
7. Avoid using disposables – Although it’s much more convenient to use the disposables like disposable plates, glasses and napkins but considering the quantity used daily, they are expensive. Using dishes that can be washed and used again can save good money.
8. Avoid debts – Avoid loans and using the credit cards, these might land you in huge interest burdens. Avoid huge financial charges, interest rates and taxes…buy only when you have money. Pay your credit card balances on time, if you cannot pay off your credit card on time ring up the credit card company and asked for a lower interest rate! Tell them you will change companies if they don’t give you a discount or a lower interest rate.
9. Dry clothes in the sun – Dryers are very convenient but consume a lot of electricity, start drying your clothes in the sun to save electricity.
10. Shop wisely – Always buy things in bulk that are used on regular basis like groceries and other household products as they cost less when bought in bulk. At the same time you need to be cautious to not to buy excessive food stuff that may go off before you can use it. Look for sales but don’t just buy stuff because they are on a sale…stick to your list and buy stuff which are on your list and also on sale. Wait for that end season sale to avoid extra spending. One last important point to note while shopping is always check the bill before paying to make sure that you are paying only for the stuff you bought.

These simple tips will help you get more out of your limited money. Stay tuned…more to follow next week. Next weekly post will cover how finding a flatmate can help you live on small budget.