Student recipes

Studying is an expensive hobby. In addition to your tuition fees, your living expenses are also a major cost item. If you live on your own, you must take various fixed costs into account. Below we have made a list of these monthly costs for you (Nibud Student Research, 2017)!

• Rent €417

• Groceries

€181 • Study books and –supplies €58 • Transport (in addition to public transport) €63 • Relaxation, going out, sports €146 • Clothing and shoes €47 • Health care insurance €106 • Telephone €26

Total: €1044

These amounts are average for all students in the Netherlands. However, in Enschede we are lucky; the costs are a bit lower here. For example, a student pays on average only €329 rent per month. Enschede is also known for its low beer prices. In an average pub you will only pay €1.80 for a beer and in student pubs this is often only half the price.

There are of course various ways to pay for the expensive student life. For example, many students rely on a student job to make ends meet every month. DUO also offers the opportunity to borrow up to € 1.101,84 per month with an interest rate of 0.0%. Many students make maximum use of this. “Maximum borrowing is maximum life”, is therefore a common motto of many students.

These students may borrow the maximum amount, but they don’t spend it all at once. They put the money they don’t use in a saving account, to already save some money for after their study programme or to have a buffer in case of an emergency.

However, maximum borrowing also entails some risks. For example, many students will be more inclined to spend more money if they have more to spend. In addition, most banks use an historic low interest rate of only 0.05% per year. So you won’t make money while you sleep. Apart from borrowing and working, it is always good to keep a critical eye on your expenses. Can you save some money somewhere? This way you might have to borrow less, or you can spend it on other, nice things. We have made a list of a few useful saving tips for you:

1. As a student you are entitled to a health care allowance and maybe also a rent allowance. You can apply for this at the Tax

Authorities; 2. Some students are also entitled to an additional grant. Via

DUO you can check whether you are also entitled to this; 3. Check whether you can find second-hand study books (online). You can also borrow these from a senior student; 4. Learn how to repair your own bike. Bike repair shops easily charge a few tenners for repairing a tire; 5. Go to recycling shops or flea markets to furnish your student room; 6. Buy second-hand clothing. You can buy cheap secondhand designer clothes via trendy websites, such as United

Wardrobe. You can also sell any clothes you no longer wear; 7. Play sports at a low rate at a student sports association; 8. Pack your own lunch instead of buying a sandwich in the canteen; 9. Cook bigger portions and put these in the freezer for when you eat alone; 10. Use student discounts. Via the website https://su.utwente.nl/ services/student/uniondeals/you can check which discounts you can get when you show your student card. For example, you can go to FC Twente for a cheap rate, get your driving licence with a discount and go to the cinema for just €7.50!