Student budget: living on a scholarship and help from parents
A first independent budget is always a little chaotic. A simple system for students: how to plan the month's money and not run out before the end. · 4 min read
First find out how much you have
Add up everything you receive in a month: scholarship, help from parents, a part-time job. That is your budget. Then subtract the essentials: dorm or rent, transport, phone. What is left is for food and everything else.
Split it into weeks
The most common student budget problem: the first week is “rich”, the last one is “hungry”. Divide what is left into four weeks and try to stay within the weekly amount. If a week was cheaper, the difference rolls over to the next one.
Where students overspend
- Food delivery and coffee on the go — small amounts, but every day.
- Subscriptions used once a month.
- Late-night impulse online shopping.
- Paying per trip instead of buying a pass, if you travel daily.
A habit for life
Budgeting learned as a student stays with you forever. Recording expenses on your phone takes seconds, and at the end of the month you see where the money really went. Even a small savings jar — say 100 lei a month — builds the habit of saving before the big salary arrives.