Life is expensive. We don’t need to tell you that.  But unless you’re happy to have no friends and sit in your room all day and night, organising your sock draw, spending money is inevitable. But there are sneaky ways to pay less for stuff you need and still live out loud.

Save on your … cellphone bill.  

• Make sure you have the right plan for your needs.
• Make use of free minutes and free SMS bundles.
• A pay-as-you-go plan will help you keep track of how much money you’re spending.
• Although WatsApp is free to use, it uses data which can give you a nasty fright at the end of the month.
• Look for Wifi hotspots including minibus taxis – the South African National Taxi Association (Santaco) started rolling out a free service that promises commuters 50 MB of free WiFi per month on 3G and 4G platforms. Yes please!
• Use Skype to call your chomas – calls are free between two Skype users but it does use data so look for a WiFi spit to catch up.
• Make sure you sign out of any apps that use the internet, such as email, Twitter or Facebook when you’re not using them, as these will chow your data.

Save on your … school supplies

• Go for second-hand textbooks and sell your old textbooks. The better condition they’re in, the more money you’ll get for them.
• When it comes to stationery, check out factory stores like West Pack and buy in bulk and spilt with your chomas.
• Label expensive items like your backpack and blazer in case you lose them.

Save on your … fashion fix

• Follow your fave stores on Facebook so you’re the first to know about sales.
• Sign up for newsletters from fashion stores  – sometimes they offer discounts.
• Wait for sales – even if they are end-of-season ones and you can only wear the items next year.
• Check out factory stores which sell some of your favourite brands for a fraction of the price.
• Ask for a student discount. If you don’t ask, you don’t get.
• Get a part-time job at a clothing store – hello staff discounts!
• Throw a fashion swap. Read our article here to find out how.

Save on your … beauty routine

• Get a loyalty card for Clicks or Dis-Chem and use those points.
• Buy products that serve more than one purpose. For e.g. Vaseline is a great lip balm, make-up remover and moisturiser. Coconut oil can be used for everything from hair conditioner, to bubble bath, a night cream and body wash. And some lip balms can be used for cheek colour too.
• Make your own body scrubs – think sea salt and baby oil or sugar and coconut oil.