Moving to a new country comes with its unique challenges. After the first few days you probably have found the most necessary things. However, often there are better and more student-friendly alternatives you often need an insider tip to find. Some of those I didn’t even know before talking to my corridor mates for this blogpost.

Second Hand Stores

Your student housing or flat might need a few extras to make it feel like home. Second hand stores are very popular in Sweden and I can recommend checking them out for everything from kitchen utensils, furniture, decorations to clothing. Personally, I found my favourite breakfast bowl for 15 SEK at Myrorna.

Supermarkets

You might have already found your nearest supermarket, but it is definitely worth it to take a closer look. I was biking to a big Hemköp for a few weeks until I realized that there is a closer one around. While compiling the most student-friendly stores, I found out that every supermarket has its own app, where weekly deals are listed. So, if you are on the hunt for the cheapest Brie for your dinner party you might want to check it out.

Systembolaget

For me not being able to buy alcohol in a supermarket was a strange concept when I moved to Sweden. Back home in Austria you could just go to your closest store or petrol station and buy a wide variety of alcoholic beverages. However, here you even have to be careful of when the store is open. Otherwise you might end up on a girls night without a glass of wine.

Drugstore

After the shampoos and body lotions I brought from home started to become empty, I was desperately looking for a drugstore. In Austria, and many other European countries, we have stores dedicated to selling hygiene products. However, I have not yet found this specific store here. After an initial state of panic I got a package sent from home. If I had known that apart from pharmacies such sections also hide in Åhléns (brands) and ÖoB (no-name products), it would have made my life a lot easier.