January 21, 2024
Keeping on a Student Budget in Sweden – Part 1
Hej everyone!
Everyone knows that before arriving in Sweden, the first thoughts coming to mind are: “How will I survive the winter?”, “Is the darkness that intense?”, and “Is it as expensive as they say?”.
For me, money was a major concern since I had no idea what to expect, and I understand it is such a sensitive topic for many students. Today, I want to share my experience with keeping on a budget in Sweden.
*As I was writing, I realized that I had a lot to say, so I’ve split this topic into 2 parts.
Keep in mind that I’m still not a financial guru, and what works for me might vary based on your lifestyle and preferences.
- Room
The first big choice you must do once you’re accepted to LiU is the room you’ll be living in for the next months/years. As you probably already know, usually you have two popular choices: a corridor room or an apartment for yourself. Here, you must consider a lot of things (as I mentioned in my previous post): if you are willing to live with other students or not, if you prefer to have a furnished room or if you want to buy your own things etc. This will all have a weight on the scale every month on your budget and day-to-day life, so be sure of what you want.
Also, it is completely normal that once you have your bedroom/apartment, you want it to feel cosy and like “home”. Don’t deprive yourself of buying this kind of stuff, just make sure you don’t buy everything you see! A good tip here, as well as for other things such as clothes, is to try a thrift shop! There are plenty of them in Linköping, and I’m sure that you can find there most of the things you need. However, if you don’t, maybe then consider going to Ikea or other shop you fancy!
- Food
Yes, it’s true that Sweden has a reputation for being on the pricey side, especially when it comes to food. However, fear not. There are some tips that you can use to have the best of it. I wouldn’t advise you to stop eating what you are used to just because it’s pricey here. Remember, you will probably stay in Sweden for more than a couple of months and your body has needs and habits. If you completely stop doing these, it will probably just make you feel down together with all the new experiences of moving to a new country and being away from your family. Instead, you can just readapt or consider what you really need and stay stick to a list of things you should always have.
Another tip is to always try to look for discounts. Sometimes they are hidden, so be sure to look for them once you get used to the supermarket, and to the Swedish labels. And be aware, sometimes the discounts are only for club members, which will probably not be your case!
I also usually buy frozen meat, fish, and veggies (which are cheaper than fresh ones). I know, it is not the same, but from my experience frozen food in Sweden has an excellent quality and I really can’t tell the difference sometimes between the frozen and fresh food.
Last, but not least, eating in restaurants, food chains etc is also not that cheap. I mean, at least from my experience. As I’m not usually used to eat in restaurants or going to a coffee shop, it is not a thing that I usually do here. However, I know that some people feel the need to go to those places to have their own time or to relax with some friends. If you are on this group, just make sure that you don’t completely discard these pleasure moments: try to figure it out what are the cheapest places or maybe buy all you need on a supermarket and invite your friends to go to your place and have fika together instead!
- Parties
One thing that made me really confused were the prices here to attend to a party. It is definitely not cheap to party in Sweden! So, I would recommend you to consider carefully what parties you want to attend and which you don’t really mind not going. If you still feel like partying, you can also invite some friends over and share some food and/or drinks!
Hope you enjoyed this tips, and if you want more, just look into Part 2!
/Leonor, Applied Ethology and Animal Biology
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