How to save money when studying in Norway

Norway is quite expensive. No way around that fact. So if you are planning to go there as a student, be sure to read up on these five tips for making your money last.

The information is provided by the savings portal CupoNation.

1. Cheap tickets

Every person studying in Norway should spend some time getting to know the country. Travelling by bus is the least expensive alternative, and even though it might take longer to get where you are going, it is quite popular. A good tip is to plan your trip two or three weeks in advance, while that gives you the biggest chance of finding cheap bus, train and flight tickets.

2. Discounts for students

In a lot of Norwegian cities, students make up a significant part of the population. This means that young people tend to be an important part of the economy, both locally and nationwide. Businesses want you to choose them over their competitors, so with a student id, most of them will offer really good discounts.

Unsure of who offers discounts? Your school will very often have a overview over who, what and where, but it never hurts to ask the business yourself.

3. Grocery shopping

Grocery stores rarely have student discounts, but you can still get away with this kind of shopping relatively cheaply. The reason is the grocery stores extreme tactics to compete against each other for customers. They will push crazy discount on certain popular products, even to the point where they lose money on it, but they also have their own exclusive brands that they use to “lure” you inside. Look for brands like “X-tra”, “First Price” and “Coop”. They will cover all your basic needs and save you a lot.

4. The best things in life are free

The Norwegian nature… Wow! You won't find anything close to it anywhere in the world. It's always accessible, always impressive and always free. You might get a kick from standing on top of The Empire State Building 381 meters above ground, but try looking over the edge at Preikestolen, a huge rock leaning over a fjord 604 meters below. No railings, no security. Now that's a kick free of charge.

5. Matpakke

And the name was? Ok… If you don’t know the Norwegian “matpakke”, perhaps you need to read up on Norwegian culture. It's basically packet lunch. Instead of buying lunch at cafeterias, restaurants or stores, most Norwegians bring a “matpakke” to work or school. This usually consists of a few slices of bread with different spreads on top. It would probably rank among the 10 most boring meals in the world, but Norwegians seem to like it. If you can grow accustomed to this matpakke culture, combined with shopping for the cheap brands, money will stay in your pocket.

Good luck with both saving money and studying in Norway!