But between lectures, ramen dinners, and last-minute exam cramming, who’d have thought you could still find the time (and money) to satisfy your wanderlust? But where there’s a will and a tight budget, there’s a way.
Let’s be real traveling is all fun until you realize your bank account screams “Stay home!” But don’t worry, we got you! We made the perfect traveling guide for people who are on a ‘Still in Uni’ budget.
Here’s how I traveled with my friends without turning our pockets inside out.
- Choose the cheapest way to travel
Let’s face it, while first-class might be the dream, right now, even the economy seems a luxury. As the fuel prices go up some of your road trip dreams must go down.
Me and my friends wanted to travel to Kinigi, we looked at our options, our wallets, and the fuel prices… we agreed to put the pride in the bin and make our way to Nyabugogo and spend 6,000 Frw for a two-way ticket to Musanze.
Had we rented a car, we would have been broke before the car even reached Nyirangarama.
Hey, isn’t it about the journey and not the mode of transport?
- Hunt for student-friendly spots
Paris? Venice? Maybe later. Right now, think of destinations where your student ID doesn’t just get you a sympathetic nod, but a legit discount! Seek out locales where the cost of living is lower, and the nightlife doesn’t require selling a kidney to enjoy.
For example, we went to Musanze on a Friday afternoon, our plan was to hike and visit museums on Saturday and visit the city on Sunday and come back. Our Budget did not exceed 25,000 Frw each and we were a team of 6 people.
What we did was use our Student IDs. It was only 2000 Frw for students to hike in Kinigi. Which we took advantage of. After Hiking and seeing a bunch of wonderful golden monkeys we went to the Ellen DeGeneres Campus of the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund which was totally free.
On Sunday, what did we do you may ask? We went to art galleries like Inshuti Art Gallery whose entrance is of course FREE!
- Mobilize the friend group and budget for everything
Traveling solo can be enlightening but splitting the bill with fellow broke students? Now that’s enlightening AND economical! Get a group together, and not only do you share costs, but you also multiply the fun.
We were a group of six girls, we divided the costs and made sure we had fun. We made sure to budget for everything even for renting a ‘picnic’ car and the driver who took us from Musanze to Kinigi and back, we budgeted for tickets that would be needed, food that would be bought, nights out, and of course taxis we would be using. Everything you can imagine was budgeted for.
Our total budget was between 150,000 Frw and 200,000 Frw. Split it between 6 students and the cost becomes better.
- Chef it up, student style
Who said you need to dine at 5-star eateries when you have a world of local markets and grocery stores to explore? Buy fresh ingredients and have a DIY meal.
And if cooking isn’t your strong suit, who cares? Embrace the simple sandwich or the art of “instant noodle cuisine”. Your wallet will thank you.
Being on a ‘Still in Uni’ budget doesn’t mean you have to lock yourself in the library all semester. With a bit of creativity, flexibility, and the art of compromise, you can venture out and see the world. After all, life is about experiences, not possessions – unless we’re talking about those lecture notes you ‘borrowed’ and never returned. Safe travels, students!
