Tips to an affordable student life
Apply for housing at KOAS or Soihtu
The rental fees of student accommodation are far more affordable than renting from the private market.
Buy second hand
Second hand shops and flea markets are a Finnish thing and very popular in Finland. Finnish second hand shops sell used but usually very good quality clothing, furniture, kitchenware and home decoration. Finns have high standards also for recycled items. You can find great bargains for a fraction of the item’s original cost. You’ll find a good amount of nice shops in the centrum area, but if you feel like exploring, there is interesting option a bit further. Check the best places for bargains here.
Plan your travels
When you buy your train ticket weeks beforehand you might save up to 50-70 percent. If you travel a lot inside Jyväskylä, consider buying a Linkki – bus card which is valid inside Jyväskylä. It is much cheaper in the long run than a one time payment everytime. Jyväskylä is also a quite compact city, so you might want to consider investing in a bike or renting one.
Buy together or borrow
Small packages of groceries might be relatively more expensive than the larger one’s, so it pays off to team up with friends or room mates and buy together larger quantities of food and share the expenses. KOAS’ and Soihtu’s recidence committees have tools and other items for shared use, so it wise to check if you can lend something rather than buy. JAMKO offers also sports and recreational equipment, like outdoor games, basket and footballs and such that can be borrowed.
