As an international student, you’re likely always on the lookout for new and great experiences. But, you might also be on a constant hunt for savings.
Here are a few apps that’ll help you save money while still enjoying, exploring, eating, and drinking in your new city.
UNiDAYS
Cost: Free
Download from the App Store or Google Play.
UNiDAYS knows that students live on a tight budget and partners with hundreds of popular businesses (Apple, HelloFresh, IKEA and ASOS, just to name a few) to offer exclusive discounts to current students.
Once you use your student ID to verify that you are currently studying in Australia, you’ll have access to discounts on fashion, beauty, food, travel, technology and much more, as well as limited-time offers that discount the items even further! UNiDAYS partners often run exciting competitions and giveaways, including domestic and international holidays, which are also free to enter.
EatClub
Cost: Free
Download from the App Store or Google Play.
Using your current location, EatClub connects you to local restaurants that offer a discount of up to 50% off your total bill, including drinks! Once you’ve selected the area, the app will display current and future discounts available that day, offering you the option to take away or dine in at specific times.
Dining out in Australia can be expensive, so these discounts allow you and your friends to try restaurants that you might not have been able to afford otherwise. What a great way to get to know your new city or town!
An interesting fact to discuss over your bargain dinner: EatClub was launched in 2017 by Michelin-starred chef Marco Pierre White to stop people ordering their meals online and encourage them to enjoy a restaurant instead!
UberPool
Cost: Free
Download from the App Store or Google Play.
Uber is a great, safe transport option because it reference-checks its drivers, and your entire trip is recorded through the app. This means if you have any issues with the route taken or the driver themselves, Uber Help can very easily see the situation.
Uber has recently launched UberPool, making the ride-share service very affordable for students. The app will review the route to your destination and connect the driver to any other passengers who could be picked up or dropped off along the way.
This does mean that you could share the car ride with other people, but they tend to either be very friendly or stay quiet during the trip. The benefit is a heavy discount, usually over 50% cheaper than your usual Uber ride. You can book an UberPool for up to two people.
The Happiest Hour
Cost: Free
Download from the App Store or Google Play.
You may have found that alcohol costs much more in Australia than other parts of the world, which makes ‘happy hours’ (specific hours when drinks are considerably discounted) a very popular time in bars and clubs. Because happy hour offers tend to change often, it is difficult to search for these online.
The Happiest Hour uses your current location to connect you to nearby happy hours (using very similar technology to EatClub), offering great discounts on drinks, food and activities and events such as trivia. Using the app is a great way to explore your neighbourhood or city, as you tend to visit places you never knew existed!
Spotify
Cost: Free for the first month, then $5.99AUD per month.
Download from the App Store or Google Play.
You have most likely heard of, or used, Spotify. But, did you know that you can only use your free Spotify account in a different country for 14 days? You will then need to upgrade to Spotify Premium to keep streaming music and podcasts.
The good news is that Spotify offers a student discount! You can enjoy one month entirely free before paying $5.99 AUD per month, which is 50% cheaper than the usual cost.
Beem It
Cost: Free
Download from the App Store or Google Play.
Quite a few restaurants and bars in Australia have a “no split-bill” policy, which means that one person needs to pay for the entire bill. Many people find it uncomfortable or awkward to ask their friends to pay back the money they owe, which is what makes Beem It such a great app!
Beem It is a completely secure way of transferring funds between friends and allows you to send transfer requests to your phone contacts, meaning you don’t need to have awkward conversations about money. The app asks you for two kinds of identification before signing you up, so you know your money is safe. You will also receive the transferred cash instantly, compared to bank transfers which might take a few business days.
Given all the travel, eating and activities you’ll be doing in Australia, this app makes planning, paying and budgeting so much easier! Are you enjoying these apps? Here are the best apps to help you explore your new city, and here are some really useful study apps.
