How to Make $100 Last a Whole Week as a Student

Our tips and tricks to help your wallet hurt a little less 

This article is presented in partnership with Newcastle Permanent. 

If you’ve ever felt like it’s been hard to keep on top of your money and oftentimes you wish there was ways to make everything a bit cheaper, we’ve got some tips for you: It’s all about dividing your budget into categories of spending. Set yourself weekly budget and break down how you’re going to stretch your chosen amount. 

Plus our mates at Newcastle Permanent share their sweet deal so that you can earn money back when you spend. Check out our tips below on how you can dedicate $100 to different things in one week. 

Open a new Newcastle Permanent Everyday Account using campaign code ‘cashback5’ and you can earn up to $100 cashback* on eligible Visa purchases. 

Get those essentials out of the way first. 

As boring as it sounds, it’s important to get the important stuff like groceries, fuel and bills sorted before the fun stuff.

A good general rule of thumb is to dedicate a bulk portion of money towards these three things a week. However this depends on how much you might need to buy so this figure could be more one week, or less, depending on what bills you have to pay.

Spending money on fuel, bills and groceries. 

Save money on groceries by buying staples like rice, pasta, beans and save money on produce by getting frozen fruits or veggies. Stick to store brands and keep an eye out for discounts or try getting a membership card to a store that you shop at where you can get cheaper prices and save money on fuel at Ampol or Shell petrol stations, as well as Vibe. 

Shop around for weekly sales during the week! If your house still gets specials papers delivered you can check them out. These will tell you what food and grocery items are on sale that week so you know it’s a good time to stock up. Or you can have a look online to see what's on special.

Plus, you can save a bit of money on fuel by looking at alternate routes and using public transport where you can. With things like bills, it’s a good idea to cover at least a portion of any small bills (e.g. phone, utilities) if you need to with your $100 and pay off any overdue charges first.  

Buy used textbooks or borrow them to save money. 

Everything’s digital now - true. But defs put some money aside to purchase any textbooks you might need for the year/semester. You should be able to find most of your textbooks that you need for uni either online or for being resold for a lot cheaper than retail price. Plus, it’s a great idea to check out your school or uni library and check if they have a copy of the textbook (physical or digital).  

Spend less on gaming seshes and catching the latest flicks or TV shows. 

Still wanna catch the latest series without breaking the bank? We get it – what’s life without movie or your fave TV show. You don’t have to subscribe to every streaming site but dedicate some of your budget to your entertainment preferences.  

Heaps of streaming services offer student discounts so you can watch all your fav shows and movies for less. Plus, you can share subscriptions with friends or families and split the cost to save a bit of money. 

Plus, gaming platforms like Steam often have game sales where you can buy new games online either for free or as low as $1 to $5.  

Don’t worry – you’ll still have enough to go out with your friends. 

Going out can be pricey but a good way to have enough money to spend and have a good time is to look for free events – there are plenty of free events on campus or specifically for students. Or if there’s a big event or activity you and your friends want to do together, start saving early. Put a bit of money each month aside so you can enjoy this event down the track, guilt-free. 

Other cheap ways to hang out with friends could be grabbing a coffee, going op shopping, going to the movies when there’s cheap days/getting cheaper student tickets or even going to a comedy show at night for free or really cheap. Plus, you can split costs with friends like sharing Ubers to save money at the end of a night out. 

Wanna get cash back when you spend money on eligible Visa purchases? Simply open a Newcastle Permanent Account and use the campaign code ‘cashback5’ to get up to $100 cashback*. T&Cs apply. 

This article does not constitute personal financial advice. Before acting on any information in this article, you should consider your money goals and financial situation to ensure it’s appropriate to you. 

*To be eligible for the offer, open a new Everyday Account either online by using the campaign code ‘cashback5’ or in branch and mention this offer.  This offer commences 24 February 2025 and will remain open until withdrawn. All account holders must be aged 14 years and over at the time of account opening and not hold an existing Everyday Account with Newcastle Permanent as at 11.59pm 23 February 2025. 5% Cashback is payable for combined eligible Visa purchases up to $2000 (maximum cashback $100 per customer) made within 45 days of account opening.  Eligible purchases include purchases using a merchant terminal where credit is selected or using tap and go/contactless where the transaction is processed on the Visa network; online purchases via a merchant’s website/app; or scheduled payments using the Visa card details.  If eligible, the account credit/s will be paid into your Everyday Account within 75 days of account opening (account must still be open at time of payment). Maximum cashback amount applies per customer. Cashback is calculated on the Australian dollar amount of eligible purchases (net of any fees). Offer is not available in conjunction with any other offer and is limited to cashback incentive on your first eligible account only. Newcastle Permanent may change or withdraw this offer at any time. Available for NSW residents only. Account terms, conditions, fees and charges apply. This information has been prepared without taking into account your objectives, financial situation or needs. Therefore, before acting on this information, you should consider its appropriateness having regard to these matters and the product Terms and Conditions, available on request from any branch, newcastlepermanent.com.au, or by calling 13 19 87. Newcastle Permanent, part of Newcastle Greater Mutual Group Ltd ACN 087 651 992, Australian Financial Services Licence/Australian credit licence 238273.