Managing Your Money While Studying in Australia
Coming to Australia for university is expensive. We know that. Between tuition, rent in Melbourne or Sydney, groceries that cost more than you'd expect, and actually having a life outside study – the numbers add up faster than your first assignment deadline.
Talk to Someone Who Gets ItWhat Kind of Budget Situation Are You In?
Everyone's financial picture looks different. Maybe you're on a tight scholarship. Maybe your family's supporting you but wants to see you manage responsibly. Pick what sounds most like your situation.
Fixed Monthly Amount
You get a set amount each month from family or scholarships. The challenge? Making it stretch until the next deposit hits. Rolling budgets help you see patterns in your spending and adjust week by week.
Part-Time Job Income
Working 20 hours a week on a student visa means your income varies. Some weeks you get more shifts, some less. A rolling approach lets you adapt your spending based on what actually came in.
Drawing from Savings
You've got a lump sum for the year or semester. The trick is not burning through it too fast. Rolling budgets show you if you're on track or need to pull back before things get tight.
Combination of Sources
Bit of family support, some work income, maybe a small scholarship – it's all a bit unpredictable. That's exactly when rolling budgets shine because they adjust as your situation changes.
Your First Semester Budget Journey
Weeks 1-4: Reality Check Phase
First month is always weird. You're buying textbooks, setting up your room, figuring out which cafes have decent coffee under . Track everything – yes, even that late-night Uber Eats. You need real data about your actual spending, not what you think you should spend.
Weeks 5-8: Pattern Recognition
Now you've got enough data to spot patterns. Maybe you're spending a week on lunch because the uni cafeteria is convenient. Or transport is killing you because you didn't factor in weekend trips. This is when rolling budgets help you shift money between categories based on what's actually happening.
Weeks 9-12: Making Adjustments
Mid-semester hits and suddenly you need money for a group project, or there's a concert you actually want to go to. A rolling budget means you can pull from next week's grocery budget if needed, then balance it out the following week. Life doesn't fit into rigid monthly boxes.
End of Semester: Reset and Plan
You've survived! Now look back at what worked and what didn't. Maybe you found cheaper groceries at the Asian supermarket down the street. Maybe you learned you can walk instead of taking the tram twice a day. Use this knowledge to set up next semester's budget with actual experience behind it.
We Run Practical Workshops Starting August 2025
Look, we're not going to pretend budgeting is exciting. But being broke in your final weeks before break? That's genuinely stressful. Our workshops are specifically for international students dealing with Australian living costs, visa work restrictions, and the reality of managing money far from home.
We meet at our Reservoir office once a month. Small groups – usually 8-12 students. Everyone's in similar situations, so there's no judgment about asking "dumb" questions. We go through real scenarios: dealing with unexpected costs, managing currency exchange timing, understanding Australian banking quirks.
The August 2025 session focuses on setting up rolling budgets before the September semester starts. Better to have systems in place before you're juggling assignments and part-time shifts.
"I came from Singapore where everything was cheaper. First month in Melbourne I was hemorrhaging money on stuff I didn't realize cost so much – pharmacy items, haircuts, phone plans. Having someone help me set up a flexible budget that adjusted as I learned what things actually cost here? That made the difference between panicking every week and actually enjoying my time here."
Linnea Torkelson
Workshop Facilitator & Former International Student