Is the sky-rocketing inflation inflicting a sense of impeding doom on you? Have the rising petrol prices stemmed your desire to come to campus, let alone go to Maskan with your friends. Have your daily expenses been going through the roof lately? Waiting for a fairy godmother to swish her wand and magically fix our economy, or maybe the IMF to take pity on us? Well, that might never happen. Things may even get worse, but in the next few paragraphs I’m gonna let you in on some strategies you can use to cut back your spending and manage your finances wisely. Who knows, you might even be saved the embarrassing ordeal of telling your parents you’ve run out of money…yet again.
KHANA PEENA KUM KARAYN
No don’t worry I’m not asking you to stop eating altogether (well maybe if we go into default), just to minimize your expenditure at the IBA cafeterias (WOKE gets a special mention here) and eating out in general. God knows those places can make a rich man poor.
Of course the BBQ rolls at Gatorade are heavenly, but eating them every day could really leave you scavenging for money by the end of the month. Ok, we will let this one pass. They surely are one of the scrumptious items out there. But for other overpriced items, try to draw a line. You can also choose to eat from home before/after classes if your schedule allows it. The daal chawal your mom made is much tastier and way more nutritious, and won’t take a dime out of your pocket. If you have a long day at university, bringing food from home is also a cheaper and healthier option.
GET A SIDE HUSTLE
Many of the IBA folks are already doing this. Look around you. Many of your friends must be giving tuitions or owning small start-ups. From selling customized stickers, tote bags, or books, to freelancing in content writing, or web or app development on the side, there’s nothing that IBA students can’t do. There are a ton of freelancing websites such as Fiverr, Upwork, and Preply that you can try your luck on. You won’t be earning a lot to start with but at least you’ll be able to cover your transportation expenses. Earning a bit of money on the side will give you more freedom in spending money. IBA itself provides many opportunities to earn; you can TA in a course you’ve already taken or even become a writing consultant at the writing center if grammar is your thing.
CARPOOL
With mounting petrol prices, I cannot stress enough how important carpooling is. Even if you don’t have friends that live near you, you can always join WhatsApp and Facebook groups made specifically for the purpose of carpooling to find people to carpool with. This will reduce your transportation costs immensely. If carpooling is not an option, taking the shuttle between campuses to the campus that is closer to your home, despite being very tiring, is also an option. For people traveling to City Campus the Green Line is a safe, and affordable method of transportation as well. And who knows, carpooling might even result in some life-long friendships. After all the best of friendships are formed over shared hardships and experiences, even if it is in the face of a crumbling economy.
In this economy, daily expenses have been rising at a rate we wish our grades would (I’m not crying, you are). Nonetheless, we as Pakistanis have seen tougher times and may see worse in the future, and if all else fails, we will have our grit and resilience to fall back on.
