Phew, done. The move is behind you, your student apartment has survived the housewarming party in one piece, the semester can begin. But unfortunately, having your own apartment isn't everything: after you move out from mom and dad's, you'll have other expenses that you shouldn't underestimate. The good thing about it: There is a lot of savings potential for students. That's why we've put together a to-do list for you with the most important ABCs for starting your studies so that you can keep your costs as low as possible.
B for welcome money
Although it was laughed at ten years ago, the welcome bonus for new students has now become established in many cities in Germany. Financially weak municipalities collect cash for every new resident and therefore have a great interest in newcomers registering their main residence in the place of study - as required by law. In return, they entice you with a one-time welcome bonus, which is sometimes called a moving allowance or a moving bonus. It is usually between €50 and €150.
Whether you receive welcome money or not depends on where and at which university you are studying. For example, students in Dresden, Marburg and Berlin benefit from the measure. As a rule, the university will inform you about the welcome allowance when you enroll and provide you with the corresponding application. Simply read the instructions on how to change your place of residence at the residents' registration office . In order to collect the subsidy, you also need a domestic account.
D for DSL student tariff
Many students now do without a landline connection - after all, they can't do without a cell phone anyway. However, there is no alternative to a powerful DSL connection. The offers for students are very good in terms of price-performance ratio, for example the DSL Young 50 tariff from 1&1 for just €14.99 per month. o2 also offers a young student tariff and gives you both the setup fee and a €50 starting credit. Last but not least, Telekom should be mentioned, which offers special student prices with MagentaZuhause , starting at €24.95 per month.
Don't forget: shared apartments have a clear advantage when it comes to internet access because they can simply share the costs. However, you should ensure that you choose a connection speed of at least 16 Mbit . Otherwise, surfing the web is so painfully slow that it's simply no fun anymore (even though there's hardly a slower connection under 16 Mbit available these days anyway).
For further comparisons when it comes to DSL, you can use Check24's useful search mask and check availability where you live.
F for financing your studies
In order to stay afloat during your studies, you should find out about the options for financing your studies. We have a very helpful article for you that presents four tips for financing .
Scholarships
If you would like to apply for a scholarship, you should read these three articles:
G for opening a checking account – don’t put it off!
Notorious BIG already knew: Mo' money, mo' problems. As a student you need a checking account. You have to transfer the rent from somewhere. Don't panic: If you do it cleverly, you won't have to pay extra when you have your own account, but you can even make a little profit. We have all the important information about current accounts in a current overview of the best current account providers put together for you.
Would you also like to get into trading, but are put off by the high order fees? Consorsbank currently offers a Young Trader account for students with excellent conditions for getting started in securities trading.
K for health insurance
Nothing works without health insurance, which is why it should be at the top of your to-do list when starting your studies. From the age of 25 you are obliged to insure yourself and there is hardly a cheaper provider than BARMER , the health insurance for students.
International health insurance
If you are about to start a semester abroad, it is definitely worth taking out international insurance for students. ERV and allmaxx offer special conditions, thanks to which you are completely covered.
Supplementary dental insurance
If you have frequent dental problems, you should consider taking out additional private dental insurance. DKV offers a cheap tariff that we would like to recommend to you.
M for mobile phone student tariffs
If you don't have a landline, you can't do without a cell phone - oh nonsense, you generally can't do without a smartphone these days! As a student, you have special mobile phone tariffs that can save you a lot of money. Check out our comparison of the most lucrative mobile phone student tariffs .
N for notebook and associated equipment
Nowadays, studying without a notebook is no longer possible. This makes it all the more important that you have the right technical companion at your side, for example:
- The practical Samsung Galaxy Tab S3 , on which you currently receive a €230 student discount
- The x360 notebook series from HP , on which you can currently get an extra 10% discount on the student price
- The Lenovo ThinkPad® Carbon Notebook with a €15 voucher
- The Microsoft Surface Book including student discount
Also not to be despised are:
- A top-notch printer like the HP All-in-One with one year of free ink
- The external hard drive My Passport Ultra from WD with 2 TB of storage volume and a €20 voucher
R for broadcasting fee savings
If the GEZ man rings twice, it can really cost money: a radio or an Internet-enabled device (a computer or a UMTS cell phone) costs €5.76 per month. You even have to shell out €17.98 for a television. That’s an impressive €215.76 per year! It doesn't matter whether you actually use public broadcasters - just owning the device obliges you to pay . At least you can now register for the GEZ online and save on postage.
Only students who receive BAföG can realistically hope for a discount. If this applies to you, you can fill out an application for exemption online and send the printout together with a certified copy of your BAföG notice to the fee collection center. Simple address: GEZ 50656 Cologne . The exemption from the obligation to pay fees is limited and must be applied for every year. You shouldn't wait too long, because retroactive exemption is not possible!
By the way: You are not obliged to let a GEZ employee into your apartment or to provide them with any information. Don't be intimidated! Even if you lie at the front door, you cannot be prosecuted for it.
S for electricity provider specifically for students
When you move into a new apartment, you automatically sign a contract with the local energy provider. This is a basic service with a rather expensive tariff. You can cancel this with one month's notice and look for a new electricity provider . You should pay attention to this when making your choice:
- Reputable provider
- Short minimum contract term
- Short notice period
- Cheap basic price
- Long price guarantee against rising electricity prices
- No electricity package
- No advance payment
- No special discount
- Possibly switching bonus
- For green electricity: valid green electricity seal
Special tariffs for students are currently rare. This makes the offer from M4Energy all the more great, as they offer an electricity tariff with a student discount and also give you 100 kWh for free. Yellostrom is also not to be despised, because the newly concluded Plus contract includes, for example, an iPad Air 2, Samsung Galaxy Tab A or Sony Xperia X Compact for just €1 .
T for TV connection
Of course, a student cannot do without their favorite TV programs and series, which is why the ABC television connection should not be missing when starting their studies. If you were a victim of the DVB-T shutdown, you have the alternative DVB-T2 HD from freenet TV . For chill streaming with over 70 channels, without any receivers or annoying cables, we recommend online TV from TV SPIELFILM live , where you can currently secure a fantastic offer.
V for insurance for students
Insurance – another unpleasant topic. They reach out when something bad happens, and who wants to think about that? But if you have it, it usually doesn't happen, so it's definitely worth taking the degree.
Occupational disability insurance
If you are no longer able to do your job due to disability or illness, you will receive a monthly salary thanks to occupational disability insurance to maintain your standard of living. CosmosDirekt offers a cheap student tariff, which is currently €9.24 per month.
Household insurance
ERGO offers two variants:
- Household contents insurance from €1.99 per month: However, it is only important if you have recently furnished yourself expensively, for example if you have bought a lot of new furniture. If you live in a dormitory and can prove that you do not have your own household items (e.g. no kitchen of your own), you are also insured through your parents' household contents insurance.
- Household contents insurance including bicycle protection from €3.98 per month: Very useful, because bicycle thieves really don't spare any university city and there is hardly anything more annoying than standing in front of a cut lock after the seminar.
Rental protection insurance
It is often part of a larger legal protection package and helps, for example. B. in the event of unjustified rent increases or terminations. Your partner in crime, whom we would like to recommend to you, is ERGO's DAS legal protection . However, student life usually involves many changes of residence anyway. A substantive legal dispute is also not for everyone. This makes rental law protection for students rather optional.
Household contents and legal protection insurance are more or less dispensable for students. It's better to invest in good personal liability insurance - this is also an absolute must for students!
W for washing
Whether in a shared apartment or your own apartment: doing your own laundry is the epitome of independence and cutting yourself off from your parents' home. Having your own washing machine is not cheap and is a luxury that not every student can afford. So: off to the laundromat! If you live in a larger city, you shouldn't have any problems finding a salon near you . Washing and drying once costs between €2 and €5.
This is how you save properly as a student – with the ABC at the start of your studies
If you no longer live with your parents, you have plenty of opportunities to save money. As a general rule, the rent for your first apartment should not be more than a third of your income. Then the rest is enough to live on. And if money is still tight during your studies, you can console yourself with the fact that you are now learning something for life - the ability to do business wisely will always pay off!
Are you just starting your studies and want to know how you can save as a student? We'll tell you.
