Being an English student in Malta on a budget Are you living in Malta, taking English courses or looking to come and wondering how to save money while studying? In our guest blog post about generating money during your studies, we explored a number of ways on how to sustain yourself financially throughout your time studying English abroad. This week, we will reveal a few tricks on how to save money and live on a budget while studying English in Malta! 1. Buying food in Malta Malta has many options for grocery shopping. From the supermarkets located around the school, to the convenience stores that stay open late, there is an option for everyone. For example, the popular discount chain Lidl has several outlets on the island. With 2 locations close to the school (San Gwann and Qormi), Lidl is a great option to save on your food spending. If you are staying at one of the school’s residences offering a self-catering kitchen (day’s Inn and The Howard), you can easily take the bus there. Worried about coming back with all your grocery bags? Organise the trip with friends or follow classmates and share a taxi for the ride back! You will still save big on your groceries even with the added cost of the taxi! For fresh products, keep an eye out for the fruit and vegetable trucks on the side of the roads! Often selling locally-produced veggies, they offer great quality and are good value for money. Extra tips: make a grocery list, it helps if you buy only what you truly need. And don’t go grocery shopping hungry, that always leads to buying too much food at once! Eating out? Try local products and non-touristy places for the best prices! Maltese Ftiras are delicious typical local sandwiches, costing an average of €2! 2. Getting around Transportation cost is often one of our students big concerns. “How am I going to go around the island? Are there buses that go everywhere or will I have to pay for a taxi?” Malta has a well developed public transportation network with buses going all around Malta and Gozo and over 2000 bus stops. Trying to save money? Purchase a transportation card and save on your trip! More info and pricing on the Talinja website. Still need to book a taxi? Download taxi booking applications such as eCabs or Taxify for the best rates and easiness in booking. 3. Student discounts Take advantage of the discounts we negotiated for you! Did you know that as an IELS student you benefit from discounts and special offers in shops and outlets around the school? Find the discount directory in your student handbook and start saving today! Download the latest version of the adult handbook for tips and tricks on how to live in Malta! 4. Used items for sale Staying for a little while and trying to get comfortable? Do you need to buy extra household items, clothes or electronics? Join the buy + sell groups on facebook and use Maltapark! With a large number of foreigners coming in and out of Malta every year, it has become increasingly easy to purchase used items on the internet. You will often see ads from people relocating after a year or two on the islands and selling what they cannot take home at rock bottom prices! That sandwich maker you’ve been dreaming of can be found for €5, those cute summer shoes for €10 or a used bike for €30! Search for Second Hand Items for Sale (Malta) on Facebook or to the Maltapark website for great local deals! Malta also has a number a small charity shops like Paws for a Cause in Sliema, offering second hand clothes, books or household items at unbelievable prices! 5.Get the best deals out there Do more for less thanks to the deals websites for discounted offers on restaurants, activities, hairdressers and more! Make sure you visit DealToday and Deal Malta for amazing local offers! 6. The best things in life are free! Take advantage of everything free on the islands! Did you know that museums and places of interest have cultural open days with free entrance? Malta also offers many free leisure options, starting with the beach! For 0 euros you can sit in the sun, swim with the fish and enjoy and wonderful sunset from a cliff! How amazing is that? You can also go hiking in the nature or visit one of the many beautiful gardens on the island, an activity that won’t cost you a cent but will make you further discover the beauty of Malta! A few free beautiful places to visit: St Anton’s Garden - Upper & Lower Barraka Garden, Valletta St Peter’s Pool Delimara Bay, Marsaxxlok Hike at Golden Bay Walk around the beautiful cliffs of Gozo. Bring your own food. Have the best picnic of your life Sliema to St Julian’s coastline walk Sunset on the rocky beaches Get lost in Valletta’s narrow streets Go to Marsaxlokk market. You don’t need to purchase anything, just walking through the market is amazing! Get on a bus and stop anywhere. Get lost. Love it! Rough terrain running! Birgu flea market Walk around. Sit on the beach. There are so many groups rehearsing around the islands, it’s quite easy to catch yourself a free concert Free temples, free museums, free events… everywhere! Borg in-Nadur’s temple is free these days… make sure you check it out! Do you have more ways to live on a budget in Malta? We are always happy to hear from our students and discover new things, let us know about your budget hacks in Malta! And please, tell us! Is there anything you would like us to write about? Do you need advice on life in Malta? Do you have any topic you’d like us to cover? Please let us know! Archive