Five tips on how to find student discounts
Yes, you heard right. Discounts! As a student, saving money can be hard, but believe us, there are ways to do it! Here is a list of a few tips for you:
1- Grocery saving
Who doesn’t like to save some money on food? Get your student ID ready (or your AC Card if you are an Algonquin student) and browse through this list.
Metro – every Tuesday, 10% on select days on select stores in Ottawa.
Bulk Barn – If you like to shop in bulk, Bulk Barn offers 10% discount for students every Wednesday.
Independent – Some Independent stores offer student discounts on select dates. Check if the store near you is one of them.
Sobeys – Usually, Sobeys that are located close to colleges and universities also offer a 10% discount on select days. Ask the cashier next time you go grocery shopping.
And here is an extra tip: Use the Flipp app to help you meal plan using what’s on sale.
2- Fun and affordable entertainment
The Bytowne (cinema) – Do you love independent and international films? This cool movie theater built in 1946 offers students discount on their annually membership. You will pay 6 dollars when you buy a movie ticket if you are a member and 12 dollars for the regular price.
Ottawa tourism events – Ottawa tourism website has a section of free or nearly free events in the city throughout the year. Check it out and mark them in your calendar!
3- Save on your textbooks – Here is the good news: you can save some money on this category as well
Visit a public library: Ottawa has 33 public libraries and in case the textbook you need is only available in another branch, you can request that textbook to be brought to a library that is closer to you! And they also let you borrow video games, eBooks, AudioBooks, Cookbooks and so much more! Get your hands on a card and browse the collection online.
Check out your school’s bookstore: Many college bookstores have great deals on textbooks. At Algonquin College, for example, students can purchase textbooks and eTextbooks (which can be a lot cheaper) at Connections: The Campus Store. The Campus Store also offers used books. Used books can save a student 25% of the cost of a new book and used books are GST exempt! You can also sell your textbooks back to the store (even if it’s a used copy) and you may receive up to 50% of the current new selling price for your book.
4- Student discount cards – Get reduced pricing on a variety of items around the city
SPC membership – It will cost you 10 dollars per year to get a membership card. There are over 450 brands involved and discounts can go be up to 30 %. Whether you want to say money when you eat out or when you go shopping for a new computer, there are many deals to take advantage of.
ISIC Canada Card: The International student discount card will get you discounts not only in Canada but also if you travel abroad. Over 100 countries accept the ISIC card. From visiting museums around the world to taking a Via rail train in Canada, there are many ways to save your money.
5- Check out buy and sell websites
We’ve all been to Kijiji once or twice (or even more times). The truth is that you can find good deals on buy and sell websites, and the number of website options has increased in the past years. Other than Kijiji, some other popular websites are: ebay, Amazon and Best Buy. You can also sell or buy used products by clicking on the marketplace icon on Facebook.
