Get a Great Deal on Education

Free Education

Prestigious American universities including Massachussets Institute of Technology (MIT) and the University of California, Berkeley offer free online courses in everything from art to astrophysics.

Here in Australia, ABC Learn is your gateway to the ABC’s key educational websites and email newsletters.

Visit Learning Online, which specialises in history for a subscription fee.

Learn foreign languages for free

Visit BBC languages for free lessons in seven languages.
If your tastes are more exotic, go to www.free language.org for everything from Afrikaans to Luxembourgish. Also try Busuu. It’s all free.

Live on a budget

You can save some serious money as a student if you know where to shop – such as Gumtree, the online trading tool for everything from beds to books to surfboards. Buy preloved clothes at vintage stores and swap books at second-hand bookshops.

Eat less meat and grow your own vegies in pots. Keep a price book when you go shopping. Prices do vary and dollars add up. Asian supermarkets do good deals, so make a monthly trip and tap the pantry if you run out.

The Complete Tightwad Gazette by Amy Dacyczyn (Random House, $39.95) is a great source of inspiration.