It might seen a bit strange to include rent and bills as a possible category when it comes to saving money because these are costs that most adults have to meet, regardless of whether they are studying, working, or focusing on other things. However, there are some ways you may be able to save on rent and bills during your PhD, or even eliminate these costs entirely, depending on where you are located, visa restrictions, and options that your university or local area offers. This post details some of the main ways in which PhD students past and present have reduced their housing expenses. You may find that some of them could work for you and help you to save a lot of money during your PhD.
Subsided accommodation/housing
Many universities offer a limited amount of housing to postgraduate students, including PhD students, and this housing is often cheaper than market-rate rent for the equivalent properties in the local area. Living in accommodation provided by the university can therefore be a good way to save money. In addition, it usually includes all or most utilities and bills and some additional services such as cleaning and communal spaces that you would not necessarily have access to in the same form if you were to rent a property off campus.
Unfortunately, in almost all cases, there is not enough housing for all incoming and continuing students so not every PhD student who wants to live in university-owned accommodation will get a place. Institutions prioritise students differently: in some cases, the accommodation is allocated on a first-come, first-served basis. In others, students with dependent children, international students, or students who did not complete their undergraduate studies at the same institution are given priority.
If you can get university-owned accommodation, it can be a great way to save money. But if that is not possible for you, read on: there are several other ways to save money on rent and bills.
Properties with everything included
Some landlords charge tenants rent and leave setting up bills and utilities to them, whereas others take care of some or all of the bills themselves and include a charge to cover them in the monthly rent, or charge a set amount on top of rent to cover all the bills each month. Depending on what is available and your preferences, you can often save some money by choosing a rental agreement in which you pay a set amount for bills, as opposed to taking care of these yourself.
You will need to compare various properties and rental agreements that come onto the market in the area where you will be based to work out which arrangement will help you to get the most value for money. However, there are some general advantages to rent that includes all or some bills: you know exactly how much you need to budget for each month and do not have to worry about fluctuating bills; you may avoid arguments with housemates about water and heating usage; and you don’t have to worry about being liable for bills after you have left the property.
Alternatively, you may be in an area where it is cheaper to pay for utilities separately. In all cases, it can quite literally pay to spend time working out what the best arrangements are for your own situation.
It is also more common to find all-inclusive rents if you rent a room as a lodger in the home of a family or a single person or even a couple who are renting out a spare room. Some universities also help first-year students to find host families, where the rent will probably also include the bills. If you are comfortable living outside the student bubble, these options can be very good value for money and also help you to feel more integrated into the local community.
Living with family
If you have family members within commuting distance of your university or if you are studying remotely, you may want to consider living with family instead of living independently. If they can accommodate you and you have a good relationship, this arrangement can work well: you will often pay only a small amount of rent or even no rent at all, and spending time with people you care about who do not (usually) work in academia can be a welcome break from your day-to-day PhD life.
However, if you have family local to your place of study but living with them would not be healthy for you, do not feel compelled to do simply to save money. If you cannot focus and do not feel comfortable in the situation, you will end up losing money in the long run if it impacts your progress towards your degree.
Jobs that come with accommodation
Many universities offer jobs to PhD students and students studying other types of degrees that include free or heavily subsidised accommodation and often, some food, as part of the compensation package.
In the US, these jobs are commonly called Residential Advisor (RA); in exchange for up to around 20 hours of work per week, you usually receive free accommodation for the academic year and possibly some other benefits including food, stipends, and access to social activities.
In the UK, these positions can be called Junior Dean, Warden, Night Porter, or the equivalent. Again, students receive compensation in the form of accommodation and other benefits.
These positions can be advertised annually or as they become vacant when a current post-holder moves on. If you would be interested in this kind of work, keep an eye out for postings and consider talking to students currently in those roles to learn about their experiences. As is the case with anything that could be considered employment during your PhD, always check with your department, funding source(s), and visa conditions before taking on new work.
Scholarships and residential programmes
Occasionally, scholarships and fellowships are available for PhD students that provide free or heavily subsidised accommodation. In some cases, these opportunities may also cover food. Often, they involve living as part of a residential community and taking part in various educational and/or social programmes, although sometimes there are no participation requirements for maintaining such scholarships.
Opportunities vary across institutions and countries. Keep in mind that fully funded living situations are rare, but they can quite literally pay dividends if you manage to find one, so if you come across a programme that offers this kind of situation and it interests you, you should apply, even if you don't think you will be accepted.
In the future, I plan to write a post about my experience of balancing a PhD with participating in a residential scholarship programme so that prospective participants in this type of initiative can think about whether it is for them.
Writing your dissertation or thesis away from campus
In some cases, you may be able to write some or most of your dissertation or thesis out of residence, namely further than commuting distance from your university. If your university is located in a high cost of living area, you could take advantage of this kind of arrangement to save a lot of money on rent, bills, and other living costs by moving somewhere where the cost of living is lower. Additionally, you may need resources or archives that are in areas that are cheaper than your university’s city and end up saving some money that way. Some students also move home to family to work full-time on their dissertation or thesis once they no longer need to be on campus so frequently, another potential way of saving money.
You will need to check the terms of any student agreements, residency requirements, and any funding that you are receiving to verify that you are able to work from a different location, and international students should always check that their plans do not contravene visa restrictions with the international office or the equivalent unit on their campus. And in choosing to work remotely, don’t forget about the non-monetary benefits of being nearer to your university such as access to resources, in-person events, and academic community; always weigh these up when deciding if the financial savings are worth it.
Closing Remarks
I hope that this post has given you some possibilities to explore for saving money on rent and bills. In all these cases, certain compromises are required to make the savings possible, therefore it is also prudent to weigh up if saving money is more important than having more control over your living situation or being able to choose where and who you live with. Remember that as long as you are happy and can afford your living situation, there is no one right way to live during your PhD!
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