Index

Life in Germany is expensive and my buget is really tight – how can I save money in my daily life?

  • Grocery shopping: The communally organized food cooperative Teilerei in Erlangen sells food that doesn’t look “pretty” enough to be sold in regular supermarkets or produce from the gardens of local citizens etc. There is no fixed price for the goods but everybody can pay what they can afford at the moment.
  • Transportation: Make sure to get the student discount ticket for public transport.
  • Furniture and household items: You can get very affordable second hand items in good condition at Erlanger Trödelhalle. The facebook group “Erlangen verschenkt” (i.e. Erlangen donates) is an online space where people post anything from matrasses to smaller items which they either donate or sell for a very low price.
  • Smaller household items and clothes: You can make great bargains at the outdoor second hand market which takes place on Bohlenplatz in Erlangen on every first Saturday of the month (open from the early morning until the afternoon). It is also a good idea to get your own sales stand there at the end of your studies if you have any items you would like to sell before you leave Erlangen.
  • Clothes: The second hand shop KleiderKaffee close to the Faculty of Engineering sells mainly clothes but also smaller household items. ALDI supermarket sells affordable new clothes and shoes from time to time; those offers are announced in the weekly info leaflet you can pick up at Aldi or you can look them up online. Since these products are extremely sought-after, you have to be there early in the morning on the day they are are introduced to make your bargain.
  • Notebook/tablet, books or other study materials: Students in need can apply for the Oskar Karl Forster scholarship to receive financial support to buy necessary study materials.