1. Never Pay Last Month’s Rent

In Quebec it’s less than legal for a landlord to ask for first and last month’s rent upfront, but that doesn’t stop them from trying. Just know that you don’t have to fork over the extra cash and you can save yourself the bank account drainage.

2. Go To Dollar Cinema

If you don’t mind waiting a little bit to see a movie in theatres, then you should check out Dollar Cinema. Admission is only $2.50 and all snacks are $1.00, so you don’t have to run up the huge tab you normally would at a regular theatre.

3. Only Buy Groceries On Mondays

Metro and Provigo offer 10% discounts for students on Mondays, AND they have delivery so you don’t even have to carry home all the extra things you bought because of how much money you saved.

4. Get The Youth Train Price

When you’re booking your next VIA ticket, make sure you switch it to a youth fare, because it saves you 10%. They’re also offering unlimited train passes for students for the entire semester for $799, on sale here until January 31st.

Photo Cred - McGill

5. Take The Student Union’s Classes

Most student unions offer extra-curricular classes either for free or for an extremely reduced price, so make sure you check your school’s website before signing up for that overpriced yoga class.

6. Don’t Sell Your Textbooks Back To The Bookstore

Everyone knows the bookstore completely rips you off when you sell your textbooks back to them. But, if they’re buying them back, that means they’re going to be used again next year, so you can easily sell them directly to another student for more than the bookstore would ever give you. Most schools have Facebook groups for this, and if not you can just check out swapmybooks.ca.

7. Get Your Books Online

If you can’t find someone already selling the textbook you need, check for it online. Amazon is almost always cheaper than the bookstore, and you can usually get an e-version for a fraction of the price. And if you’re willing to go the not completely legal route, there are usually torrent versions of almost every textbook out there.

8. Do The Psychology Studies

If you have a couple hours to spare you can make some quick cash by participating in the psyc studies at most of the Montreal universities.

9. Drink on Campus

Campus bars usually have the cheapest drinks around, because they know just how broke their students are. We got a solid list of them right here.

10. Use The Student Classifieds

Students are constantly coming and going through Montreal, only using most of their belongings for a couple years. So if you’re looking to not spend a ton of money furnishing your apartment, but still want decent quality stuff, then the classifieds are a must read.

11. Rideshare

Like a modern version of hitchhiking, most schools have a carpool/rideshare page, where you can post asking if anyone is driving to/needs a ride to a particular city or area. They’re great because splitting on gas is usually a lot cheaper than buying a plane or train ticket. Find yours on your university's website, or just go the classic craigslist route.

12. Get A Student Bank Account

Most banks offer student accounts where they won’t charge you branch service fees - you just have to ask to switch and show proof of your enrolment every year.

13. Check Out Free Entertainment

Montreal has an insane amount of events going on and a good chunk of those things are free. If you plan it right, you can have a full weekend out without spending a dime.

Photo Cred - Farmers Market Vegan

14. Look For The Free Food

There’s always free food somewhere on campus, you’ve just got to look for it. If you want a full meal, both McGill and Concordia have by donation vegan lunches every weekday.

15. Become An RA

If you’re willing to put up with babysitting first years, then becoming an RA is the best way to live rent free while you study.