We all know the struggle of paying for University and then having to live on a strictΒ budget. You end up livingΒ off cheap pasta and KD for breakfast, lunch and dinner while studying your ass off and craving to be on vacation. Just yesterday I contemplated eating a moldy muffin because I was too lazy and too cheap to buy breakfast... and guess what... I ATE IT. That was the moment I realized that university and the fall semester was well underway.
READ ALSO:Β You Can Now Get 10L Sangria Pitchers In Montreal
So, to help us all out I decided toΒ compose a list ofΒ cheap activities, restaurants, bars, and brunch spots that will actually help you save money while having a memorable semester. But that's not all. This list also informs you about ALL the student discounts you can get at your favorite stores and where to find the cheapest textbooks.Β I promise, if you follow some of these tips, you will find more money in your bank account and less stress in your life!
Things To Do On A BudgetΒ πΊπ
Restaurants To Go To On A BudgetΒ ππ₯
Bars To Go To On A BudgetΒ π»π
Brunch Spots To Go To On A BudgetΒ π₯π³
Where To Buy Cheap TextbooksΒ πππΈ
Student DiscountsΒ π°ππ
For More Things To Do In Montreal, Check The Links Below:
Here's The Ultimate Montreal Ice Cream Shop Bucket List For Summer 2017
19 Themed Brunch Spots In Montreal You Have To Try That Are Out Of The Normal
16 Montreal Dessert Spots For Ice Cream Lovers, Cheesecake Lovers, & Chocolate Lovers
15 Free, Cheap, Normal, Rich, & Extreme First Date Ideas In Montreal
25 Bucket List Restaurants To Try Downtown Montreal, Le Plateau, Mile End, Old Port, & Griffintown
20 Bucket List Coffee Shops To Try Downtown Montreal, Le Plateau, Mile End, & Little Burgundy
ForΒ Things To Do On A Budget, Click Next
Things To Do On A Budget:
1. Go Rock Climbing
For that fit date of yours, why not surprise them and finally take your bae to Allez Up! Here you two can rock climb your night away and have a blast as you work out that upper body. It is honestly super fun and a great way to try something new without traveling very far or spending over $20.
2. Go To First Fridays
Who could forget First Fridays! Montreal's monthly food truck festival lands on September 1st at the Olympic park and it is always free to attend. On the first Friday of every month you can go to the larget food truk festival in Canada!
3. Go To The Botanical Gardens
Step into the almost spa-like setting of the Main Exhibition Greenhouse, where the heat and the flowersβ sweet fragrance help you forget school. But that's not all, there is also the βLantern Festivalβ that will be opening this September until the end of fall!
4. Hike Up Mount Royal
Enjoy the view of the city and forget about your assignments for a few seconds!
5. Check Out Atwater Market
Atwater Market is an absolute must visit location in Montreal! You will be surprised on just how much time you can spend at Atwater Market, especially in the nice summer weather! It is literally my happy place and the variety of restaurants always serve fresh food. Plus, you can just walk around all day and enjoy a nice bike ride along the Lachine Canal or buy plants and flowers (cacti YAS)!
6. Walk Through The Street Art
Montreal is FULL of street art and it's legit around every corner! So, you can explore the city and admire the art.
7. Go ToAu Sommet Place Ville Marie
See all of Montreal this summer with your BFFs for only $15! The Montreal Observatory is absolutely stunning and very romantic especially if you go at night under the stars.
8. Check Out Montreal's Museum Of Fine Arts
1380 Rue Sherbrooke O, MontrΓ©al, QC H3G 1J5
The Montreal Museum of Fine Arts contains beautiful art galleries with hundreds of paintings and archaeological artifacts such as mosaics, frescoes, statues, and much more! Itβs a great way to enjoy a lovely day for only $15.
For Restaurants To Go To On A Budget, Click Next
Restaurants To Go To On A Budget:
1. Cinko
CINKO only serves meals of $5... Yes, you heard correctly! So, instead of spending an arm and a leg at an expensive restaurant with your BFF, you should just bring them here! Not only is it super cheap, but also amazing whether it be the ambiance or food!
2. Le Warehouse
Le Warehouse only serves meals of $5... Yes, you heard correctly! So, instead of spending an arm and a leg at an expensive restaurant with your BFF, you should just bring them here! Not only is it super cheap, but also amazing whether it be the ambiance or food!
3. L'Gros Luxe
Multiple locations β 100% VΓGΓ β MILE END β VIEUX-LONGUEUIL β SUD-OUEST β DELUXE
LβGros Luxe never disappoints! Not only can you order several dishes and expect nothing less than heaven on a plate, but you won't break the bank ! Their menu is fairly cheap so you can impress your date by telling her to order as many things as they like! You can definitely expect the bill to be under $25.
4. Cafe Santropol
For a cozy outdoors study date once winter is over, I recommend checking out Santropol! Their cute outdoor garden is perfect for a relaxing study session. The garden is beautiful and absolutely perfect for an adorable study date!
5. Qing Hua Dumplings
Let's be honest, dumplings are absolutely delicious! At Qing Hua you can get a basked of steamed dumplings for $15 in Downtown Montreal. COUNT ME IN PLEASE!
6. La Belle et La Boeuf
If you and your squad just absolutely loves sangria, then La Belle Et La Boeuf is the place for you! There are over 6 different flavors that each of your BFF's can get and trust me, they are delicious! This is a great place to have some drinks and laugh with your squad for a lowkey night with delicious poutines and Mac n' Cheese!
ForΒ Bars To Go To On A Budget, Click Next
Bars To Go To On A Budget:
1. The Floating Boat Cafe
Atwater Market
Ok, you ABSOLUTELY MUST check out Canal Lounge Cafe Flottant! For only $22 you can have a FULL bottle of sangria as you sit on the terrasse located on top of the boat. It is absolutely stunning and my new favorite place!
2. Terrasse St. Ambroise
Terrasse St. Ambroise is actually amazing. I was there just this weekend with my boyfriend after we biked along the Lacine Canal near Atwater market. The beer is superb and they have great snack food. All you have to do is bike there and lock up your bikes as you go enjoy a beautiful night with your girlfriend at a chill bar.
3.Grenade
Have some bao buns and chill on Grenade's gorgeous modern terrasse! This spot is highkey perfect for a nice drink on a warm summer night. I mean just look at that decor!
4. Winnie's
If you enjoy going out during the week to downtown Montreal, than Winnie's is the place for you! It's location is perfect and it's prices are even better! They have great specials like on Tuesdays where they have 2$ shots! It's a great place to get drunk on a budget this summer with your friends since it is always bumping.
5. La P'tite Grenouille de MontrΓ©al
Thanks to La P'tite Grenouille de MontrΓ©al we can all quench our thirsts this summer with a legit 'swimming pool of sangria' that you can order all summer. They offer 4 different flavors that include Tequila, Captain Morgan, Palm Bay, and Jack DanielsπΉ. They even have $50 bottle service and 20 shots for $20!
6. Alexandraplatz
When it's a hot day and your looking for a cute terrasse to enjoy some nice drinks at, then I recommend heading to the secret Alexandraplatz! They have great drinks that are within your budget and the ambiance is fun and light hearted. Most importantly, you get that hipster vibe!
ForΒ Brunch Spots To Go To On A BudgetΒ , Click Next
Brunch Places To Go To On A Budget :
1. Le Vieux Saint-Laurent
For a cheap but amazing classic breakfast in Montreal, check out Le Vieux St-Laurent! You can order a classic egg, bacon, and toast meal for under $10, including coffee. It doesn't get much better than this.
2. Fairmount Bagel
One of Montrealβs most classic bagel institutions, itβs no surprise that Fairmount gets the salmon and lox so fantastically correct. It's hot, fresh, and ready for eating!
3. Vieux Velo
For some 80's style breakfast in the Plateau, check out Vieux Velo! This cafe is cute AF and so cheap. The food is 514% delicious without breaking the bank. It is deficiently a must try breakfast spot!
4. Olive & Gourmando
Located in the historic Old Montreal, Olive et Gourmando offers simple and healthy brunch options. I suggest siting down for some fancy dishes! Now, this isn't a brunch location that you come dressed to for the Oscar's, but it is definitely a place that serve bomb and fancy dishes!
5. RΓ©gine CafΓ©
This French style cafΓ© is perfect for a classy brunch in Montreal. I strongly recommend coming here if you are with a big group of your girlfriends! The restaurant is decorated with in vintage Parisian and itβs honestly a lovely place where you can dress up!
For Where To Buy Cheap Textbooks, Click Next
Where To Buy Cheap Textbooks:
1. MesLivres:
A new year means a new semester for students, which also means a new list of books to buy, and by consequence, a pretty hefty bill at the bookstore. Even when used editions are available, Montreal universities tend to charge a few pretty pennies for required texts, which is why MesLivres, a book-buying and selling service for students, was made.
2. studEtree:
Instead of having to spend hours trawling every Bunz spinoff page to find someone who actually wants your seventeenth-century poetry journal, studEtree streamlines the process of selling off your used textbooks into one blissfully simple online platform that is about a million times more organized than you could ever hope to be.
3. SwapMyBooks:
Enter SwapMyBooks.ca, a Montreal-made site designed to help students buy and sell used books to each other, allowing students to actually make or save some money. Created by JSMB graduate Gabrielle Jaques, the book-selling site was created in direct response to the way university bookstores buy and sell used books. Jaques notoed in a CTV interview how she had purchased $280 textbooks, which were kept in near-mint condition, only to be bought back by the U-bookstore for $18.
For Student Card Discounts, Click Next
For Retail Discounts, Click Next
Retail Discounts:
1. TopShop
If you're looking to step up your back to school wardrobe, Topshop is the place to go. They offer 10% off discounts with your student ID! Definitely the place to go this fall if you're looking for a cute skirt to wear to class, an adorable fall jacket, or cute fall boots!
2. Urban Outfitters
Save 10% off on specific days with your Student ID. Sign up for their Student Program to be told when to use your discount.
3. Roots
Students save 20% with their student discount on regular-priced items. You can purchase anything on sale and youβll still be able to receive 10% off.
4. Banana Republic
Save 15% on full-priced, in-store purchases only.
5. Leviβs
This store offers 20% off for students. Register to receive the same 20% off for online purchases.
For TechnologyΒ Discounts, Click Next
Technology Discounts:
1. Apple
Get wireless Beats headphones when you buy an eligible computer, tablet or smartphone with a valid student ID. Apple also offers special education pricing on Apple computers, select software and third party products to post-secondary students, parents buying for a post-secondary student, or faculty and teachers. Find out if you qualify for Education Pricing here.
2. Best Buy
Yup, that's right Best Buy has some awesome deals for students such as exclusive deals on laptops, tablets and small appliances. So if you're in desperate need of new laptop to make it through this new school year, you should definitely head over to Best Buy and one for cheap!
3. Amazon
Amazon is offering an almost unbelievable student deal right now. All you have to do is sign up for a free 6 month trial of Amazon Prime and you'll receive all of your orders within 2 days! Once your 6 month trial is up, you'll get 50% off the regular price of Amazon Prime from there on out. That's pretty amazing if you ask me!
For Travel & Transportation Discounts, Click Next
Travel & Transportation Discounts:
1. Opus Card
If you don't already know about this one, it's a huge life saver for all students. Regular fare for a monthly opus is card is $83 and the price of a student monthly fare is only $49.75. That's a huge difference and will definitely help you when you want to get around the big city of Montreal this year.
2. Via Rail
If you're a Montreal student that came from anywhere else in Canada, one of the easiest ways to get back home is by train. Luckily Via Rail offers some awesome student offers which make it totally affordable for us to head back for holidays like Thanksgiving this fall, or anytime we want really!
Check out their student deals here!
3. Bus Fares
Need to visit some family or just looking for a quick trip to clear your head after all that studying? Just hop on a Greyhound and take advantage of their student fares.
For Other Discounts, Click Next
Other Discounts:
1. Provigo
As a student, groceries are very important but they can also get pretty expensive. Lucky for us, Provigo offers 10% off all your groceries on Mondays with your student ID! So it's time to move your grocery day to Mondays, everybody.
2. Yoga Classes
Lots of Montreal yoga studios offer awesome student prices of 15% off regular monthly fees! Try Luna Yoga and Yoga Tree to name a couple. If you do your research I'm sure you can find so many more close to your area of Montreal!
3. Montreal Museum of Fine Arts
Montreal's Museum of Fine offers amazing discounts for not only students, but for all young adults aged 13-30! They have reduced the price of this age group for major exhibitions from the regular price of $20 to the discounted price of only $12! That's a pretty good price to pay for an awesome cultural experience right here in the city. Or if you're looking for a completely free visit Thursdays are free for all students!
4. Dairy Queen
Dairy Queen is one of the most classic ice cream shops that just never gets old. Their blizzards are literally amazing and if anyone disagrees you should definitely give it one more shot because you won't be disappointed. Now, they're offer a student discount of 10% off your order at most locations! Head over to the nearest Dairy Queen near you to get your discounted treat.
5. Espace Nomad Spa
Visit their website to book your reservation!
6. Haircut At Academie Tornade
7. Montreal Biodome
If you've been wanting to explore the amazing things this city has to offer, such as the Montreal Biodome now's your chance. The Biodome is home to lots of exotic animals in their recreated natural habitats. Good news for students is that they offer student discounts from the regular price of $19.75 down to $14.50!
8. SPC Savings Card:
If youβre a student all you need to do is show your SPC Card at thousands of participating locations to receive instant savings every time you shop. Offers vary but most are 10% to 15% off.