Have you ever gone to a restaurant and had your debit or credit card declined when it was your turn to pay? Your face turns red in embarrassment, and you look down and stare at your friends to spot you the cash or beg your mom for an e-transfer because you have zero dollars to your name.
Being broke is common among many university students — where many have at least experienced little to no funds and attended free functions, so they eat for free.
Having negative money has almost become funny for me at this point. Despite working three jobs, I am always left with no money. When it comes to general life, paying for school and recreational activities with my friends, by the end of the two-week period, I am always left with negative funds.
Sustaining money as a full-time student who is mostly self-sufficient and pays for school is a rough go of things. Life problems require expenses, food needs to be paid for and recreational activities when hanging out with friends often involve money, as most things in Winnipeg do.
When going out with friends, it is a hard experience when you don’t have a lot of money and your friends suggest something that requires the funds necessary to have a “good time.” Or when you go out to a restaurant and have to order the cheapest thing on the menu or the only thing you can afford is water, and you just sit there with your group, making excuses about how you just aren’t hungry.
Despite the fun of sometimes going out to dinner or going to bars and spending a tad of money, I have always enjoyed activities that are free and fun to do.
One might say that sometimes free activities are boring ones, but I disagree. Going to the gym or swimming pool may not be as exciting as going to the bar with friends. But it’s free if you are a full-time student at the U of M.
The U of M offers a multitude of clubs to join, like the Bhakti Yoga Club, U of M Parks Club, UMSwing (the university’s swing dance club) and the University of Manitoba Women in Computer Science. There is a magnitude of clubs to choose from out of many fun activities on campus.
There are also other fun, free activities to experience throughout the city. These activities in Winnipeg include the farmers markets, such as the Le Marché St. Norbert Farmers’ Market on Saturdays, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., which is great for browsing.
Wolseley Wool, a yarn and knitting place, offers free weekly stitch group classes on Wednesdays from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., no matter your skill level, located at their store in Wolseley. Grandma core activities are some of my absolute favourites.
The Pavilion within Assiniboine Park offers free admission to see multiple art galleries consisting of the painting in the Time Tracer: Recent Paintings by Allison Moore exhibit, which will be on from Aug. 25, 2024 to Nov. 23, 2024. Another exhibit within the gallery is called Snapshots: Our Phantom Nostalgia by John P. Crabb from July 30, 2024 to November 2024.
Even though it may seem like you are surrounded by people with a lot of money, trust me when I say that’s often not the case and you’re not alone. I’ve had my card declined more times than I can count. My debit card has even declined a breakfast sandwich at Tim Hortons because I had just paid my tuition, so trust me, we’re in this together.
Even though you may feel like there is no place for you among your friends because you simply cannot afford the same lifestyle or living expenses as them, there are always fun alternatives to do to curve spending that do not make you feel like you’re breaking the bank and always remember that in university there is an understanding that most university students do not have the funds to often go out.
