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Eight ways to save money in France as a student

Studying in France is all about travelling, drinking wine, and making friends... and studying, of course. But life here can get pretty expensive. The good news is there are lots of ways to save money when you're a student, from eating out to visiting museums.

Published: 24 August 2021 16:54 CEST
Updated: 22 September 2022 12:09 CEST

Eight ways to save money in France as a student

Photo: Ludovic MARIN / AFP.

Here are some simple tips you might not have considered to reduce your costs and make sure you can enjoy your experience without worrying about money.

Eat at the canteen

Unless you’re used to living in catered accommodation at your university back home, you probably haven’t set foot in a canteen since high school, and you might not have the best of memories. But student cafeterias are an opportunity not to be missed in France. For just €3.30, you get a (very) small starter, a main course and a desert – it’s difficult to find a better deal than that even when cooking for yourself!

You’ll get a hot, balanced meal, with a menu that changes every day, for a more than reasonable price, and you may even be surprised at the quality of the food – this is France, after all.

If you get tired of the canteen, there are also many fast food restaurants (outside of the big chains) and bakeries which offer student meal deals.

Drink at happy hour

On the other hand, France lacks the tradition of cheap, student union-run bars present in countries like the UK. Which can be a problem, because while you can find good wine for not much money in France, other types of alcohol can be very expensive in bars.

There is a solution, though, because it’s very common for bars in France to offer a happy hour, which usually lasts longer than an hour, and where you can get a discount on certain drinks. These deals are particularly invaluable if you want a pint of beer or a cocktail without breaking the bank.

And don’t think you have to rush straight out after your classes to take advantage – many bars offer discounts until 8pm or even later.

If you’re not sure which bars have offers, help is at hand – the website and mobile app Schlouk Map allows you to locate a large number of bars which have happy hours. It began in Strasbourg in 2017 but now lists bars in 30 French cities.

Get help with your rent

Students in France are able to apply for help from the state for paying their rent, and this is not limited to French citizens, so even if you’ve just arrived, you could be eligible.

REVEALED: Which French cities are most expensive for students?

The grant is called an Aide personnalisée au logement (APL) – although many people call it the CAF after the organisation which processes applications – and is a monthly sum which depends on your income and the kind of housing you’re paying for. Find out how much your could receive HERE.

It can go a long way to freeing up some of your precious savings or study abroad grants to be used on more exciting things, like…

Travel around France

If this is your first time living in France, you’re going to want to travel outside of your university town and see some of the incredible cities and countryside France has to offer. The most convenient way to do this is to travel by the country’s high-speed TGV trains.

Ticket prices can run high, but if you’re between the ages of 12 and 27, you are eligible for a Carte Avantage Jeune discount card. This costs €49 for the year, and guarantees 30 percent off all TGV and intercité trains.

If you mainly want to visit nearby towns, cheaper discount cards are also available for regional TER train lines.

Or, there is always covoiturage (carpool), which is incredibly common in France. Local company Blablacar allows you to find others who are planning the same journey as you and have space in their car.

Cycle everywhere

In terms of daily life in France, one expenditure which can quickly add up is public transport. There are four cities in the country where students have to hand over more than €300 per year to get around.

A cheaper – and healthier – alternative is to cycle. Unless you’re an avid cyclist, you might want to avoid the hassle of purchasing your own bike, but many French cities offer cycle hire schemes similar to the Vélib bikes in Paris.

In Lille for example, you pay €39 for a yearly subscription, and then have 30 minutes free every time you take a V’lille bike, before having to pay €1 extra every half an hour. Strasbourg’s Vélhop service meanwhile offers 10-month subscriptions for students under 26, meaning you won’t carry on paying once you’ve left France at the end of the semester.

Read the French press

If you’re on a year abroad in France, one of your goals is probably to improve your French, and you might have considered reading the newspaper as a good way of being exposed to the language while keeping up with what’s going on in the world.

To do that, you might not need to take a subscription or buy a physical paper. Many French students don’t even know about this, but most universities pay for a subscription to Europresse, a platform which offers access to hundreds of local and national media sources, and make it available to their students.

You will find PDFs of the latest editions of newspapers like Le Monde, and magazines like Closer, and you can also search for specific articles. All you have to do is log in using your university email address.

Other cultural deals

Very many museums and monuments, including popular sites like the Louvre, are free for people under the age of 26 who live in an EU country. It’s a great way to take in French culture and history without spending a centime. A lot of museums are also free for everyone on the first Sunday of each month.

If you prefer to be sitting comfortably while you take in your culture, many cinemas in France offer discounted tickets for students.

Students can also get discounts when signing up to libraries and médiatheques (multimedia libraries).

Get discounts on shopping

If you prefer to spend your weekends doing a spot of shopping, you could also get money off. You might be familiar with the student discount website UNiDAYS, which offers reduced prices on clothes, beauty products, technology and more. The global website is available in France, so it’s worth checking what offers there are in participating stores.

Some other shops will give you 10 percent off when you show them your student card.

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URSSAF: What is it, how it works, and how it affects you

Unions de Recouvrement des Cotisations de Sécurité Sociale et d’Allocations Familiales – more usually known, because that’s a mouthful, by the acronym Urssaf – are the administrators who collect social security contributions that fund a large part of France’s labyrinthine social security system, including, notably, health insurance.

It is responsible for collecting some €534.4 billion from 9.8 million users every year to help fund social security in France.

If you’re an employee in France, you will probably have nothing directly to do with Urssaf, because – for the most part – dealing with it will fall into the realms of Somebody Else’s Problem (ie your employer).

But if you are freelance, a contractor or set up your own business you will almost definitely have to deal with Urssaf.

Type of regime

Many people working for themselves in France use the simplified Micro Entrepreneur regime – often still referred to as auto entrepreneur – which sets up a basic sole trader-style business.

Its advantage is (relative) simplicity but it has limits on earnings as well as other limitations like being able to write off business expenses.

Micro-entrepreneur: How to set up as a small business in France

Other options for freelancers or sole traders include the Entrepreneur individuel à responsabilité limitée (EIRL – basically a limited liability sole trader); Entreprise unipersonnelle à responsabilité limitée (EURL – another sole trader option), Société par Actions Simplifiée Unipersonnelle (SASU); or Société à Responsibilité Limitée (SARL).

These allow for higher earnings but are more complicated and may require an accountant to set up.

If you start off as a micro-entrepreneur but then your earnings go over the threshold you can switch to another regime without attracting a penalty.

How to register

These days the whole registering a business thing can be done online. For a simple micro enterprise, you can create an account on autoentrepreneur.urssaf.fr, then give details of the business you intend to run, and your social security numbers.

If you’re looking to set-up a more complex business structure such as a EURL, SARL, SASU, or SAS, you should start with the portail e-procédures at procedures.inpi.fr.

You must then send off the declaration, which is registered with the relevant Centre de formalités des entreprises;

For commercial businesses eg shops or bars, this is the Chambre de commerce et d’industrie;
For artisans, craftspeople, tradespeople and some other commercial businesses, it is with the chambre de métiers et de l’artisanat;
For professions libérales – including, for example, freelance journalists – it is with Urssaf.

Within 15 days of registration, you should receive your business registration number, known as the SIRET number.

Notice that you have been signed up to the relevant social security regime should follow in a few weeks.

Since 2020, all independent workers belong to the Assurance Maladie health regime, and a few professionnels libéraux are signed up to the standard Assurance retraite for their pensions.

How much does it cost to set up a business?

That depends on your business. Setting up as a micro entrepreneur (auto entrepreneur) costs nothing administratively and is the simplest way for freelancers to set up for themselves.

Technically speaking it is a tax status rather than a business structure.

Then what?

Once you’re up and running, the most regular contact with Urssaf should be when you file your earnings online, which – for micro entrepreneurs – can be done monthly or quarterly using the auto entrepreneur website.

You will then be informed how much you owe in cotisations, (social security contributions) which will be taken out of your bank account around a month later.

If you have a French-incorporated business, such as EURL, SARL, SAS or SASU, you will use URSSAF’s main website www.urssaf.fr, or get your accountant to do so. Some business set-ups in France require you to use an accountant.

Banks

Note that you will need to set up a dedicated bank account for your business. As a micro entrepreneur, despite claims from banks, it does not have to be a business account (which attract larger fees). But it should be separate from your personal bank account, and just used to pay your charges, for any business expenses (which you cannot claim for, if you’re a micro entrepreneur).

Other business regimes, such as the Entrepreneur individuel à responsabilité limitée (EIRL – basically a limited liability sole trader); Entreprise unipersonnelle à responsabilité limitée (EURL – another sole trader option), Société par Actions Simplifiée Unipersonnelle (SASU); or Société à Responsibilité Limitée (SARL), have certain advantages on allowable earnings, compared to the very basic micro-entrepreneur regime – but will incur a sliding scale of charges on set-up, and require different book-keeping and accounting systems. Some will also require you to be registered for VAT.

Do I need an accountant?

This is really a personal choice – the micro-entrepreneur regime is designed to be simple and to be used by individuals, but some people still prefer to use an accountant.

The business structures for higher earners are a little more complicated and may require an accountant to set up. Most people use accountants if they are within these structures, unless they are confident in both their French and their book-keeping abailities.

If you have an accountant you can nominate them to be your representative in any dealings with Urssaf, although note that you are still responsible for any fees and charges, even if they are incurred by your accountant making a mistake.

Okay — how much do you pay in charges?

For micro-entrepreneurs, social charges can be paid monthly or quarterly. They are calculated as a fixed percentage of your earnings, depending on the type of work.

Rates are 12.8 percent for the sale of goods, 22 percent for artisanal and commercial services, 22 percent for professions libérales attached to the standard Assurance Retraite for retirement, and 22.2 percent for a small number of professions libérales attached to Cipav.

A levy of 0.1 percent to 0.3 percent is also charged. It goes to the CPF fund giving all workers the right to a financial contribution for training.

Note, micro-entrepreneurs are limited in the amount they can earn: for business activities and the supply of accommodation (hotels, bed and breakfasts, rural cottages classified as furnished apartments, furnished apartments), the threshold is €188,700.

For service and professional activities, the threshold is €77,700.

Micro entrepreneurs will be obliged to step up to another business regime if they break these earnings thresholds.

For other business types, these maximum earnings thresholds do not exist, but bosses will have other requirements, for example, they may need to use the services of an accountant, and will have to be audited once they cross a certain earnings threshold.

Taxes

It’s important to note that Urssaf deductions are only part of the story – there are also other taxes to consider.

Personal income tax is covered in the annual income tax declaration, while businesses taxes fall under a range of tax regimes, depending on your type of business.

Commercial, industrial, or manual/trades/crafts businesses fall under the Bénéfices Industriels et Commerciaux (BIC) system. Professional businesses fall under the Bénéfices non Commerciaux (BNC) system. Agricultural businesses use the Bénéfices Agricole (BA) system.

Don’t forget, either, the Contribution Fonciere des Entreprises (CFE) property levy, a local tax payable by any company or self-employed person earning more than €5,000 per year, even if they conduct their business at home, at the kitchen table. This one is due every December.

What if I have a problem?

You can contact Urssaf staff online via the website, or arrange an appointment for a face to face meeting at their offices, if you prefer. Contrary to popular opinion, they’re there to help you.

Urssaf, in the past, had a poor reputation. But, as with all French bureaucracy, it’s better to work with it rather than try to fight or resent it.

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