It's that time of the month again...you open up the bank app on your phone, freeze for a hot second, and then close it down. Because if you wanted to feel depressed, you might as well start studying for that midterm exam you have tomorrow.

As a fellow broke university student myself, I've found ways around Seoul's insanely high living standards throughout my years there. So, without further ado, here are a few pointers to saving money as an Ewha student.

PAYCO (페이코) 👛

PAYCO is a Korean e-payment app. Think Kakao Pay or TOSS. What differentiates this one from the others is that Ewha students get more cashback and discounts whenever they make purchases with PAYCO in the "Campus Zone."

How Does It Work? 🤔

Every time you spend money within the "Campus Zone," you can participate in a cashback gacha game.

Each time you play the game, the app rewards you with cashback of up to $3.67 (5000 won). Though, you won't get the cashback immediately. The app pays you back in the form of PAYCO points on the 25th of each month. You can then use those points for online shopping, offline payments, etc.

*Other schools may collab with PAYCO (or other e-payment services) too, so please check with your university (if you're not from Ewha for more information!)

Everytime (에브리타임) ⏰

Chances are, as a student in Korea, you probably already know what this is. In case you didn't, Everytime is a forum-style app for university students in Korea to network and connect with each other. But did you know you could get cheap second-hand textbooks on Everytime too?

How Does It Work? 🤔

Usually, sellers upload pictures of their used textbooks, together with a brief description of the book's condition (e.g., whether there are any torn pages, handwriting, etc.).

Make sure to check the payment/delivery method (거래수단) before you contact the seller!

This is where you'll know how, when to pay, and where to get your purchases.