How a Broke International Student Lives in the U.S.

A Frugal Life as an American International Student from a Regular Family

Living in the U.S. for a while, I realized the real expenses aren’t the big one-off costs, but the small money that slips away every day.

So I set a simple rule for myself: don’t chase the “typical study abroad lifestyle,” just focus on getting my studies done steadily.

I rarely socialize; weekends are mostly spent cooking at home or going on hikes.

I buy groceries and clothes on discount, and anything I can handle myself, I do without paying extra.

Balancing classes with a part-time job, my free time is either homework or earning some extra hours.

People often ask how I relax abroad. It’s simple: I don’t binge short videos or splurge on things.

Most evenings, I watch a domestic drama in Chinese, enjoying familiar voices and pacing, letting my mind truly unwind.

At first, topping up domestic services from abroad was tricky, but then I discovered Payenjoynow, which makes WeChat Pay top up and Honor of Kings top up effortless.

Using it works flawlessly—no complicated card setup, no repeated failures, done in minutes.

For an international student from a regular family in the U.S.,

frugality isn’t about living a tight life; it’s about knowing which expenses give you stability and which simply aren’t worth it.