A Broke Girl’s Guide to Study Crawls

When it comes to study habits, there’s nothing better than a productive study crawl. Recently gaining popularity on social media, inspired by bar crawls, participants visit a bunch of their favorite study spots (or try out new ones) all in one day. The idea is to spend anywhere between four and eight hours working on assignments, all whilst exploring different locations and menus. 

Cafe hopping is beneficial for a myriad of reasons. Changing locations while studying helps maintain focus and find atmospheres that work best for you. Additionally, the time you spend traveling to the next location ensures you get a true break, and any food that you do have will keep you fueled to keep going. But, while you might leave with a new breadth of knowledge and a stomach full of coffee and snacks, your wallet will end up significantly emptier. 

Here are five ways you can still enjoy the benefits of study crawls without any financial guilt. 

Establish a Budget

It goes without saying, but I’ll say it anyway: the most important tip for going on an affordable study crawl is to maintain a budget. Think of your budget as your plan. Personally, I have a separate line in my overall budget for coffee shops; this way, I’m able to limit my monthly spending on cafes.

Even if you don’t have an overall budget, you can still utilize budgeting techniques to spend less on study crawls. Before going on the crawl, ask yourself: how much money am I comfortable spending today? It might be $5, it might be $50. How your number compares to others’ isn’t important, but making sure that you’re being honest with yourself about how much you can afford is.

Once you set your limit, remember to firmly stick to your decision. When the time comes that you’ve used up all the cash set aside for the day, it can be tempting to keep spending anyway, but don’t feel compelled to if it’s not necessary. Pushing past your limit can cause financial guilt, and even have negative consequences if you put the latte on a credit card you can’t afford to pay back. Sticking to your maximum dollar amount will allow you to feel confident and in charge of your money while still having a good time studying.

Set An Itinerary Ahead of Time

Although a budget is a key part of planning for a study crawl, it doesn’t have to be the entire plan. If you plan out a route ahead of time, you’ll be more prepared for the day and less likely to jump around to five or six cafes at random. With a schedule, you’ll know where you’re going, how long you’re staying, and can even approximate how much you’ll spend at each location. Having an itinerary planned out ahead of time saves you stress, time, and money, so you can focus on studying. 

If you plan on driving or using public transportation between locations, you can also determine the route that saves the most gas, money, and strife in local traffic. Driving 10–20 minutes between cafe destinations can become costly in the long run when there are probably three or four closer ones on the way.

Pick Alternative Study Locations

Not every location has to be a cafe, especially since some establishments require you to be a customer to stay for a long period of time or use the restroom (checking this ahead of time goes back to setting an itinerary).

I recommend alternating between a cafe and a zero-cost location, such as the library or a park. This can also allow you to explore more study locations than you would have originally, while discovering new locations to incorporate into your everyday routines. 

You can opt for cafes that don’t have a purchasing requirement. I personally like to choose a non-commercial location when I don’t want to spend money, so that I won’t be tempted to buy a drink at a cafe I wasn’t planning to spend any money at. Plus, when your drinks and treats are more spaced out, they can feel like rewards for all your hard work and can keep you even more motivated. This way, you’ll be able to study longer and spend less. 

BYOC (Bring Your Own Coffee)

On top of choosing locations that don’t cost any money to study at, you can supplement some of your drinks and food with your own from home. This could mean starting off the day with a coffee you made or packing a lunch so you don’t have to buy a meal. Remember to bring a refillable water bottle as well, so you can stay hydrated for free. 

Of course, this doesn’t mean go all or nothing on bringing or spending. I personally like to bring my own water bottle, brew a cup of tea to bring with me, and pack my own lunch. But that doesn’t mean I don’t get to splurge on any fun drinks at coffee shops. 

The goal of bringing your own food and drinks is to save and make it easier to spend responsibly, not eliminate it. Bringing your own food or drinks can emulate the feeling of a cafe-driven study crawl without spending a dime. 

Take Advantage of Rewards

If going to cafes or restaurants is already a part of your routine, consider saving any rewards for study crawls. If you can get a drink from Starbucks with stars and one from Foxtail with their punch cards, that’s two drinks for free.

Although you still have to spend money to reap the benefits of a reward system, using your rewards wisely instead of sporadically can make a big difference. Saving a free item for a rainy day or a study crawl can instantly fix your mood. I mean, who doesn’t like getting a sweet treat for free? It instantly inspires me to accomplish everything on my to-do list. 

So, if you’re not signed up for all the reward systems of the cafes and restaurants you frequent, make sure to do that, even if it means just keeping a punch card tucked away in your wallet. 

With these tips, I hope you can explore the world of study crawls responsibly. Figure out what works for you, whether that be a budget or bringing your own food from home. Remember that a day of studying doesn’t have to result in you completely draining your wallet on drinks. Study crawls can be affordable for everyone. You just have to make the best with what you have. 

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