How To Save Money In Italy

Lifelong financial planning is a vast subject that frequently calls for a closer examination of your spending patterns and way of life. However, this guide provides helpful advice on how to save money in Italy without advising you to cut out on shopping or eating out.

Choose A Fee-Free Bank Account & Credit Card

In today’s digitalized environment, there are more alternatives than simply the neighborhood brick-and-mortar bank, which occasionally charges exorbitant fees. Using a mobile bank like N26, you may save up to 150 euros annually.

Only Buy Necessary Insurance

You should only accept insurance provided to you or that you can locate. Always consider if you can maintain your financial stability without jeopardizing it by handling the costs or cuts brought on by an accident, damage, or theft from your resources.

Saving money on private liability insurance is not a good idea, but not on cell phone insurance.

Choose Cycling Or Bus As Your Main Transportation

In Italy, riding a bicycle is the most affordable, eco-friendly, and healthy way to travel around town. Italy is a reasonably bicycle-friendly nation, and many cities have dedicated bicycle lanes.

Choose Your Supermarkets Wisely

Every nation has a slightly different grocery buying process. In Italy, several different supermarkets provide a range of shopping options and costs. 

Save Money On Public Transportation 

Italy’s public transportation is a fantastic choice if you need to go greater distances or if riding isn’t your style. If you ride infrequently, consider purchasing a 10er ticket that will save you money on each journey by roughly 25% or a monthly pass that will save you up to 50% if you use the train or bus every day.

Change Electricity Provider & Car Insurance

You enter into a contract with the general city supplier when you move into an apartment in Italy, so you will always have power. However, you can choose which supplier you want to get your power from, and frequently at a lower price. You might save anywhere from 100 to 200 euros when you switch service providers. Fill Out A Tax Return Each Year

You do not need to submit a tax declaration if you are a regular employee without any additional side income. Given that the typical tax return in Italy is close to 1000 euros, you should determine if filing a tax return will result in tax savings in Italy.

Benefit From Free Things & Sharing Neighborhoods

In Italy, the practice of sharing is growing in popularity. You may register with the neighborhood platforms to borrow, sell, or purchase items from your neighbors. This is a fantastic way to meet new individuals as well.

Keep a look out for free book exchanges if you enjoy reading. They are frequently found in parks.

Joining your local library might help you save money on books when traveling in Italy.

Choose Your Sports Options Aside From A Gym

With almost 10 million members, italy has a large number of gyms. Therefore, joining a gym is a popular alternative in Italy. However, the cost of a monthly membership can range from 15 to 80 euros, depending on the type of facility. Consider joining a sports club if you enjoy activities other than weightlifting and fitness classes.

Decide Whether You Want To Pay Church Tax

If you work in Italy and consider yourself religious or a member of a church, you will be required to pay a church tax of 8 or 9% of your Italian income tax. We have produced a thorough guide on who is responsible for paying church tax, how to do so, and what to watch out for a while leaving the church. 

Benefit From Student & Employee Discounts 

Anywhere you go, you may take advantage of student discounts. Therefore, make it a practice to inquire about or hunt for student discounts before making a purchase. Bank accounts, internet, and mobile service providers, public transportation, health insurance, cultural events, gyms, and many more places are among the most popular areas where students in Italy may save money.

If your firm joins portals like Corporate Benefits, you, as an employee, can also be eligible for specific employee discounts with other brands. Ask your boss or coworkers whether your firm is a member of such a portal because corporations sometimes disclose these perks when joining them. If this is the case, remember to check the portal before your next online purchase because you could obtain a great deal, and it is simple to forget when you are eager to make a purchase.

Use the Free Water

In any Italian restaurant, water is not free, so be prepared to pay €2 for a bottle.

Water is plentiful and free in larger cities like Rome due to the city’s numerous fountains. This enables you to save money on those additional water bottles. Just have an empty water bottle handy and drink from the free fountain. Drinking tap water in Italy is also safe, but don’t rely on it.

Essentials

Compared to northern Europe and the US, Italy is a reasonably priced nation, but there are a few things to watch out for. For instance, since pharmacies and medications are sometimes expensive, it is beneficial to pack supplies of whatever you need from home.

Another typical complaint from ex-pats is the difficulty in finding and the rarity of accessible public restrooms in Italy; in Venice, they cost €1.50. In most cases, stopping at a café, bar, or restaurant to use the facilities is preferable; nevertheless, it should be noted that doing so without making a purchase is considered impolite.

For instance, clothing costs usually are higher in Italy than in the US. Still, you may save costs by shopping at local markets (remember to negotiate!) or holding off until the twice-yearly sales occur in January and August.

Even if you may have come to Italy to work on your language abilities, you don’t need to spend money on individual courses. You may find native speakers who will help you practice Italian in exchange for assistance with English in most towns and cities where there are active language exchanges or “tandem” organizations (or any other language you speak).

It’s also worth looking at Bakeca and Kijiji for any extra stuff you forgot to bring but now regretting. You may buy furniture, bicycles, electronics, sports gear, and everything else from these two online ads. Students frequently post advertisements for used goods on noticeboards in university towns, including discounted textbooks and bicycles.

Food And Drink

Eating is often something to savor in Italy, although traveling with food might be advantageous.

Takeout pizza, piadina, or foccaccia often costs a few euros. Look for “pizza al taglio” to get pizza by the slice, or seek out delis to purchase sandwiches created to order from fresh ingredients.

Additionally, standing at the counter to order your sandwich or coffee in a café will nearly always result in a lower price.

Although Italian restaurants are frequently inexpensive, avoid being duped by expensive tourist traps. The greatest (and cheapest) places are aware they don’t need to promote, so extensive, flashy advertising, menus translated into many languages, and people waiting outside to call you in are some red flags.

In significant towns with a business sector, you’ll often find a lot of “tavole calde,” a sort of cafeteria that’s a fantastic way to obtain top quality, fresh food at a reasonable price. In cities having a university, you’ll discover reasonably priced eateries near the campus. It is also less expensive to have your main course at lunch than dinner because many restaurants charge less for more significant amounts.

When it’s time for supper, seek pubs that offer ‘aperitivo,’ where you can grab a drink and access a buffet for about €5 to €10. Research is essential because “aperitivo” can range from a few chips to a delectable buffet of hot and cold dishes that will fill you up, depending on the location.

Suppose you are making food and visit a neighborhood market to find in-season produce at a lesser cost than the supermarket. Fruit that is “brutto ma buono” (ugly but tasty) is what Italians seek out; the flavor shouldn’t be compromised by slight lopsidedness.

Instead of more upscale stores, go for inexpensive supermarkets like In’s Mercato, Lidl, or Penny Market.

A water bottle is a wise purchase for drinking as several public water faucets are strewn throughout Italy’s towns and villages.

Do you feel like anything more potent? Although mixed drinks at clubs may grow pricey, alcohol, especially wine, is frequently inexpensive in Italy. However, to get the best deal, look for “vino sfuso,” or wine sold from vineyards or trattorias, where you can bring your bottle or container to fill up at an impossibly low price.

Conclusion

We hope that these saving suggestions for Italy helped you make the most of your money. When compared to the potential savings, they are all relatively simple to execute and don’t require much effort.