Practical Money-Saving Tips for Apprentices
First-year pay is tight. Four cuts that actually work. Tap a card to read more.
Grocery shopping
Aldi, Lidl, Penny, Netto. Reduced items at day’s end. Too Good To Go. One pot for two days.
What it is: First-year pay is tight. Food is the bill you can actually cut. Aldi, Lidl, Penny, Netto beat Rewe and Edeka for basics. Verbraucherzentrale keeps saying: compare the price per kilo, not the pretty pack.
How to do it: Write a list, then shop. Meat, milk and veg near the date are often cheaper at the end of the day. Too Good To Go sells leftover bags from bakeries and restaurants. One pot for two days beats a boxed lunch every noon. Many vocational schools have a canteen — ask for an apprentice price.
Watch out: ⚠️ Eating out every day because it is “easier”. Filling the trolley just because something is on offer. A strange app wants your card before you see a price. Do not pay a “supermarket membership” from an SMS link — that is often a scam, not Lidl.
Tip: 💡 Ask colleagues where they shop before a shift. Weekend markets can be cheaper for veg. Before you install a random discount app, ask your community or ChatGPT. If the firm pays an Essenszuschuss, use it.
Read more: 🔗 Verbraucherzentrale — food, Too Good To Go. Compare prices across the week, not by mood.
Deutschlandticket
From 2026: €63 a month. Buses and regional trains nationwide. Not on ICE. Ask about a Jobticket.
What it is: Since January 2026 the Deutschlandticket is €63 a month (federal government, Bahn). Buses, U-Bahn, S-Bahn, regional trains (RE/RB), 2nd class, nationwide. Not valid on ICE, IC or EC. Subscription only, cancel by the month (usually by the 10th).
How to do it: Buy on bahn.de, DB Navigator, or the city transport app. Ask the firm about a Jobticket — Bahn mentions about €44.10 if the employer joins. Some states have cheaper apprentice tickets; ask the school or the local network.
Watch out: ⚠️ A “national ticket” on Kleinanzeigen. Lending your QR (it is personal). Boarding an ICE and arguing with the inspector. A QR from Telegram is not a ticket.
Tip: 💡 Count the days you actually travel. City-only trips can be cheaper on a local pass. Bike plus ticket is the usual mix. Before a strange app wants your card, ask your community.
Read more: 🔗 Federal government — Deutschlandticket, bahn.de. Local prices can sit below €63. Ask before you start the subscription.
Buying secondhand
Kleinanzeigen, Vinted, flea markets. Meet, check, then pay. Do not transfer first.
What it is: A bed, a bike, pans: bought new they eat a month’s pay. Kleinanzeigen, Vinted, flea markets and social department stores are where apprentices actually shop. Verbraucherzentrale: meet in public, test the thing, then pay.
How to do it: Filter by city, switch off shipping if you want to see it. Meet in daylight, station square or in front of a shop. Exact cash or PayPal Goods (not Friends). Bike: brakes, lights, frame number. Phone: IMEI, ask for a receipt.
Watch out: ⚠️ A far-too-cheap iPhone, shipping only. Western Union. “The driver is already coming, send a deposit.” No money to someone you have not met. The goods may be stolen — if it feels wrong, leave.
Tip: 💡 Go with someone. Keep the chat. City “free stuff” groups fill up when people move. Unsure? Paste the ad into ChatGPT: “does this look like a Kleinanzeigen scam?”
Read more: 🔗 Verbraucherzentrale — rip-offs, Kleinanzeigen. Weekend flea markets: small cash, check on the spot.
Apprentice discounts
Ask for an apprentice price at cinemas, gyms, museums. Software via school. Check the firm’s meal subsidy.
What it is: Many places cut the price if you say Azubi and show a school card or contract. Museums, cinema, gyms, software through vocational school (Office, sometimes Adobe). Sparkasse and the employment agency also list BAB, Kindergeld, sometimes housing benefit — those are rights, not hacks.
How to do it: Ask the training office: meal subsidy, ticket subsidy, books. City library (usually cheap). Search cinema and gym sites for “Azubi” or “Schüler”. Software only through the school portal, not Telegram keys.
Watch out: ⚠️ A “national apprentice ID” for sale online. A Windows key for ten euros. A gym with 24 months unread. Do not buy a fake card for a discount — that is fraud and a crime.
Tip: 💡 At the desk just ask: “Is there an apprentice price?” The worst answer is no. Before a gym contract, show the cancellation term to your community or ChatGPT.
Read more: 🔗 Sparkasse — support during training, Agentur für Arbeit — BAB. Small discounts add up. The real money sits in pay, BAB and Kindergeld.