You may think that lump sum loan that has hit your bank will tide you over for months to come. Once your accommodation costs come out you actually won’t be left with a whole lot.
It’s easy to blow a pretty penny during freshers week alone and that’s before you’ve even had to really think about living costs. Here is our money saving tips to keep you going until student loan day…
Discounts
Know your discounts! You can get student discount with your NUS card almost anywhere now. Even better though, if you pay a small fee you can save even more by getting an NUS card extra. It costs around £12 a year but that is nothing in comparison to the savings you can make. You can even get 40%, yes 40% off a pizza express and a FREE Amazon Prime subscription.
Cashback Sites
Do you shop online? Ear cashback by simply shopping through sites like Quidco and Topcashback
If you join both then you are pretty much covered for every major retailer.
Don’t forget to shop directly through these cashback sites every time you shop online and you will soon see the pennies adding up.
Travel
If you travel by bus every day it is worth weighing up the pros of a student bus pass. It can usually work out cheaper. Alternatively, you could walk and save much more.
TV License
You legally have to have a TV license if you watch live Television, iPlayer or 4od. If you only watch Netflix in bed on your laptop though, cancel the TV license and save yourself the £147 yearly fee.
If you do need a license but are going home for the summer, you could save yourself around £49 by claiming a refund. You can apply for that here.
Gym Membership
Most universities have on-site gyms you can use for a fraction of the cost of those fancy fitness chains. They will also usually have a ‘pay as you gym’ offer and won’t tie you into unnecessary and expensive contracts.
Food Shopping
We’ve got a whole article on saving money on your food shop here. Also, you can try out the Approved Food website, they sell stuff close to or past its ‘sell by’ date that is of course still safe to eat.
Save extra money by taking lunch to uni with you. Cook extra the night before or whip up a quick sandwich in the morning. If you are buying lunch 5 days a week for a fiver a pop you could be down £100 a month just from buying lunches.
