As another wave of students start university this September,
I thought that this would be the perfect time to share some tips and tricks
that I have learnt along the way about saving money at university. I went to
university with no clue about anything and money was the biggest weight on my
shoulder, a lot to think about and when by yourself it’s a lot of pressure. If
you know someone starting, currently at or even if you want to save money in general
– I hope this helps. Let’s get saving…
Keep Track of Spending
This might sound like the easiest thing in the world, but I
mean keeping a real eye on where your money is going. Keeping an eye is the
best way to make sure you don't overspend and land in any trouble. A
spreadsheet is the best way to do this, there are templates online, but some
simple formulas do the job well. If you do it in such a way that it shows your
income that comes in, and then takes out regular outgoings such as rent or contracts.
This will then let you see exactly how much is left to spend on anything else.
Now you know how much you have available you know what needs to last you until
next time you are due to get money in. If you ever need extra in-between times this is a helpful site to have a look at and make sure you don't ever go without.
Food for Thought
My biggest expensive is food! So it is well worth finding
ways to slash the bill at the checkout. The best way to do that is by going to
pocket friendly places such as Aldi and Lidl. They have everything the other
supermarkets have just at a fraction of the price. You will find yourself
buying more for your money! If you are living with people who don’t mind
sharing/enjoy cooking, then planning meals together is a great way to save
money. We used to have days like ‘Taco Tuesdays’ and one of us would do all the
shopping for that and then another would do it for ‘Fish (veggie for me)
Fridays’. Avoid having takeaways everyday too, its not healthy and very
expensive. It is nice to have a takeaway treat every now and then, just budget
for it and share the cost with others.
Bills, Bills and more Bills
If your university doesn’t offer accommodation, then you
will find yourself in a house with bills! Oh the stress of it all is too much
to handle by yourself – be sure to share it all with the other people you live
with. The best tip I can give you is to shop around and find the best
products/services for the house and you. Are you going to be downloading lots?
Streaming? In a house of students, broadband needs to be the number one
priority. Everyone needs wi-fi! For this, it is a good idea to shop round
and find out the best broadband deals; the last thing you want to do is overpay
for something. It’s also handy to know, that the known retailers such as Sky,
Virgin etc aren’t always the cheapest ones. Phone companies such as Vodafone
tend to offer better deals with added extras and are always worth looking at.
Always shop around before you click buy and read some guides, otherwise you’ll be tied into
something that isn’t any good.
Student Discount
By far my favourite thing of being a student is the discount
that is available. More and more shops are offering it now, and restaurants
seem to be accepting it too. The smallest amount can make the biggest
difference, and if there’s discount involved then it’s a great excuse to do
some shopping. P.s other people in your family can use the discount too!
Have Fun and Save
University is the best time and so many memories are made.
Even though money is important and worth keeping a check on, you should also
give yourself some leeway and enjoy yourself.
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