8 Smart Student Money saving Tips
2014-03-01
One thing students often become great at is saving money. During the three or more years you spend at uni, you learn how to live on a small budget and make the most of your money. Students often share tips and find sneaky ways to save money on everyday purchases for the best student accommodation Leeds.
If you want to keep your spend down whilst at uni, then you need to become a money saving pro. We have come up with 8 smart student budgeting tips to help you to stretch your £££’s further whilst living and studying at uni.
Team up with housemates
Where possible, try and team up with your housemates to buy things. It’s much easier and cheaper to buy things you all need rather than having to get everything individually. When it comes to things like food shopping and house essentials, get your housemates to put money in and you can all save. Try and bulk cook big meals for two or more people rather than just for yourself as it can work out cheaper.
Charity shop bargains
Don’t rule out shopping in charity shops. Whilst at uni you will have plenty of fancy dress events, and charity shops are the best place to go to get outfits. If you buy a £30 outfit each time you have to dress up you will be wasting a lot of money. Charity shops are also great for house essentials and random bargain buys.
Take advantage of your student card
Surprisingly, although a lot of students have student cards, they don’t always use them to their full advantage. Students might not even realise that they can use their student card in some places, so it’s always worth asking. Keep an eye out for special student sales and offers and make a beeline for the shops that offer the best student discounts.
Contact graduates for course books
Try and avoid buying brand new books for your course, as they can be very expensive. Rent, borrow or buy second hand books. Contact ex students to see if they want to sell you their books, or better still, give them to you for free.
Use budgeting tools and apps
Keep your finances organised and monitor your spending with some handy student budgeting tools and apps. There’s loads of helpful tools which will enable you to stay on top of things. For example, http://www.studentcalculator.org.uk/
Choose your bank wisely
When it comes to selecting a bank, don’t just go for the bank that is nearest to you or a bank that offers great freebies. Do a bit of research and find out which banks will give you the best rates.
You might need an overdraft for example, so make sure that you don’t get charged for going into your overdraft. If you get a student credit card, find out when you have to pay everything back and whether the bank will charge any interest. A lot of students waste money but not choosing their bank wisely.
Watch your energy usage
At uni it pays to be eco-friendly, because if you save on energy, you will also save on bills. Use your university years as an opportunity to learn how to live in an eco-friendly way. Simple things like switching off appliances when not in use and only using heating when you need to can save you a lot of money.
Learn how to find free activities and events
Don’t waste your student loan on expensive gigs, shows and days out. There are plenty of ways to have fun for free, you just need to find out about free activities and events. One of the things students spend a fair amount of money on is entertainment and going out.
Be savvy when it comes to entertainment and search for free local events and activities that you can enjoy. Search for free festivals, find free live music gigs and attend free local events. If you enjoy art and history, look out for free art galleries and museums that you can visit around the UK.
8 Smart Student Money saving Tips
2014-03-01 / Published by Maisie Smith
One thing students often become great at is saving money. During the three or more years you spend at uni, you learn how to live on a small budget and make the most of your money. Students often share tips and find sneaky ways to save money on everyday purchases for the best student accommodation Leeds.
If you want to keep your spend down whilst at uni, then you need to become a money saving pro. We have come up with 8 smart student budgeting tips to help you to stretch your £££’s further whilst living and studying at uni.
Team up with housemates
Where possible, try and team up with your housemates to buy things. It’s much easier and cheaper to buy things you all need rather than having to get everything individually. When it comes to things like food shopping and house essentials, get your housemates to put money in and you can all save. Try and bulk cook big meals for two or more people rather than just for yourself as it can work out cheaper.
Charity shop bargains
Don’t rule out shopping in charity shops. Whilst at uni you will have plenty of fancy dress events, and charity shops are the best place to go to get outfits. If you buy a £30 outfit each time you have to dress up you will be wasting a lot of money. Charity shops are also great for house essentials and random bargain buys.
Take advantage of your student card
Surprisingly, although a lot of students have student cards, they don’t always use them to their full advantage. Students might not even realise that they can use their student card in some places, so it’s always worth asking. Keep an eye out for special student sales and offers and make a beeline for the shops that offer the best student discounts.
Contact graduates for course books
Try and avoid buying brand new books for your course, as they can be very expensive. Rent, borrow or buy second hand books. Contact ex students to see if they want to sell you their books, or better still, give them to you for free.
Use budgeting tools and apps
Keep your finances organised and monitor your spending with some handy student budgeting tools and apps. There’s loads of helpful tools which will enable you to stay on top of things. For example, http://www.studentcalculator.org.uk/
Choose your bank wisely
When it comes to selecting a bank, don’t just go for the bank that is nearest to you or a bank that offers great freebies. Do a bit of research and find out which banks will give you the best rates.
You might need an overdraft for example, so make sure that you don’t get charged for going into your overdraft. If you get a student credit card, find out when you have to pay everything back and whether the bank will charge any interest. A lot of students waste money but not choosing their bank wisely.
Watch your energy usage
At uni it pays to be eco-friendly, because if you save on energy, you will also save on bills. Use your university years as an opportunity to learn how to live in an eco-friendly way. Simple things like switching off appliances when not in use and only using heating when you need to can save you a lot of money.
Learn how to find free activities and events
Don’t waste your student loan on expensive gigs, shows and days out. There are plenty of ways to have fun for free, you just need to find out about free activities and events. One of the things students spend a fair amount of money on is entertainment and going out.
Be savvy when it comes to entertainment and search for free local events and activities that you can enjoy. Search for free festivals, find free live music gigs and attend free local events. If you enjoy art and history, look out for free art galleries and museums that you can visit around the UK.
