How to Save Money: University Students Edition
Like many other university students, you might be on a budget this year. The whole university experience can end up being quite expensive, so saving money is always good! So now you’re wondering, how can you do that? There are many ways to save money as a student and plenty of services you should take advantage of while being in education to help you do this. If you want to learn more, keep reading…
Plan your finances
The easiest way to save money is to plan everything out. How much money are you truly willing to spend? Here are a couple of ways to work it out:
Create a checklist
If you’re living at university it’s a great idea to create a university checklist for when you move in. This way you’ll only buy the essentials for your flat and won’t have a load of unnecessary items. Write down each item you’ll need and do your research to find the cheapest places to buy it from. Not everything has to be a luxury and it can still look just as good even if you did get it for a bargain! Especially if you’re in the city, there will be plenty of places to get cheap decor. And if its photos you want, then FreePrints is the answer to your problems. Get all the photos you want to be printed for free, just pay the postage!
Budget
Another way to plan is to create a budget of how much you want to spend each week. This can be with travel, food shopping (keep reading for more info on that!), entertainment etc. Work out the total amount you’ll have and split it down into each section, this way you can find out where you want to spend the most money and if you’ll have any leftover! Remember though, you might also have to account for university textbooks or equipment so keep that in mind too!
Student Discount Websites
Being a university student thankfully entitles you to a discount on a variety of things from so many different places. Student discount websites are the best way to get some money off whatever you’re buying – all of those discounts will add up, trust us! These could be super useful to you so make sure to check them all out:
UNiDAYS and Student Beans
UNiDAYS and Student Beans are two of the most well-known apps that students use to live their student life a little bit cheaper. You can get discounts on clothes, beauty, food & drink and just about everything else. Most major brands feature on there, so make sure to have a scroll and take a look at what they’ve got to offer. They also have slightly different offers depending on which app you use, so it’s a great idea to download both of them. While you might not find a deal for your shopping on one of them, it’s likely there’s a code waiting for you on the other. Simply just log in with your student email and you can get saving straight away!
Student Money Saver
If you’re looking for something a little different then Student Money Saver could be a good choice. It can be similar to the above apps as it still has deals on fashion, beauty but it also includes discounts on other things like travel, food shopping and even finances and bills. All the fun and serious stuff in one! If you love a freebie, they even have a whole section dedicated to this too! Take a look and see what’s up for grabs.
Student Gym Memberships
Speaking of student discounts, some places offer their own exclusive discounts – without third parties. If you’re a keen gymgoer then this one is for you! PureGym offers 30% off a fixed term membership or 10% off monthly contracts for 6 months! And this isn’t the only gym that offers a discount for students! Most of them can be super affordable with their deals. Nuffield Health gyms offer students a 20% discount on their whole membership! Take a look at the benefits of each and decide which one suits you best.
Savings Advice
If it’s a specific piece of advice you need then there are a good few places to find it! Some websites are set up for the sole purpose of giving financial advice, especially to students. The solution to your problem will be in the depth of the internet somewhere! Here are a couple of places you could check:
Save the Student
If you’re looking for more information on how to save, Save The Student has the answer to just about every question you’re thinking of. The website is created to help students with their problems, with a heavy focus on the financials! Similar to Student Money Saver, you can find out about freebies, student deals on food and get the latest information on student finance and university applications. Take a look!
Money Saver Expert
Martins money tips have helped people all around the world to save money and he could help you too! There’s a section on his website dedicated to students, it’s definitely worth checking out. You may have seen him on the TV, as Martin Lewis is known for finding all the little ways to save money that other people aren’t aware of. It’s unlikely you’ll be able to find tips like his anywhere else! He provides a variety of information on topics such as loans, budgeting and even how much of your student loan you’ll need to repay. You should definitely dedicate some time to flicking through his website.
We hope these tips will help you to save your cash over your university education. University can be difficult so anything to make that experience a little easier is definitely worth it! It might also give you the chance to treat yourself a little more in the end if you have some spare cash leftover. If you know any other great student money-saving hacks, feel free to share them in the comments below!
