Spend, spend, spend...oh and save. Here are some tips on how to save those precious pennies during your time at university.
Transport:
- Save money on trains with a Young Persons Railcard, it is only £20 and it will save you 1/3rd off all UK rail fares as long as you travel after 10am.
- Look at your other local transport options, such as monthly or term time travel cards, which can save you a bundle if you plan to catch buses nearly everyday.
- Walk, it saves you money, keeps you fit and burns off all the kebabs and drinks from the night before.
Phone:
- VoIP aka Voice over IP will allow you to make really cheap calls to landlines and mobiles, and FREE calls to anyone else using VoIP. You will need an internet connection, but nowdays what household doesn't have internet?
- The good old fashioned 'three ring', if you are ringing home or your friends who have contracts for their mobile give them three rings then hang up and wait for them to call back.
Food:
- Shop at the supermarkets at the end of the day if you want to save money, as they will start to discount food that will be reaching it's end of sell by date.
- Get the supermarkets points card, while it's always confusing when they ask you if you want one when you buy a packet of crisps it can be really worth while if you're buying all your food shopping in that one supermarket. Also why not give the cashier your card when your friends about to pay for their food, get their points as well.
- As tempting as ordering takeaway every night is, don't. It can be really expensive, just learn to cook and wash up quickly.
Stock up with food when you go home for the holidays, get your parents to take you shopping and get all your food and luxury items on their shopping bill.
Going Out:
- Student nights! Find out what nights each of the pubs and clubs have their student nights on.
- The Yellow Card, a lot of pubs in student areas are signing up to the yellow card scheme, which is like the Young Persons Railcard but for alcohol. £2.50 to start off and you can get 50p off a pint etc. A big saving overtime!
- Get some drink from the co-op or mini-mart nearby before you go out, of course don't get so drunk before you go out that you start getting refused entry ;)
University studies:
- Buy second hand or borrow books from the library instead of buying text books, sod's law will tell you if you buy the book for £20 you'll use it twice.
- What course are you taking? Will you need to take lots of notes during lectures? Will you be able to take notes on laptops or record the lecture with a dicta phone? Save buying lots of paper pads by investigating what resources you are given.
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