I’m back again with another tips and tricks post on how to save money whilst at University, after the warm reception part one received I can’t wait for you to read this one! Enjoy and remember, if you think I’ve missed a key pointer off either list then make sure to leave it in the comments below!
NUS / Student discounts:
- This may seem like an obvious one to some of you but you’ll be surprised how many students don’t take advantage of the discounts brands like NUS, unidays or studentbeans offer! If you want to go out for dinner one evening why not go to one of the 14 restaurants which provide a student discount with an NUS card. The discounts which NUS provide are some of my favourites as you can save so much money and still enjoy eating out every now and then!
Pizza Express, Zizzi, ASK Italian, Giraffe, Domino’s, Prezzo and many other restaurants are included in the NUS ‘Eating Out’ discount section.
Buying your own printer:
- It may seem bizarre that I’m posting about saving money whilst suggesting you buy your own printer but hang on. If your university is anything like mine they’ll charge you to use the printer. Plus it’s a lot of hassle having to go into uni on your day off just to print something off. In my degree we often get extracts sent which we have to analyse so having a printer is so handy. In the long run you’ll save money by having your own but if you can’t afford one yourself, why not ask for one as a birthday or Christmas present?
Budgeting:
- If you have a set income per month why not budget and work out what you have to spend weekly. That way you can monitor your spending easily and if you under spend one week you have a little extra to spend the following week or you can put it into your savings for when money is tighter. Setting a weekly budget really helped me!
Student Savings Account:
- Having a student savings account could be beneficial to you. If needed you have access to an overdraft interest free in case money is short one month. I know as well that when I signed up for mine I was ‘rewarded’ so to say with an Amazon voucher and free Amazon Prime too so there are definitely perks of signing up too which will only aid your time at university.
My last money saving tips comes from Elle, a blogger and university graduate so she’s definitely been there and got the t-shirt!
Elle says:
“First of all, save money at Uni by making your own lunch or use left overs from the night before. University outlets and even supermarkets are renowned for expensive meal deals.
Try to avoid having takeaways all the time, yes, I know its super tempting but limit yourself to one a month. Alternatively make sure you win your height in pizza for a year from Dominos… your wallet can thank me later.”
Secondly, set up a monzo card (this didn’t exist when I was at uni and boy do I wish it did) you can use this card for your social events. You can top it up each month and it’s a great way of tracking and limiting your spending. Also, why not save yourself some money and split subscriptions with your housemates, Netflix and Spotify are student life staples but with family accounts you can all enjoy the site for less.”
Make the most of vouchercodes and apps for GBK and Nandos. Money off and free food is a blessing when you go out for dates or friend’s birthday meals.
Be sure to give Elle some love over on her socials and blog:
Blog: http://ellegoesglobal.co.uk/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ellegoesglobal
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ellegoesglobal/
Thank you for reading. I hope that these tips are helpful for those starting or for those who have already started it.
Make sure you check out the other posts in the series and in relation to university:
University: What I Wish I’d Known (Part One)
University: What I Wish I’d Known (Part Two)
University: What I Wish I’d Known (Part Three)
University: What I Wish I’d Known (Part Four)
Fresher’s Week, Friend or Foe?
University, 9 Years Ago; An Interview
University, 13 Years Ago; An Interview
University Alternative, MOOC; An Interview
University Saving Tips and Tricks, Part One
University Bookshelf Tour
My University Experience So Far
Where was this post when I was at uni :D! Great tips! Will have to implement them now, because I am still terrible at saving even now I’ve graduated!
Thank you! Ah, hope they help!
Love these tips 🙂 Not at uni anymore but some of these still apply to me. I’m working hard on saving money at the moment and budgeting is really important. Plus I’m trying not to be tempted by takeaways!x
Thank you! Resisting a takeaway or just buying food out is always a struggle, trying to make meals for when I’m uni all day the day before so I’m prepared! x
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Another really great post for the uni series! I wish there were some of those things available here for my daughter, but we did do quite a few of these things for her & remind her of others often! LOL
Haha my parents remind me of some all the time, Mum always reminds me to book my train tickets so they’re cheaper! What would we do without parents, eh?
[…] This goes hand in hand with budgeting, but you really ought to make the most of student discounts when you can. Unidays, NUS and StudentBeans are three discount sites or cards that you should make the most of, especially if you want to go out for a meal but don’t want to spend a small fortune. Read my two University saving tips and tricks posts here and here. […]