How NOT To Approach University –
So with the influx of new students heading off to university in September, one of the biggest things many people are worried about is how to make their money stretch forwards. Not all of us are spoilt/rich/lucky enough to have parents who can throw £30 our way if things get tough. If you’re worried, here’s some common-sense money saving tips from yours truly!
- NUS Extra Card. Some people write this off as not being good, but the little things add up, and a 10% discount here and there can save you a fair bit in the long run. It’s £12 a year and gives discount on over 150 brands and chains. Also, this isn’t just restricted to university students – if you’re at a sixth form or college with a students’ union, you can get an NUS Extra card. Buy it at http://www.nus.org.uk/en/nus-extra/.
- TV Licence. Come on. They’re not expecting us to live without TV during the term time, are we? And if you’re lucky to live in nice halls like I did for my first year, you may have a communal TV in your lounge (we had a flatscreen, which was nice). But when you’re desperate to watch Breaking Bad and everyone else is engrossed in University Challenge, or when you’re dying to see Doctor Who but everyone else is pre-drinking with The Hits blaring, you need your own TV. If this describes you, getting a TV licence may be an expense you feel you can’t live without – but you can. You don’t need a licence if you’re streaming programmes AFTER THE LIVE BROADCAST on websites such as iPlayer, YouTube and 4oD (or projectfreeTV, but of course, as good, law-abiding students we’d never watch illegally-uploaded programmes, would we?) . In short; thinking about getting a TV licence? Here’s my advice, don’t bother.
- Shop Smart, Spend Less. Contrary to popular belief, Sainsbury’s isn’t budget food – not when you’re a student, unless you’re getting goodness knows how much money a week. I was on full loan and grant, and I certainly couldn’t have afforded to shop at Sainsbury’s. Tesco and ASDA are slightly better if you go for their Smart Price/Basics range, Morrisons is good but for absolute value, I’d go for ALDI. It’s my favourite supermarket anyway, and there’s a reason why it’s been voted the best for the past few years – the food is good taste and good quality and a really good price. So if you’re the sort who feels judged/judges others based on where they shop, get over yourself and enjoy the savings!
- Don’t just say “I’ll get an overdraft”. It’s not free money. I did my first year without a job and without an overdraft, and I definitely couldn’t run to the Bank of Mom and Dad at any opportunity. I’ve had to get an overdraft for 2nd year, but that’s because I’m learning to drive too, and it’s expensive. Don’t get an overdraft because you want to drink expensive stuff; either get a part-time job or live within your means. An overdraft should be a last resort, really – you’ll have to pay it back eventually!
- Learn to cook. Goes without saying, but buying takeaways will drain your bank account faster than you can say “£1 shots”. Learn to cook – you don’t need a Michelin star to be able to whip up a few portions of lasagne or cottage pie and fridge/freeze it to have a portion for dinner once a day. It’ll save money, and impress your parents.
- Pre-drinks! I’m not going to tell you not to drink. You’re a student! If you don’t want to drink, don’t. If you want to drink in moderation, go for it. If you want to get completely hammered every night, upload the pictures and send them to me so I can laugh! But don’t waste money on drinks in the bar when you can get suitably drunk in your flat/house before heading out! Drinking games like Ring Of Fire are great for getting you suitably tipsy and saving you a bit of money. Again, I recommend ALDI for cheap vodka/rum/SoCo/whatever tickles your fancy.
- If you can get a job, do it! Again, common sense. I didn’t last year, because I was worried my university work would suffer – that said, my course has long hours. Several people I knew didn’t have many hours of lectures, and were easily able to balance a job alongside uni work and a social life. This one is something only you can decide, but it stands to reason that if you can get a job, you’ll probably get more money.
- Make sacrifices. What’s your phone bill like? Spending £30 a month on unlimited texts when you always use Facebook Messenger and SnapChat anyway? Got unlimited minutes, but you have a phobia of talking on the phone? Call up your service provider and try and get the cost down. I’ve got a Lumia 800 on EE for £20 a month, with 300 texts, 100 minutes and a load of data, because I text rarely and use Facebook Messenger most of the time.
- Watch out for deals. Facebook pages like “10 Ways” (https://www.facebook.com/StudentMoneyTips?fref=ts) are great, because they’re frequently posting new offers that students need – glitches in particular shops that give you a good deal, as well as sales that you might have missed out on otherwise!
- Know your best-before from your use-by. This is an invaluable tip; perfect for reducing food wastage. A MoneySavingExpert recommendation; they’ve created a guide to help you work out whether food is safe to eat or not. Don’t throw something about just because it says “Sell by ______” – that’s for the shop, not for you!
- Take advice from the experts. No, I don’t mean me! MoneySavingExpert has a great section just for students, where they bust many of the myths about student loans and tuition fees, as well as giving advice on how to get the best student bank account and how to make your loan go further. Their student section is here – http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/students
These are just a few common sense tips; it really is just a case of being smart and putting necessity before want. You can have a great student life and a great university experience on a tight budget without getting food poisoning (well, making no promises about that!) or overwhelming debt! Follow these rules, and hopefully you’ll end up like this –
Rather than like this –
the life of a moomin 