Top 3 tips for budgeting at University...

Hi

As a lot of people got their confirmations yesterday as to where they will be studying in a few month's time, I thought it would be good if we could provide new students with a few budgeting tips!

My Top 3 Budgeting Tips...

1) Split up your money per week - this helps me keep track of my spending, it also lets me know how much I have left for social activities and ensures that I don't over spend during the week.
2) Set up a student bank account - many banks are currently offering great rewards if you open a student bank account e.g. free £100 cash, tastecard, or even a 4-year rail card.
3) Book trips/tickets in advance - by doing this you can generally get them a lot cheaper!

What 3 budgeting tips would you give to new students for this year - drop a reply below!

I hope this helps,

Matt
Wrexham Uni Reps

Reply 1

Uni of Southampton Students

Official Rep

Hi Matt,
I think budgeting is one of the hardest things to do as a university student. This is an amazing idea to provide upcoming freshers some really helpful budgeting tips! 😃

When it comes to budgeting and saving money, my advice is -

•

Get a part-time job - If you think you can manage it with academics, it is a great idea to get a part-time job. Personally, I found working 10 hours per week during my first year to be manageable. There are plenty of opportunities to work on-campus and for the Students' Union. These jobs are most preferable as they are flexible and convenient. I worked as a Student ambassador during my first year and it was the best way to meet new people and have fun, all while earning money!

•

Student discounts apps and accounts - Download apps like Unidays and Student Beans and always check for student discount before making a purchase. Many big brands and restaurants offer some exciting student discounts and deals which have helped me save a lot of money.

•

Railcard - Most university students travel a lot, either to visit home or go out with friends. A railcard is usually worth it in the end.

I hope this helps!

All the best,
Akshita Gupta
(University of Southampton Student Rep)

(edited 3 months ago)

Reply 2

UCLan Student

Official Rep

Original post by Uni of Southampton Students

Hi Matt,
I think budgeting is one of the hardest things to do as a university student. This is an amazing idea to provide upcoming freshers some really helpful budgeting tips!
When it comes to budgeting and saving money, my advice is -

•

Get a part-time job - If you think you can manage it with academics, it is a great idea to get a part-time job. Personally, I found working 10 hours per week during my first year to be manageable. There are plenty of opportunities to work on-campus or for the Students' Union. These jobs are most preferable as they are flexible and convenient.

•

Railcard - Most university students travel a lot, either to visit home or go out with friends. A railcard is usually worth it in the end.

I hope this helps!
All the best,
Akshita Gupta
(University of Southampton Student Rep)

Hey there!

Nice to meet you, my name is Siobhan and I’m a 3rd year at UCLAN. 👩*🎓

This is a great question and one that so many people will be asking right about now! From the past 3 years, here are the best 3 things I can recommend for budgeting!

STUDENT DISCOUNT - Sign up for uni days as you get discounts in sooo many places. You can use it online as well as in person and it adds up to save you so much money. Also, with every shop that you go to, ask if they do student discounts in general as it may not pop up on uni days and there’s no harm in asking 😄

MEAL PREP - It’s not for everyone, but meal prep saved me a lot of money in second year! Get a big pan before you move in and a couple of containers and plane ahead of what meals you’re going to do. 🥘🍳Not only does this save you time and money during exam season but it also stops the temptation of buying a takeaway every night (which adds up fast, believe me 🙈)

RAILCARD - If you can get one and you will be travelling a lot around uni or to home then I would most definitely recommend a railcard! If you have placement or get homesick, a railcard saves you up to 1/3 of the ticket and trust me this saves you lots of money over time! If you set up a student account in banks like Santander then you can get this for free, but I would recommend looking online and seeing if this is something you think will benefit you in your day to day life! 🚝🚟

Hope this helps at all and please let me know if you have any more questions at all ☺️

Siobhan (3rd year Physiotherapy student at UCLAN)

Reply 3

University of Bradford

Official Rep

Original post by WrexhamUniReps

Hi
As a lot of people got their confirmations yesterday as to where they will be studying in a few month's time, I thought it would be good if we could provide new students with a few budgeting tips!
My Top 3 Budgeting Tips...
1) Split up your money per week - this helps me keep track of my spending, it also lets me know how much I have left for social activities and ensures that I don't over spend during the week.
2) Set up a student bank account - many banks are currently offering great rewards if you open a student bank account e.g. free £100 cash, tastecard, or even a 4-year rail card.
3) Book trips/tickets in advance - by doing this you can generally get them a lot cheaper!
What 3 budgeting tips would you give to new students for this year - drop a reply below!
I hope this helps,
Matt
Wrexham Uni Reps

Great thread Matt! :smile:

I thought I'd jump in and say to check out the ways you can save money on campus too, whether this is at the gym, at the food and drink outlets etc. Get involved in part-time work on campus, such as working in the retail or hospitality outlets or become a student ambassador.

Becky