Best Budgeting tips for university!

Hey guys,

With university just around the corner this is a very exciting time for you all. I thought I would get this thread going for us all to share our top budgeting tips, so you can still enjoy yourself but not have to break the bank in the process.

1. My first tip would be to invest in a drying rack for your clothes and a little dehumidifier, you can get these for fairly inexpensive when you arrive at university. Places like Home Bargains or B&M sell these.

2. My second tip would be to take advantage of all the student discounts available to you, Unidays and Student beans are great for this.

3. Similar to the tip above my third tip would be to do your research when it comes to student bank accounts as many of them come with a rail card included, this will save you so much money.

4. This tip is centered around all things food, it is so easy to overspend on takeaways when your student loan first drops... Trust me I've been there. Batch cooking will become your best friend personal favourites being pasta bakes and stir fry as these can be easily stored and kept for a few days.

5. Lastly, my final tip would be to look up any free/ inexpensive things that the place you're studying offers. For example I studied in Liverpool and there was a whole section dedicated to free things to do in the city on the visit Liverpool website.

I hope this helpful :smile:

Sasha
-Graduate Advocate

(edited 3 months ago)

Reply 1

BCU Student Rep

Official Rep

Original post by Liverpool Hope University

Hey guys,
With university just around the corner this is a very exciting time for you all. I thought I would get this thread going for us all to share our top budgeting tips, so you can still enjoy yourself but not have to break the bank in the process.
1. My first tip would be to invest in a drying rack for your clothes and a little dehumidifier, you can get these for fairly inexpensive when you arrive at university. Places like Home Bargains or B&M sell these.
2. My second tip would be to take advantage of all the student discounts available to you, Unidays and Student beans are great for this.
3. Similar to the tip above my third tip would be to do your research when it comes to student bank accounts as many of them come with a rail card included, this will save you so much money.
4. This tip is centered around all things food, it is so easy to overspend on takeaways when your student loan first drops... Trust me I've been there. Batch cooking will become your best friend personal favourites being pasta bakes and stir fry as these can be easily stored and kept for a few days.
5. Lastly, my final tip would be to look up any free/ inexpensive things that the place you're studying offers. For example I studied in Liverpool and there was a whole section dedicated to free things to do in the city in the visit Liverpool website.
I hope this helpful :smile:

Sasha
-Graduate Advocate

Love these ideas! @Liverpool Hope University

Something I like to do is to look on second hand websites like Vinted or head to charity shops to source clothes, costumes and extra bits for any socials or nights out. It's usually cheaper than buying items new and is a little friendlier on the planet too!

Similar to your student discount tip, get downloading all the loyalty and food related apps you can! I've collected so many points on the McDonald's app I've got enough for a couple of free meals. And a Nando's account is always great as you can work up to earning freebies there too! I'm sure there's plenty more apps to try too.

Looking forward to some more tips and advice!

Emily 🙂
Student Rep at BCU

Reply 2

UCLan Student

Official Rep

Original post by Liverpool Hope University

Hey guys,
With university just around the corner this is a very exciting time for you all. I thought I would get this thread going for us all to share our top budgeting tips, so you can still enjoy yourself but not have to break the bank in the process.
1. My first tip would be to invest in a drying rack for your clothes and a little dehumidifier, you can get these for fairly inexpensive when you arrive at university. Places like Home Bargains or B&M sell these.
2. My second tip would be to take advantage of all the student discounts available to you, Unidays and Student beans are great for this.
3. Similar to the tip above my third tip would be to do your research when it comes to student bank accounts as many of them come with a rail card included, this will save you so much money.
4. This tip is centered around all things food, it is so easy to overspend on takeaways when your student loan first drops... Trust me I've been there. Batch cooking will become your best friend personal favourites being pasta bakes and stir fry as these can be easily stored and kept for a few days.
5. Lastly, my final tip would be to look up any free/ inexpensive things that the place you're studying offers. For example I studied in Liverpool and there was a whole section dedicated to free things to do in the city on the visit Liverpool website.
I hope this helpful :smile:

Sasha
-Graduate Advocate

Hi,

These are some excellent tips. 😊

I would like to add on that its very important to have budget plan in order to be organized with your finances. This will allow you to keep track of your spending and build up your savings! Just make sure you stick to the plan as much as possible and by having extra savings, you can be prepared for any unforeseen spendings.

Along the same lines as planning, I recommend planning to travel at a cheaper time. A railcard is excellent, but also checking the app ‘trainline’ can allow you to see which trains are cheaper than others. Alongside this, buying a ticket a couple weeks in advance can save you a lot of money! Personally, I just got a £30 ticket for £9 just for buying in advance.

I hope this is helpful, I’m excited to see more advice,
-Sophia (Business and Management)

(edited 3 months ago)