Monday 20 May 2013

Tips: Student Saving

Hello!

After being at university for a year now I thought I would do a post on tips I've picked up on how to save money, which when you're a student is a big thing! A few ££ here and there does all add up so I think these are things all worth doing!

#1 Get a points card- So many shops do these now! Boots, Superdrug, Costa, Cafe Nero & Tesco to name a few. These all mean everytime you spend money you get something back in the future like money off, vouchers or a free drink!

#2 Shop around- Don't just do your weekly shop in one place! Look around and get the best deals. Tesco has good prices on meat but the fruit can be expensive so for fruit I go to Asda or even cheaper a market stall!

#3 Buy value range when possible- Tesco have a brilliant value range which can be easily identified by the simple packaging and great price tag! Things like spaghetti, bread and even meat I try and buy from the value range, but be careful, things like eggs from value ranges are usually caged hens which mean the eggs don't always have the best range of nutrients and isn't animal friendly!

#4  Think before you buy- Impulse buys are when you will spend money on items you don't really need and these all rack up to a hefty amount if you're not careful! Justify to yourself if you really need that £10 yankee candle or your 7th nude lipstick.

#5 BUDGET!!- Budgeting is a huge key to not overspending. At the beginning of your university year add up your loan and take away your accommodation/commuting costs. What your left with will then have to see you through your 9/10 months of university, so make sure you budget how much you can spend/live on per week including food, travel and going out.

#6 Withdraw cash weekly- Once you have budgeted what you can spend every week/month withdraw this cash from your bank and hide your card for the rest of the week. If you physically have the cash you are more likely to keep track of what you have spent and shouldn't over spend!

#7 Put a jumper on - If you don't have your bills included in the price of your accommodation you will notice that you cant really afford to have the heaters on full whack 24/7 so invest in a big jumper or a nice fluffy housecoat to wear when you're cold!

#8 Term travel tickets- If you commute to university it is much much cheaper to get a term time train pass, it will save you about £100 in total which can be put towards other things!

#9 Group cooking - When you live with a group of other people it works out much more cheaper if you all chip in a bit of money and do a group meal a day. Me and my flat mates all sat down and listed what food we liked and created a menu. We would then have a meal off this each day that one or two of us would cook. This meant a big hearty meal would only cost £1/2 per person which really does help save money.

#10 Do you need that gym membership? - gym memberships can be very costly, £20+ a month can really add up to be a waste of money. Instead why not invest in a workout DVD? these can be done in the comfort of your own room with out having to go anywhere! I noticed that doing the Insanity workout DVD actually helped me lose more weight and tone better than the gym ever did!

#11 Gumtree/Ebay - These two websites are a God send!! I bought Insanity off Gumtree for £30+p/p instead of £120 that it retails at. And Ebay means I can sell all my old things for some extra cash. Just keep an eyeout on EBay's charges as they can rack up where as Gumtree has free ads.

Well there we have it! My top 11 tips on how to be a savvy student. I hope you enjoyed reading this and take some of my advice away with you. If you have any other tips let me know by posting a comment!
 Loves & Hugs
A.x

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