Moving into your student home is really exciting. But it can also be very expensive. Here are some options to try to save you money.
All students want to know how to save some money; particularly with the expenses of moving into your student home for the first time. Loads of them you may not have considered. TV license, transport – you may also have water, gas and electric bills. You also don’t want to be stressing about money all the time either. So save yourself some stress and money by looking into these options for your student home.
A Portable Washing Machine
I got one of these after two years of using the washing machines in my shared laundry room, and I only wish I got it sooner. Your student accommodation may not have a washing machine per room and you might be paying £5+ each time you want to do a load. It really builds up, particularly if you live with other people.
A portable washing machine doesn’t take up too much room in your home, and it means you can do washing whenever you want. No more waiting for a machine to be free. It’s a one-off larger payment (mine cost around £100) but you make your money back so quickly. It really is a great way to save money.
An Air-Dryer
Keeping on the washing theme – a foldable air-dryer will save you from paying for a tumble dryer. Yes, it means your washing takes longer to dry, but it’ll be dry after a full day of uni. Being foldable means they’re really easy to store as well. If you’re lucky enough to have some outdoor space (a real rarity in student accommodation) then get a washing line up and make the most of it! With the warmer weather approaching, there really is no easier way to save you money.
Get a TV Licence Refund
Getting a TV licence is a legal requirement if you plan on watching live television (this includes iPlayer). Now you won’t be able to get this until the end of the year but it’s definitely worth doing anyway. When you pay for your TV license, it lasts for a year. However, loads of student accommodation are only for the academic year, so you’ll be paying for months that you don’t need.
You can request a refund if you have over a month left on your licence and it only takes a few weeks to process. Just download the form, pop it in the post and you’ll get the money back in your account. It’s a really simple, but often missed, way of saving you money.
A Slow Cooker
You may have groaned seeing your mum get this out for dinner, but they really are useful. If you’ve got a large enough cooker then you can do some batch cooking and have meals for weeks to come. Pop it on whilst you’re at uni and it’ll be ready for when you come back. They don’t use a lot of energy, and you can put literally anything in them – not just dreaded stew. Bolognese, curry, casserole – all you need to do is google a few recipes and you’ll be away.
Even better? Pop to your local shops’ last thing on a Sunday for discounted veg, meat etc to really save yourself some money. Plus your parents will be proud that you’re not living off pizza and chicken nuggets all of the time.