When you get to university, it is likely that you won’t have a large disposable income… or income at all. So, you are going to have to budget.
This means looking at everything you spend money on and trying to cut back, or at least just be sensible with your purchases.
If this seems hard, here are a few easy hacks that can save you a few quid.
Branded food
There is no real reason why you should buy the more expensive named brands of food. Shops such as Lidl or Aldi are great cheaper alternatives that can lessen your weekly food spending. Also, you could buy food that’s reduced due to being damaged or close to its sell-by date.
Your best friend: The Freezer
The fridge and freezer are your best friends! You can shove almost anything in the freezer and it’ll be ready when you need it. Even putting things like bread in the freezer can save you money.
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If it is about to go out of date, simply put it in the freezer and come back to it when you need some bread. Instead of buying a whole new loaf.
Slicing food
If you snack on food such as melon, cucumber or maybe even bananas, it may be wise to cut your food into smaller pieces.
This makes the food last longer and whilst the portion, in whole, will be the same size, if you cut up your fruit into smaller pieces, it will give you more portions to snack on.
Rather than you simply cutting it in half and only getting two portions.
Night’s out
Everyone loves a good and wild night out, but sometimes you do need to be responsible. If you are sticking to a budget, maybe only get two drinks, instead of five.
Why not spilt the Uber home with everyone inside, so you only pay a quarter of the bill instead of all of it.
Student discounts
There are many bars, clubs and restaurants that accommodate students. This could be in the form of a student discount or a student night where food and drink are discounted.
Keep on the lookout for these student discounts as they can save you more than you think.
There are apps designed for student discounts such as Student Beans and UNiDAYS, which are worth downloading and using when you’re out and about.
Tax
If you do have a job whilst you are at university, make sure you are not being incorrectly taxed. This can be easily fixed by checking your payslips. If you are being taxed when you shouldn’t, a quick call to HMRC should fix it. They can switch you over to the correct tax code.
Also, if you are renting a house, apartment or studio, make sure you are not being asked to pay Council Tax. You should be covered under ‘Student Exemption’ for this.