How students can save money

Thursday 17 October 2019, Money

by Swansea University

How students can save money

Swansea University
Managing your money at university can be a challenge, and often students will face unexpected costs that they may not be used to when living at home. We’ve written a guide of typical things that students spend money on, and how you could potentially save some cash.
 
  • Accommodation
    • Share your accommodation – not only will you split the cost of rent/bills, you can also share household items, such as kitchen utensils.
  • Groceries (food/drink/toiletries)
    • Plan your meals, and make shopping lists! This will prevent you buying things unnecessarily, making meal times a lot easier. Shopping online can be a good way to avoid extra spending and being tempted by those discount stickers!
  • Clothing
    • Purchasing a NUS card will give you discounts in over 200 UK stores. Using Click & Collect is a great way to save on delivery costs, as well as signing up to mailing lists from your favourite retailers to get their latest offers.
  • Transport
    • While walking and cycling are encouraged to lead a healthy lifestyle, sometimes this might not be an option. If you are using public transport regularly, make sure you invest in a railcard or a student bus pass.
  • Socialising
    • Socialising is a big part of university life, but it can also be costly. Often places have student nights, so save the bowling until a Sunday. Another saving tip could be to take cash out with you instead of your bank card, to help you stick to your budget.
  • Books/course expenditure
    • When beginning your course, it’s likely you’ll have a long list of reading. Lots of second or third year students may no longer need their books, so try and grab a second hand copy.