How to Stretch Student Finances...
Homepage » For Students » How to Stretch Student Finances Ten ways to make your student loan stretch further:
Student Discounts: As a student you are entitled to various discounts. As an NUS member, for example you can enjoy discounts on a range of products and services from books and electronic gadgets to financial services and condoms! Find out more on www.nusonline.co.uk. Perhaps the biggest potential student discounts are reserved for travel. The Young Person's Railcard costs £20 and gets you a third off most rail fares in Britain. In London, students can get 30% off Travelcards and bus passes lasting a week or more. Full-time students can also get up to 30% off National Express coach services by buying a NX2 card, which costs £10. Book Early: Another way to get cheaper train fares (and holiday flights) is to book early. This is particularly useful for planned journeys such as going home for Christmas or holidays - you should be able to book several weeks in advance, and its amazing just how much can be saved. Bulk buy: Share the cost with housemates. If you shop online make sure you hit the minimum order value to qualify for free delivery. Bulk buying can apply to food, drink, consumables and other household goods. Online grocery shopping will also save you time and effort. Own Brands: Compare the cost of Asda own brand beans to Heinz and you’ll get the picture. All major grocery stores have their own labels, which are considerably cheaper than branded products. Buying Books: Books are expensive and make up a good portion of the student budget. Look out for second hand books often advertised on notice board around campus or check out if there is anyone in the year above selling off used books. Amazon is a great place to look for second hand deals online. Mobile phones: Mobiles are an essential but expensive part of student life. Pay as you go tariffs are easier to control but if you spend in excess of £15 a month you will probably save money with a contract. Shop around and review the options carefully. If you text a lot but don’t make many calls there will be a deal to suit you. If you move from pay as you go to contract make sure you are protected by insurance and if you lose your phone report it immediately. Cut the cost of your fuel bills: If you are in a student house and paying your own energy costs check out uswitch or moneyexpert to find out if you are paying too much. The domestic market for fuel is a competitive one and you can change supplier with a few clicks of the mouse. Your new supplier will take care of the formalities - you just pay less every month. Sell stuff on e-bay: Most folks have a load of old junk in their garage, attic or in the case of students, in their bedrooms. You can sell virtually anything on e-bay these days from old beer mats, to broken ipods to….well just about anything. Its actually quite fun too seeing if you can guess what people are prepared to pay for your clutter! Get insured: According to the British Insurance Brokers' Association overt 38,000 first-year students will be burgled during the course of their student life. Unfortunately a campus is an easy target for a thief and laptops and other electronic gadgets are their prime targets.
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Don’t pay for taking out your own money: ATM machines are convenient, especially when you need cash after hours but they can cost up to £2 per withdrawal. Find a free one.
