Every penny counts when you’re studying, and there are lots of discounts around that can help ease the cost pressures on students. Here are some tips to help you avoid paying the full price.
• Sign up to sites and apps such as UniDays and Student Beans, which list scores of student discounts on everything from takeaways to tech. Meanwhile, the Totum card and app (formerly known as the NUS Extra student discount card) boasts stacks of offers.
• Many big retailers offer decent discounts. If you have a Co-op store near you, the Totum card and the Young Scot card (free to young people in Scotland) will let you get 10% off your grocery shop in-store. Simply show your card at the till. (Some products are excluded, and some co-operative societies do not accept Totum).
• Similarly, Boots will give you a 10% student discount on thousands of products when you become an Advantage Card member. Once you have signed up, pop into a store and head to the till to link your card with your valid student ID to activate your membership.
Other decent retailer discounts include:
• Ikea offers £10 off when you spend £75. Until 1 October. An Ikea Family account is required (you can sign up for free).
• Dunelm is giving 10% off when you spend £40. Until 8 October. Via Student Beans.
• For tech and electronics, students can get six months’ free Amazon Prime membership when signing up to Prime Student. When the period is up, if you want to stay onboard, you can get Prime membership for half the usual price, which means you pay £4.49 a month.
• Students can also get Spotify Premium free for one month and then pay £5.99 a month (reduced from the standard £10.99 a month for a Premium Individual plan).
• Apple is offering money off a Mac or iPad (up to 10% off, according to MoneySavingExpert.com), plus a free Apple gift card of up to £130. This deal is available to current and newly accepted university students. You can verify your student status via the UniDays website. This promotion expires on 23 October.
When it comes to deals and discounts, the general advice is to carry your student card or ID and ask everywhere you shop. Not every retailer will advertise their discounts, so it is worth checking at the till.
There are also sites such as easyfundraising that allow family and friends to earn free cashback when shopping online that you can put towards the costs of uni life. It involves your “supporters” using the easyfundraising website or app to do their online shopping. There are thousands of brands available to shop with, including Amazon, eBay, John Lewis, Marks & Spencer and Trainline.
Many theatres offer bargain tickets for students: seats for £5-£10 are not uncommon. For example, TikTok £10 Tickets is a scheme run by the Royal Shakespeare Company and the entertainment platform that lets full-time students see RSC shows in Stratford-upon-Avon and London for a tenner.
Also, remember that households where everyone is a full-time student do not have to pay council tax. If you do get a bill, you can apply for an exemption.
