Students across the country are settling into university life with the new term under way.
However, a cost of living crisis is gripping the country and many young people may be feeling the pinch. Thankfully, financial experts say there are plenty of smart ways you can save money on essentials.
Sam Whillance, a savings expert at online discounts platform Deal.Town, has shared the following money-saving hacks for university students. The tips cover everything from supermarket shopping to using student discounts.
Read More: Durham University ranks top in North East in The Times and The Sunday Times Good University Guide
Be savvy with your supermarket shopping
University is a student's first real taste of venturing into the world alone – and that includes doing your own food shopping. Here are some important things to remember when shopping:
- Shop at bigger stores: Whilst the closer store to you may be more convenient, often they are the smaller stores, and can be more expensive. Whilst it is ok for picking up one or two items, try not to do a full supermarket shop at the nearest express or corner supermarket.
- Opt for cheaper stores: Big stores like Aldi or Lidl for your food shop are ideal, as they often have the cheapest fruit, veg, meat etc. For other store cupboard staples, cleaning supplies and certain brands, Poundland, Home Bargains or B&M are also great.
- Shop at a certain time: Normally, later on in the afternoon or evening, supermarkets will add yellow ‘reduced’ stickers to items that need to be sold before their expiration date. Therefore, try to time your supermarket trips for later on and make the most out of discounted deals that will help you to fill your freezer up with meat, fish, and meals for the coming days and weeks. Many supermarkets also have clearance sections where products that cannot be sold at their RRP or may have damaged packaging can be found. Just make sure to check you are happy with the item and that the goods aren’t compromised before heading to the checkout.
- Sign up to loyalty schemes: Loyalty schemes can be seen as a hassle before you have signed up, but once you use one for a significant amount of time, some of the discounts and offers are fantastic. Tesco Clubcard, myLidl, Pret and other retailers allow you to build points over time, with customers benefiting from money off vouchers and other rewards that can contribute to future shops.
Stock up on store cupboard and freezer foods
Store cupboard foods are much cheaper than buying fresh foods. Of course we all love a fresh gourmet meal, but it isn’t always a priority.
Pasta, cereals, noodles, tinned sauces and veg are quick, tasty and very cheap to stock up on as well as being easy to make when you don’t feel like cooking. Buying other items in bulk such as toilet roll, condiments, shampoo and conditioner, hand soap etc will always come in handy.
Toilet paper especially can be handy, so it’s always worth having a few under your bed when you need them most. Milk is also one essential that can last long, as most milk can be frozen. However, milk should be transferred to an air-tight, freezer-safe container prior to freezing.
Take advantage of student discounts
When you leave university, there is nothing worse than not being able to take advantage of student discounts anymore. At the moment, some stores like the Co-op, offer student discounts including 10% off items in-store with a TOTUM card. If the Co-op is close to your uni accommodation it may very well be a staple store for you.
Another great one is Amazon Prime Student, after a six month free trial period, it costs just £3.99 a month, offering next day delivery, early access to Amazon’s lightening deals, as well as being able to stream and watch everything that’s available on Amazon Prime Video, including thousands of films and TV shows that are added frequently.
Other great student discounts at clothing stores can be taken advantage of, such as:
- ASOS – 10% discount all year round, with occasional 25% offers.
- Boohoo – 10% off all year round.
- Burton – 10%off all year round.
- French Connection – 10% off online and in store.
- New Look – Year-round 10% discount using a UNiDAYS code.
Travel Smart
Travel will always be a part of your day-to-day life as a student. Not only will you need to travel to and from uni each day, but also into the city centre for nights out, shopping and of course going home to see family.
There are several smart ways you can travel at a lower cost:
- 16-25 Railcard: With a student railcard, you’ll save a third off rail travel for the whole year. This is great for both short and long journeys, as a third of the cost will add up substantially.
- Get a bus pass: Whilst many universities have buses that operate services for students for free, a lot of journeys won't be included. Therefore companies like Stagecoach provide bus passes for students as well as local companies in other cities and towns. Ideally, do some research on which bus you will need to get to uni and sort yourself a bus pass.
- Oyster Card for London students: Those who are in London for university will make significant savings with an Oyster card. Whilst the tube is one of the easiest ways to get around the capital, an 18+ Student Oyster Card costs just £25 and will save 30% on TravelCards, bus and tram passes. Another handy trick is attaching your 16-25 railcard to your Oyster Card, allowing you to save 34% off pay-as-you-go off-peak fares and daily caps for the London Overground, the tube, the Elizabeth Line and most of the other National Rail services across.
- Uber: Depending on which city you are in, Uber can be one of the cheapest ways to get around. For example, in Manchester, Uber is a really affordable way to travel around. Before you book your Uber, a handy trick is to wait until the prices are at their lowest- normally depending on the time of day and if there are any huge events going on in the city centre. If prices are surging, opt for a local service with a fixed rate.
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