Money saving tips for college students in UK

Everyone knows that university students scrape by on a pittance. It’s been a cliché since time immemorial, and there’s a good reason that the stereotypical uni student’s best friend is a packet of ramen noodles. Indeed, some of the extreme lengths that students go to in order to save money can be downright disturbing. Some students will refrain from washing their clothes for months to avoid coin-operated laundries. Others neglect basic elements of hygiene. And yet there is always money for beer. But if you’re a college or uni student looking to save some money, we have tips that can help you to keep more of your money and spend less while away at school.

So here are a few money-saving tips to help you keep more of your money while studying in college.

Consider living at home.

Part of the romance of university is going off to live on one’s own, whether in a dormitory or a flat. However, living separately from your family can cost a significant amount, particularly in a flat, where you will be responsible for every part of your own upkeep. If you elect to remain at home, it can save you money overall because you will be able to avoid high flat rent or high costs associated with dormitory accommodations. However, you will need to consider whether you can reasonably commute to your school and whether those costs in time and expense outweigh the savings.

Budget as soon as you receive your student loan.

It can be tempting to use that massive loan payment to treat yourself, but to be sure you save money, create a budget as soon as you receive your payment. Block off the money you will need to pay for school and other expenses, budget for your living expenses, and don’t spend anything else until you know that your essentials have all been taken care of. After all, you don’t want to find yourself in even more debt because you didn’t take care of the basics first.

Take advantage of pre-drinks.

Drinking with your mates is a staple of college life, but even the cheapest student-oriented dive bar can cost a lot when you drink there regularly. Instead, get your friends together and pre-drink with beer you buy yourself ahead of time. This can both be more fun and more cost-effective than doing all your drinking with the pricey drinks at your local. Just be sure you have a designated driver to take you to the pub.

Buy essays from reputable services.

Many students think they can save money buying their academic essays abroad. But you’ll save more money in the long run if you use a UK essay writing service with affordable princes and reliable academic writers available 24/7 online. When you hire essay writers from a UK service like SmartWritingService to create custom writing solutions for you, you can be sure you’ll get professional help fast. A foreign service might give you bad writing, and their papers might not be legit, especially in terms of plagiarism. Using an online essay service to write a paper only helps if the custom-written paper is good, and you don’t want to lose money by failing a course due to bad papers. Using a legitimate service from the UK can cost a bit more than rock-bottom foreign services, but you’ll save in the long run when you succeed in school and don’t need to pay a second service to fix the mistakes of the first one.

Leave your credit card at home.

When you go out to drink or to party, stick to a budget by using cash. Leave your card at home so you won’t be tempted to overspend. That way, when you have spent all of your money, you’ll know it’s time to call it a night and won’t spend more than you have.

Only shop for food when you’re not hungry.

It’s a fact that people buy more food when they are hungry than when they are not. Don’t be tempted to overspend by shopping when you’re hungry. Instead, go to the store after you’ve had a big meal. You’ll be more likely to buy only what you need, not what your stomach wants at the moment.

Learn to cook.

Meal plans and takeaway can be a huge money drain. Food that you prepare yourself costs less than food you are paying other people to make for you. By learning to prepare your own meals, you’ll not only build valuable skills but will be saving money. If you and your housemates pool your resources to cook in bulk for the whole flat or house, you’ll save even more—and, if you take turns, you’ll only need to cook a couple of times a week.

Learn about student discounts.

Many retailers, events, organizations, and transport services offer special discounts for students. Learn what you qualify for and take advantage of all of the money you can save just by flashing your student ID card.

Get a part-time job.

Even a few hours a week can bring in enough income to help keep you in spending money for the semester. Consider waiting tables, or working in retail or a bar for spending cash on nights and weekends.

Don’t rush into buying textbooks.

Textbooks cost way too much, especially when many of them are barely used in courses. Do some research, learn which are essential, which are optional, and—crucially—which you can buy the used ones or borrow from your library. 

To sum up, there are a lot of guidelines and ways to save money in college. Feel free to use all tips we provided above not to be in need and enjoy your academic life.