Students On A Budget Tips

Being a student is hard I know this having struggled myself over the past few months of the remains of the summer. Impatiently counting down the weeks until I receive my next student loan. Since some of us are heading off into college or university I decided to share some secrets on how to save money whilst being a student, some of these are pretty obvious but there are a few glorious discoveries I have thought were pretty nifty to share with all you shopaholics!

Number 1 Rule

This is a hard one because I know once we all get our loans a lot of us are going to be heading off to freshers, the nightlife and spending our money on new things - a lot of impulses will be made! In my case, I will want to spend all my money on makeup, clothes, new furniture...the list is endless but I am limiting myself this time. A good tip I always find useful is not bringing your bank card out with you - Believe me, I know this is really hard but not having it stops you impulse buying and limits your money a lot more so this is my number 1 tip! 

Budget Your Money In The First Term

I know what it is like to see all of that money in your bank and want to spend it on anything and everything all at once. Believe me, I've been crazy a few times myself! If you are heading off to student accommodations or even attending fresher events it is important to try your best to budget your money. Only take say £20 out on one evening and maybe the next evening take £15, always limit on your spending because we all get carried away thinking we are millionaires then a few weeks later BOOM we are down most of our loans and having to live on super noodles and borrowing money off people. So always try and budget your money especially in the first term.

Use the Internet

There are thousands of amazing websites that are saving you money/discounts instead of buying something in store that costs you £80. A few websites that I think are quite useful are VIPWardrobe - this is amazing you rent out an outfit and send it back once you have worn it this saves you loads of money and has some lovely dresses for occasions. Other websites that I find save you a bit of money are Cohorted - the price drops the more people buy the product an amazing bargain hunter! Everythings5pounds - this is always a hit and miss but sometimes there are some nice clothing pieces if you keep your eyes peeled. Also, take advantage of your student discounts it is there for a reason! I always forget that certain shops online or in town accept discounts, you save yourself a bit of money!

Jot it Down

This one is the most boring and easily forgetful (in my opinion!) it is keeping a notepad or jotting down in your phone how much you have spent. Similar to budgeting your money only you are keeping an eye on how much you are spending. This is something I try to do (emphasis on the try!) It is a little boring and can take the fun out of spending money but, it helps you out in the long run and you find that the more you budget the longer it lasts so the more fun you can have with it in the long run.

A Turn For The Worst

If things get that out of hand where you are unable to pay your months rent or buy your parents Christmas presents than these are some other things you could bear in mind. Buy none branded food - none brands often have a cheaper cost, therefore, it is worth bearing in mind if you pay for your own food to maybe swap your Heinz beans for Asda's own brand. Sell stuff - this is definitely a turn for the worst if you are desperate for money like I have been this summer then sell bits of clothing, technology anything that you don't need and use websites like Facebook cheap page, Depop, eBay, Gumtree all of these websites are what I have been selling my pieces on. Pre-drink - Even though I live at home in the past when I have been out I rely a lot on pre-drinking rather than spend a fortune in bars, it does save you the pennies and you can still get involved too!

That is my money saving tips for students I hope they were sort of useful if not a little bit of a fresh recap for us all. I hope you all enjoy your experiences at university or college whatever it is you are doing!