The cost of living crisis has made it a bit more difficult for students in the UK, particularly when you want to have enough money to go out and make friends in your first year. Here are some of my top tips to save money as a student:
Budgeting
Something that has helped me is to make a quick budgeting plan. I don’t like to budget in great detail as I find that it adds unnecessary stress trying to keep within my budget if costs go up or if unexpected costs arise. I just like to plan how much I am likely to spend on essentials like food and transport in a week, how much I might need to spend on other costs that come up at random times in the year like medication and stationary, and then see how much I have left. Then, I have a general idea of how much I can spend on non-essentials, like new clothes or nights out.
Student Discounts
On campus, the University offers £1.50 meals at outlets around campus. These are great budget stretchers for food on campus, especially if you don’t have time to make food in the morning. Another option for cheaper food is Too Good To Go. This is an app you can download that lets you pre-order discounted food that would otherwise be thrown at the end of the day at cafes, restaurants and food shops. It’s also available at The Market on campus. I don’t rely on this for meals, but it’s a cheap way to get something sweet for the end of the day!
I also make sure my library card is handy wherever I go in Bath as many shops and cafes offer student discount. If you show your library card, this is normally all you need, but some places often take or require UniDays, which you can download and sign up for with your university email.
Saving Money on Food
My first year accommodation was Brendon Court which is one of the accommodation options on campus that offers £50 eat and drink credit every week. I ended up with some credit left over at the end of the year, as did everyone I knew in the accommodation, so it did last all year. However, at weekends the choice of open outlets on campus became a bit repetitive so I often bought food from elsewhere at the weekends, so I had to spend a bit more out of my own pocket on food each week. This is definitely something to think about when deciding whether to go catered or self-catered.
If you do decide to go self-catered, you’ll probably end up doing your food shopping in town. The U1 bus will take you directly to Green Park which is where the big Sainsbury’s is. To save money, I often take the U5 from town centre or walk for 20 minutes to go to Lidl, which is a bit cheaper for essentials than Sainsbury’s. If the walk doesn’t sound good, though, it’s also an option to talk with your flatmates and organize a group groceries delivery. Ordering together will save money on the delivery fee.
Part-Time Work
Working over summer was tough for me as I don’t have a car and live in a rural area, so over the course of my studies I’ve had to find part time work. There are plenty of opportunities on campus for part time work, thankfully. On campus, I’ve worked as a cleaner over summer and a maths tutor during term time, but there are other options, such as working at the many campus food outlets. The SU has a job board to make finding a job very easy. My advice would be to not work too many hours a week if you do decide to get a part time job as a degree is very demanding - I’m currently not doing more than 8 hours a week.
The cost of living crisis has been a really difficult time for many of us, and has required me to take up a bit more work and take a bit more care of my budget. But regardless, I’ve still been able to enjoy my time at University without feeling like I’m missing out on anything. The University also offers student money advice and a hardship fund, so there is always support even if things get tough.
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