Help & Advice

Money Saving Tips

 

 

Are you a smoker?

Give up and you could save hundreds of pounds a year (and benefit your health!) The NHS "Smoke Free" website has a useful tool for helping you calculate the cost of smoking, and tells you what you could spend that money on instead.

Nichola, a student studying Criminology recommends giving up too Put the amount you save in a box, if you spend £2.10 a day hat will be £14 a week, and then reward yourself!

 

Sign up to the Martin Lewis Money Saving Expert newsletter and forums

for weekly money saving offers and restaurant vouchers

 

Fancy seeing new films for free?

Sign up to see film first Every so often they offer free tickets to previews of new releases.
It's first come first served but, if you're lucky, you'll nab a pair. You also get to avoid the annoying trailers beforehand!

 

If you are with Orange you can get 241 cinema tickets on Orange Weddnesdays

 

Ask EVERYWHERE for a student discount.

You'll be amazed at how many stores don't advertise it but still offer it.

Visit student beans

It contains local and national money-saving offers, complete with an online forum where you can share money saving tips with other students. Look out for fab 2 for 1 meal offers in great restaurants all around Leeds.

 

The "Bite Card" can make a brilliant addition to anyone's pocket (available during Intro Week, but you can still get them online from ). It gets you 20% discount in food and drink outlets at train stations across the country!

Bulk buy!

Anything from loo roll to baked beans. Grab your housemates and take advantage of bulk/multibuy offers and save money (and time) in the long run.

Head to supermarkets near to closing time.

Lots of products nearing expiration may be marked down, and baked goods should definitely be cheaper. Buy a loaf of bread and freeze it straight away; it’ll stay fresh for ages!

When shopping at supermarkets, write a list and try to stick to it.

That way you'll only buy essentials and not spend all your pennies on ice-cream like it's all too tempting to do.

 

Transport

Buy weekly or termly bus passes from First Buses and look at buying a Young Persons Railcard

As well as buying a weekly or termly pass you can Walk, ride a bike, or take the bus rather than drive or get a taxi. Car insurance and parking can be expensive.

Utility Bills

Make sure you are with the cheapest supplier for gas and electricity. Also make sure everyone in the household has their name on the bills, that way you are all jointly liable.

• Make sure that you remember to turn off household appliances when not in the house. 
• Estimate how much money you need to pay for bills and ask other students how much they think you need to put away.
• Limit your use of electricity (turn off lights, reduce opening the fridge). Put on an extra jumper to warm up rather than using a heater.

 

Telephone & Internet

Look for the cheapest packages, friends and family for example? - Would it be cheaper to have a pay-as-you-go mobile phone, so you don't run up big bills?

Make sure you put money aside for mobile phone bills and keep spending to a minimum like everything else. Also, try and get the best deal for your needs. If you have a land-line phone in the house, you could consider an incoming-calls only phone.

Alternatively, you should get itemized bills to make sure you and your housemates know who have made all the calls.

 

Food

Prepare packed lunches for work and Uni. When buying your food prepare a list and stick to it! Bigger supermarkets are cheaper than small local shops. Consider using supermarket own brands rather than brand names.

• Alexis, a student studying Nursing suggests planning a menu for the week.
• Sunil from Medicine suggests sharing food with housemates as this is cheaper and you can also keep an eye on each others spending.
• Clip coupons and eat at home. Pack a snack in your bag, rather than buying one each day.
• By cheaper foods e.g own brands

 

Books

Try to buy second hand books or even if a friend pays half the money with you so that you can share books, or even ask to borrow the book you need and then you give them the book they need.

• Anna from psychology suggests clubbing together with course mates to buy the main texts and share them.
• Sell course books in good condition to lower year students.

 

Clothes

• Plan what you need in advance so that you don't overspend on impulse. Bear in mind cheaper shops and charity shops.

• Instead of going to your normal expensive shops and spending loads of money cut down by going to: second hand shops; car boot sales; or discount shops and warehouses.

 

Insurance

• Shop around for the best deal, many companies have deals for students.

 

Entertainment/Recreation

• Try to stick to a limit on spending money and holidays and book accordingly. 
• When going out only take enough money to keep you afloat for the night and leave your cash point card at home, thus avoiding clearing out your bank account in order to buy everyone a drink and/or losing your card.

 

Credit Cards

• Use these only for emergencies and if possible get ones with 0% interest. Always try and pay off more than the minimum payment. Remember that even the minimum payment can start to add up to an amount that you may find hard to keep up with.

 

Savings

• Open a separate savings account where you can deposit the required monthly allowance for bills that do not fall due on a regular monthly basis or to deposit monthly amounts to help save for a holiday etc.

 

General Tips

• Think about all the little costs that add up. Coffees, magazines, make sure you budget for them too!
• Sometimes you might find it easier to take money out of the bank for food shopping or a certain event and pop it in an envelope so it can't be accidentally spent!
• Rich from Music suggests always checking your bank balance so you know exactly what is going on. Online banking is great way to do this.
• If you do find at any point you are struggling or if credit debts are getting on top of you don't ignore it. Seek help as soon as you can.
• Get a job that might help you to save more money, but just put some of it away just to make sure you don't go out and spend it.
• If you need a haircut check whether hairdressers in town need models.
• Use email and online chats rather than using the phone for long distance phone calls its so much cheaper