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 (gosmokefree.nhs.uk) has a useful tool for helping you calculate the cost of smoking, and tells you what you could spend that money on instead.
Turn off lights and electrical equipment when leaving the room
It'll cut down your carbon footprint and save you money on electricity bills. Also, beware of the electric heater - they add pounds onto your bill!
Fancy seeing new films for free?
Sign up to www.seefilmfirst.com. 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!
Ask EVERYWHERE for a student discount.
You'll be amazed at how many stores don't advertise it but still offer it.
Visit www.studentbeans.com
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.
Buy a 16-25 rail card!
It costs £24 and saves you a third on all journeys. Websites like Transpennine express and National express also offer special online and advanced student discounts - a single ticket from Leeds to Manchester can be as little as £3!
Have a car? Consider whether it's worth bringing it to Uni.
Petrol is really expensive right now and parking in Leeds is awful. Some streets near Uni have one side permit parking only, and the other side allows up to three hour stay.
The "Bite Card" can make a brilliant addition to anyone's pocket (available during Intro Week, but you can still get them online from www.bitecard.co.uk). It gets you 20% discount in food and drink outlets at train stations across the country!
Get discounts on damaged items
If you are buying something that you know you won’t be returning under any circumstances then look for items with stains or tears. Some stores will knock money off and you can normally fix the problem easily!
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.