Explore Money Saving Tips

Yes, it is possible to survive on a student loan or grant! Explore our money saving tips and make your money go further...

Student discount card

For £10 (or for free if you're with LloydsTSB) you can get the NUS Extra card. This discount card is available exclusively to students who are members of an NUS-affiliated students' union.

Frequently you can get discounts with a regular NUS membership card.

Books and stationery

Try to get a list of the books you need before the year begins and buy these second hand either from the uni or online.

Amazon.co.uk gives 5% off for students with NUS Extra. Ryman's give students a 10% discount.

Household and electrical items

If your house isn't fully furnished there are lots of places you can find great bargains, leaving you more to spend on other things - like socializing with your friends! Take a look at second-hand shops, garage sales, car boot sales, the local recycling centre, the local paper or even notices in the local shops. Sites like eBay and www.freecycle.org are good for sourcing cheap household items and for researching prices. But you have to be fast because bargains go quickly!

If you want to buy your furniture new, check out IKEA and Argos for good deals. (You'll probably have to put it together, though). Asda does well on household stuff like sheets, towels, toilet brushes, etc.

Be wary of second-hand electrical goods, though, and go online to compare prices. You can get 10% off most products at Jessops if you're student. And if you do an Internet search for 'student laptop deals' you'll find a whole host of offers out there.

Food shopping

Buying your own food is an important part of becoming independent. But you could easily blow that student loan early on if you go crazy and don't budget properly.

Rule no. 1 is don't go food shopping when you're hungry. Otherwise you'll buy everything you fancy at that moment - and a whole lot more too!

The cheapest supermarkets are generally Lidl, Aldi and Asda, which tend to keep prices down by not spending on fancy fittings or smart-looking aisles. You can also save by buying own label products, rather than brands. Buying in bulk can also save you money, but you need to be able to store it (and be sure it won't get used by other people!)

Try to avoid doing too much shopping at corner shops, convenience stores or garages as they're usually much more expensive.

Fashion and clothes

The best way to save on clothes is to eliminate those impulse buys that turn into expensive 'what was I thinking' mistakes. Give yourself time to think about purchases. Ask the shop to put it aside for you for a short period if it's likely to go quickly...

Decide BEFORE you go shopping exactly what you need most to go with your existing wardrobe and how much you're going to spend. Don't go over budget and stay focused - don't get sidetracked! If necessary, take cash and leave your cards at home.

The regular NUS card gives great discounts for a lot of high street retailers. You get 10% off at Miss Selfridges, Topman/ Topshop and Office, for example. But to really save money, the best places to find bargains are often markets, charity shops and discount warehouses.

Or wait - if you can! End of season sales are usually held in December/January and July/August time and patience can really pay off.

They say necessity is the mother of invention, so get creative! Dyeing, for example, is a cheap and easy way to liven up clothes that you're bored with.

Takeaways and eating out

Learning to cook is one of the great life skills you need to pick up when you're away from home (if you haven't already).

But for those days when you have a tight deadline or just can't get round to shopping and cooking, you'll find plenty of takeaways offer student discounts. McDonald's, Pizza Hut and the local Chinese frequently offer discounts from Sunday to Thursday.

Eating out is a luxury, but if you intend to treat yourself, hunt around for some bargains before you head out. Bella Italia gives students 20% off and there are often deals such as 2 4 1 to be had.

Having fun!

Need to clear your mind? Then how about a roller coaster ride? All the major theme parks offer student discounts. Alton Towers offers up to 20% off and both Chessington World of Adventures and Thorpe Park have reduced student admission.

Another way to save on all kinds of attractions is to go en masse. Get a big group together of, say, 10 or more and you can usually get lower entrance fees. Make sure you phone ahead, though.

Most major cinema chains, including Odeon, Vue and Cineworld, also offer discounted tickets for students.

And as for bars, clubs and music venues running student promotions...there are plenty. And don't worry, they'll definitely let you know about them!

Getting around

The upside of having a car at uni is that it's great for food shopping, visiting friends and family, etc. The downside is it can cost a lot. If you find you're ferrying friends around, don't be afraid to ask for contributions for petrol money. And if your friends have cars too, save money by sorting out a car pool.

Breakdown cover is important if you're trying to keep to a budget and don't want unexpected bills to crop up. AA Breakdown Cover offers students 25% off new membership with NUS Extra. If you're learning to drive, the AA driving school gives students £3 off lesson prices.

Most campuses are well served by public transport and different local operators have different discount schemes for students. With the national operators, you can save a third on rail travel with a 16 to 25 Railcard, and National Express offer up to 30% off fares with the Young Person's Coachcard.

Going further afield, there are agencies that specialise in cheap flights and travel for students.

Phone

It's important to stay in touch with family when you're away. And you'll be wanting to compare notes with friends who've gone to different places. If you haven't had a mobile phone before, there are lots of deals out there. Comparing them can be confusing, but bear in mind that the best deal for you will depend on various factors, like which network/providers your family or best friends are with.

If you haven't heard of Skype, it can save you a lot of phone calls. Once you've downloaded the software you can make phone calls over the Internet. Calls to other Skype users are free (as are free phone numbers), while calls to other landlines and mobile phones cost a fee.

Happy bargain hunting!