Everyone says that when you’re a student you can’t buy new things because you have to pay for rent and all the adult things included in living alone. This is only partly true. I have for you the guide to being able to buy stuff and do fun activities all without breaking the bank.
First of all, you need to do two things as soon as you get to uni.
- Set up a separate email account for junk/website subscriptions
- Sign up to myunidays.com
By having a separate email account for all your subscriptions and discounts you can ensure that your main email account isn’t bombarded daily with freebies or discounts (something I regret not doing). If I were you, I would sign up to every single restaurant and website that offers discounts (including Groupon, Wowcher and Living Social). This way you can see all the discounts and special offers that are going on at any given time. By signing up to restaurant websites you will automatically be sent emails every time they are doing discounts (some offer really good discounts too!). So if you’re planning a meal out for someone’s birthday, or just want to treat yourself, you can do it without being worried (too much) about how much money you are spending.
Signing up to Unidays was by far the best decision I ever made. It allows you to see what shops are offering student discounts whether it be online or in store and gives you exclusive access to certain ones (H&M will only give you discount if you have a Unidays account.) Whether you want to order clothes, protein, sunglasses or some tech, Unidays can offer you discounts on all this and more.
Also, if you are considering getting yourself an NUS card, I would definitely consider it. This way you can make sure you get discounts in all shops that offer it. However, if you’re not feeling too confident about spending money on a card that will help you save money, your uni card helps you to get just the same discounts at plenty of places.
If you are someone who likes to travel or it is easier for you to get the train home than it is to drive, you should think about investing in a 18-25 rail card (if you don’t already have one). This card has literally been a LIFESAVER for me. The amount of money I have spent on trains the past three years would be much higher if I didn’t have this little card. Again, if you don’t like the idea of paying for a card to help you save money, you can set up a Santander Student Account and receive one for free (if this offer is still going on).
Basically, there are many ways of being able to save a little bit of money while still being able to enjoy your time at uni and do things you wouldn’t normally do.
I mean who doesn’t like the sound of free and cheaper things?!
By Alice Fiancet
