- Consider cutting back on meat, veggie meals can be much cheaper...
- But if you need meat/fish then stock up on frozen bags of fish fillets or chicken breasts. Just make sure they are purely what they say they are, and have no added nasties...
- Buy in frozen fruit as well, to make smoothies. Freeze over ripe bananas in bulk, and you're well prepped.
- Bring a food stock. See my recommendations here: http://ecstaticallyem.blogspot.co.uk/2015/08/fresher-food-stocks.html
- The freezer is your friends, and so...
- Batch cook.
- Learn to cook, full stop. Help is here: http://ecstaticallyem.blogspot.co.uk/2015/08/student-meals-cheat-sheet.html
- Plan your meals each week
- Figure out where is cheapest to buy certain items from
- Be sure to keep track of your expenses. Write into your diary, or put into your phone's calendar, when payments such as accommodation, rent, bills, gym, or phone insurance are due, and how much each is. Keep track of how much you spend each week and on what to see where those pennies are going.
- Get a mini statement from the auto-bank regularly, once every three or four weeks, to check payments are going out and coming in as they should.
- Packed lunches
- Pre-drinks are the cheapest and most effective way to get drunk without spending too much...
- and house parties and nights in are the single cheapest nights you will have.
- Get early entry if you're going out, as clubs offer cheaper entry at these times
- Look out for 2-4-1 nights in bars
- DIY your nails, eyebrows etc. ladies
- Get hold of society cards and discounts. I got a Revoloution's card from one society, and the sports societies all got white cards for Tiger Tiger.
- Grab freebies whenever you can- especially pens, as you will go through a lot of these
- Go overdraft-less, so you aren't tempted to overspend.
- Stick to your budget
- Look out for free events (we have free cinema events, poetry and fiction readings, and most societies will run some free events).
- If you're trying to keep a heating bill down then layer up. Tights under leggings/jeans, fluffy socks, and a good fleece should see you through the cold weather.
- Look out for shops and restaurants advertising student discounts- even if they don't, always ask.
- If you know there's a big night out coming up then put aside a little money each week leading up to it.
- Charity shops = course materials if you're an English student. The Oxfams are loaded with hand me down classics and course required reading material in Newcastle.
- The library: if you only need a book for one week, and are confident you won't need it for an essay, then just rent and don't buy.
- Travel mugs and tea bags. Keep tea bags in your bag permanently and just ask for hot water.
- Taxi sharing on nights out...
- But otherwise get used to walking everywhere
- You can get discount without an NUS card sometimes; I never bought one but my student ID is enough to get me money off in most places.
Labels: advice, budgeting, freshers, freshman, money, money saving, student, student life, tips, university advice