Know what it’s like to have money worries! Here are my top tips for handling the wonder that is student finance:
Books
Did you know that HMV vouchers can also be used at Waterstones? So if you’ve already downloaded all the music you need from iTunes, use them to get books for the new term! You will also find that a lot of students from the previous year try to sell their books on at a cheaper rate. This is good providing the books haven’t been updated so always be careful, as you may be missing out.
Food
A great way to budget for food is to go the supermarket and buy a week’s shopping. Keep the receipt or remember the total cost. You can then calculate how much you will need for the month. If you’re parents are helping you; ask them to give you vouchers for your local supermarket instead of cash, that way, you will always have money for food and won’t spend their cash on booze!
Night out
Student nights are always popular as they offer cheap drinks and/or cheap entry to the clubs; however, as these nights out are nearly always on a weekday, you may want to go out on a regular Friday or Saturday which are a lot more expensive! If this is the case, decide in advance where you want to go and do a bit of research. Visit the bar or club’s website if it has one; sometimes they provide ‘e-flyers’ that you can print off entitling you to good deals i.e. a free drink or free entry. Alternatively, telephone the venue and ask to be added to their VIP or guestlist, as this may offer a cheap night out too. Remember, clubs and bars need to promote themselves somehow.