Student life wearing a hole in your wallet? Here’s some handy tips from a student in the same boat.
Budgeting
Working out a budget is the most important thing you can do. Once you’ve paid your bills and you know how much you’ve got left for the term, divide that by the number of weeks. That’s what you can conceivably spend. Remember, you’ll have some weeks where you want to treat yourself, so work that out too. I find I can live on twenty quid a week, but I get food in hall this year (something I seriously regret, college food is even worse than my own!)
Economy over Luxury
Sorry folks, but the champagne and Belgian chocolates are out of bounds now. When living cheap, you’ll suddenly learn the wonders of pound shops, charity shops, Primark and Lidls. In other words, if you can find the same thing cheaper, get that. Don’t be afraid to shop around either, that way you get more for your money and a little exercise! On the other hand, don’t be tempted to buy everything that’s on offer. Are you really going to eat twenty five tins of economy chopped tomatoes?
Make, Do and Mend
This is where the DIY ethic and your own creativity come to the fore. Say goodbye to the throw-away society and hello to sewing up holes (or sticking them together with safety pins if you really refuse to pick up a needle). If you can knit or sew, not only can you get cheap, warm, customised outfits but you’ll also fill those times when you’re bored, and in my experience, boredom often leads to more spending, which you want to avoid, right? Make room in the budget for the odd ball of wool, reel of cotton, and other bits and bobs to jazz up your wardrobe. Strong glue is always handy too.
Technology
Where would we be without dvds, mp3s and batteries? However, buying copious numbers of discs is probably not the best plan. Share with your friends (a weekly film night is a fun but cheap way to spend an evening socialising), make use of websites that house videos (there are a lot of sites around with out-of-copyright, public domain movies and tv shows, which are completely legal to watch online, keeping you safe from nasty legalities like fines) and of course our old friend the charity shop. Rechargeable batteries might sound expensive at the time, but will save you from unwanted regular costs in the long run.
Smoking
Many guides recommend giving up smoking altogether to save money. This is fine if you can do it, otherwise I suggest you just cut down. Don’t smoke everyday, save them for when you really need them or when you’re out in a smoky bar, or with any chain-smoking buddies you have.
Getting money
There are always times when you need more money. But don’t go running straight to your parents. If you’re lucky enough to be at a university which allows term-time jobs, go ahead and get one, if you can keep up with your other work, that is. Otherwise, make sure you get a job in the holidays. Other little things you can do are selling off unwanted books, clothes, or drunken impulse-buys, either to your friends or over the internet. If boredom leads to you making more things than you want, sell those. And if you have any old GCSE or A level essays kicking about, publish them online, other students are always looking for ideas and will welcome them.
And for now, that’s it. Remember: make use of your talents, make good use of your money and you’ll have a great term.
Look out for more guides from the lazy student coming soon…
