Money Saving Tips at University

Hello lovely people, I hope you have all had a wonderful week and if you are in the UK then I hope you enjoyed the snow, we were lucky enough to get some in Bristol which was lovely. The snow was still all around today as well when we went out to our rowing spot with the club. As promised today I am going to run through some of the things I have sound useful since being at uni that have helped me save money.

I'm going to preface this with the fact that i am very fortunate in the fact that my parents pay my accommodation fees, I also get a maintenance loan at the minimum amount of £4,250 a year I believe. I hope these tips help you. I currently live off about £30 a week maximum.

1. Plan the food you are going to buy each week; for me this helps because I pre-cook my meals for the week ahead so I make sure that each week I only buy the vegetables and any meet that I need for my cooking. This really helps because it means that you aren't wasting money on eating out because you know that you have enough meals at home all ready to eat. As I do a lot of sport I have to make sure that I snack which is hard for me due to mental blocks that I have, however when I do buy snacks I make sure that it's things like nuts and dried fruits because they are more likely to fill you up and not leave you wanting more, despite costing a little more than things like sweets. 
2. I do not go on many nights out, I know this isn't the norm for many uni students however here are my tips for a night out. NEVER take your card with you, for me on a night out I will give myself a limit to spend which includes everything from getting into the club and the drinks, this way I only spend the cash I have with me which I normally limit at £15 but as I said I hardly ever go out so for me this is where I save most of my money. 
3. Phone contract; Now for those of you who pay your own phone contract you want to make sure you're getting the best deal possible, the best way to do this is to call up your phone contractor directly. I did this at the beginning of  the year and now each month I am saving £12, which trust me really adds up. 
4. Paying for things in one lump sum; Now for me this is just a mental thing but I found it helped because after summer when I had just received my pay for the summer work I had enough money in my account to pay for my whole year gym membership in full, this helps me because it means that each month I only have one direct debit going out of my account which is my phone contract. Also make sure you know what your subscribed too, this year I had a scare where I got charged for an app I no longer have on my phone or even use, so please be careful to cancel any subscriptions you have. 
5. Shopping Trips; For me over my gap year yes I saved £6,000 however, my parents kept telling me that I was spending way too much money. In my eyes I was earning the money therefore I was allowed to spend it how I wished and I was happy with the amount I managed to save. This all changed when I got to uni, with the main bulk of your money coming in within the first week of each term I am always careful to put it all into my savings and only move it across to my debit card as and when I need it. I no longer shop ever at uni unless it's for food, occasionally if a friend comes down we'll so to Cabot Circus, but mainly we window shop and if I do buy something it's often in Primark. 
6. Credit Card; I know that this can seem quite weird for a student to have a credit card and it could seem quite dangerous, however I decided to have a student credit card at uni with a £500 limit on it. The idea behind it is that each week (when I remember) I spend a small amount of money on the card then pay it back as soon as possible, this way you slowly build up a good credit score so that when you leave uni, it is easier for you to get a loan from the bank or get a mortgage on your first house. The only issue is that you really have to stay on top of this and be careful with what you spend on it, it is also a great safety net encase something were to happen to your debit card. 
7. Ask for useful vouchers for presents, for me this comes in the form of Boots vouchers. Boots is always the most expensive shop I do because it is buying all of my toiletries and facial products and hair products, but because I got a load of Boots vouchers for Christmas I don't have to worry about doing these big shops and going into my weekly budget. Find out what shop it is for you that you spend a lot of money in and get vouchers for there, you can get vouchers for food stores if you want. 
8. Keep track; for me the way I keep track is to only put onto my debit card £100 at a time this way I can semi sense how quickly I am using the money. I know that for some people they have tracking apps and budgeting apps, the new HSBC one is good for categorising all of your spending and there are some other good manual ones. I personally don't feel the need for them however if you are someone who knows you're likely to go a bit haywire then set yourself boundaries and don't let yourself go over that limit. I suppose I do set myself a limit because I will say to myself that in that term I won't go below a certain amount in my savings. 
9. Earn money where you can, if you have few contact hours in your week at uni then get a part time job, this doesn't need to be something that stresses you out. Make sure that it is flexible and is right for you. The bit of extra income is always nice. If you are like me and have a very demanding course then try and work during your holidays, this is what I do and where possible I get paid for my compulsory university placements, however this is hit or miss because they do not HAVE to pay you it is only if they offer can you accept it. 
10. I'm sad I couldn't think of a 10th, but here's something just remember to think, do you really need the thing you want to buy, or do you  want to spend this money here or is there something more worth while later. 

Here's just a bit of extra information, this year I am planning to save £4,000, this is what I am on course to save, for me this is a good amount, it means that I will only be spending the money I am earning in the holidays kind of. If i manage this each year of my uni then I'll have a very substantial amount of savings, this should allow me to put a deposit down for a house, and a few of you may know that I really want to move to Canada, these savings will allow me to fly over there and sort out a visa and a job and a place to live, with a bit more ease than if I had no savings. That's the plan and hopefully it'll work.

I hope you all enjoyed reading this, and I hope it has helped you. I can't wait to see you next week. Remember to count your blessings and keep smiling because who knows you could make someones day.