Going to uni is a special experience and will shape your future in more ways than one. You will really want to make the most out of your experience, but this can be tricky when you have a number of expenses to cover and not much chance to earn money other than the loan that you get each term. With this in mind, read on for a few financial tips for students that should help you to manage and make the most out of uni.
Budget
Without a doubt, the most important step to take to manage your finances is to create a budget so that you know how much you have to spend each week. Without this, you might find that come the end of term you are scraping to get by and missing out on the fun. You need to work out your essential costs, such as rent, food, travel and bills and spread this across the term. The rest will be your non-essential spending and can be split across the term so that you have the same amount each week.
Take Advantage Of Student Deals
As a student, you can make big savings by taking advantage of student deals so be sure to look around for these. You can usually get student rail cards, NUS cards, UNIDays, and student discounts on popular online stores and you could save a huge amount when you take the time to look around.
Meal Prep
It can be easy to overspend on food, especially if you are getting takeaways, fast food on a night out and buying your lunch on campus each day. Meal prep is a great way to lower your food costs, ensure that you are eating a healthy diet and it can also save you time on those busy days where you don’t finish till late. This should then free up enough money for you to treat yourself from time to time.
Pre-Drinking
For many people, going out is one of the best things about uni and it can certainly be a lot of fun (as long as you don’t have a 9.am lecture the next day!). Going out to pubs, bars and clubs can also cost a fortune, though, so you could pre-drink at yours or a friend’s place before going out (just be sure to drink responsibly).
Student Loans
Even with a budget, it can be very easy to lose track of your finances particularly if there are birthdays, expensive nights out or unexpected costs. In times like this, short term loans for students can give you the cash boost that you need which can then be repaid when your next loan installment comes in.
Hopefully, this post will help you to make savings and keep on top of your finances at uni and really make the most out of it.
