Savings begin at home
University fees are increasing and the competition for jobs has grown to frenzied levels, especially for students who are looking to be financially responsible and work around their studies. So what else is there that you can do to survive the economic hardship that studying can bring?
They say that charity begins at home and so does saving! In a series of short mini guides I’ll describe a few ways that you can start to save money immediately from the comfort of your own home.
Printing
As you know the world isn’t quite ready to go paperless and as a student you know that 5,000 word, double spaced essays usually span quite a few pages. So where is the best place to print? With some colleges charging over 10p per sheet to print, maybe self-printing is the way to go. But even then you have a choice. You might think that the £30 ink at your local stationery shop is the only option but you’d be wrong – websites such as Phoenix Direct offer rock bottom prices on ink replacements cartridges and toner. Compare the prices yourself.
TV
Drop the extra channels and even the Sky TV altogether. With services like Netflix and Hulu hitting the shores as well as plenty of cat dancing/police brutality videos on YouTube running your TV through the internet tubes can save you big bucks. So drop the Sky TV if you’ve been paying for it – you probably won’t miss it. You can save £30+ so why not invest an extra £10 in faster internet at the same time and turbo boost your savings.
Food
Now this seems obvious but if you are sharing a student house you should be sharing the cooking and cleaning and other duties but ask yourself, do you have a meal schedule. The chances are that you don’t so do it! Food schedules allow you to budget with the ingredients as well as with money. Cooking for the entire student household can mean that the cost of the meal is as low as £1.70, so why pay anything more? Always make sure that such a schedule is produced together with input from all and that you stick to it. If doing a big batch, make sure you have the freezer tubs to save the excess for another day. If beats the £5+ Big Mac meal and is possibly healthier.
Transport
If it all sounds too easy so far, this next step is a little harder. Ditch the Oyster Card and get a bike. The initial £150 investment would be paid back within the first month and your wallet and waistline will both thank you for it. There is nothing better than killing two birds with one stone (never really liked that saying although I say it often) anyways, feeling healthier and wealthier together is something we need to feel each and every day. Just if you get a bike make sure you invest in a good lock.
I hope these tips helped a little and please visit back soon to read more tips and advice on surviving as a student in the ‘I’m Broke’ era.
Photo credit: images_of_money
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