Your first student loan is like the best feeling, ever. For the first time in your life, you have a decent amount of actual money in your bank as opposed to the £5 your dad gave you last week or the £150 you've earned from your part-time job and you feel like a proper loaded and you can blow your money on a new games console, a few meals out and the drinks are on you all evening until it's been 5 days and you realise that £300 left in your bank has to last you for the next 3 months and shit well and truly hits the fan.
Luckily for most of us, the bank of mum and dad will help out, especially during your first year as if our parents or grandparents don't take pity on us, who will, right? But as the terms go on and you end up in the same situation, not something your family are cool with. Then you're left with two options, to curb your spending (boo) or get a part-time job. For most of my time at university, I did have a job that did help to supplement my student loan, but that did missing out on loads of cool stuff as most of it took place on a Saturday night and I was at work the next morning, and I cannot cope with hangovers, like at all. For some of us who have too much work to get a job alongside university or who just like living that 'student life, while they can (don't blame you) here are my top tips for budgeting whilst at university.
Bulk buy:
It often works out cheaper to buy most things in bulk e.g. pasta which you can share with your housemates and just split these items between you or just keep them for yourself. I mean a 1kg bag of pasta is always handy, especially for someone who basically eats nothing else. When offers are on it's worth purchasing multiple of the items and storing in your room somewhere for later. Tins are always good to stock up on, as so many meals can come out of them, I love to have tined bins and spaghetti at my disposal as they're such an easy meal to make when paired with toast.
Shop in the reduced section:
At random times of the day, supermarkets reduce items due to go off, this is usually in the evening, and you can get some pretty amazing deals especially with bread and vegetables, I've gone in before and purchased a large number of baked goods for 25p and they're usually good for a few days after it says too. It's also a great time to get food you wouldn't usually be able to afford for a fraction of the price.
Lidl or Aldi?
When I was at university there was not a Lidl or an Aldi nearby, since being at university a huge Aldi has opened up around 10 minutes away, and I had no idea how cheap the fruit and vegetables are and the fact they sell dupes of loads of brands too, which taste the same! Again for the fraction of the price. With Aldi and Lidl I'd recommend buying a mass amount of cheaper items, making a HUGE meal out of them and then freezing as many pots of it as you can fit in your freezer drawer.
Take advantage of your student discount:
And for those times you really need to treat yourself your student card usually has your back, using sites such as Unidays and Student Beans. With additional bonuses popping up around the year to get even more money off it would be rude not to, right? Plus who doesn't love a discount on takeaway and new shoes?
I would love to hear of any tips you may have for budgeting in the comments!
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