How To Save Money As A Student

Sunday, 18 February 2018

I have been thinking about doing this post for a while and I have only got round to it recently. I am a student, I study Media and Creative writing so saving money is always a plus for me. I thought blogging about this would be the right way to go. I must not be the only student who constantly worries about money. I am in my second year and during my first year, I worked alongside as a bar-maid. I love working, I love having a steady income, who doesn't? However, second-year has become so much harder. I no longer have any free days, I am always working on University projects. I quit my job at the very end of my first year and worked throughout the whole of the summer holidays at some other businesses to grow my CV and earn a little extra money. However, I decided that I didn't want to work in my second year. And I am so glad I did. I have been getting better grades and my work has become more focused. However, I no longer feel as comfortable with my money situation. I always have enough money, but I have recently become a lot more focused on saving money.

One of the ways I do this is through hot drinks. I know it sounds peculiar, but I spend SO MUCH money on coffee and tea. Usually, I will allow myself to buy a Starbucks coffee once a day, while I am at University. I am at university four days out the week, most weeks so that doesn't add up to much money depending on what I order. However, I definitely crave more than one hot drink a day. I have spoken about this before, but I carry tea bags with me. I carry herbal tea bags in a small bag, within my bag. I usually have a selection of green tea, spicy chai and berry blast tea, they don't take up much room and it saves me so much money. But also, I leave the house with a green tea/coffee in hand. I take my Starbucks reusable cup with me and take a coffee from home. I don't feel awake until I have my cup of coffee in the morning, so having a coffee in hand that will usually last me until I get to university is always a must.

Secondly, before you spend money think to yourself, 'do I need this?' If you are going to spend money, make sure its something that's worth it. I have recently been gifted this notebook from Chroma stationary . This notebook is perfect. It is a bit bigger than a notebook I would usually have, but it is amazing quality. I obviously write a lot, so having a notebook that I love is always must. Also, talking about saving money, Chroma notebooks are really good quality. This notebook was £14.50 and it comes with free embossing so it can say anything you want! Chroma also has the option for free gift wrapping so you can gift one of these adorable notebooks for a small fee. Having a notebook that I love and enjoy writing in is a must for me. I will link their website and Instagram below, you should check them out!

Thirdly, turning off lights. When I used to live at home, my parents used to nag me about turning off the lights when I leave a room. I used to roll my eyes and proceed to leave every light on throughout the house. However, since moving into my student house, where I deal with the bills, I have found that turning off the lights does make a difference to the price of bills. I know that sounds stupid, like how did I not know that electricity costs money? I knew that it does, but I feel like now I am very aware of how much bills cost.

I have to buy A LOT of books for my course. So fourthly, buy second-hand books. I will always head to my local Oxfam books or other charity shops for the books that I need rather than spending the money online or at Waterstones. If I can't find the books at a charity shop, Amazon is my next port of call. I will go to Amazon and look at the 'used' options for books. Usually, I can and will get them for a much-discounted price, which helps out a lot. Also, don't be afraid to exhaust your local library. Whether it be your university library or your local one, don't be scared to go and see what books are there. At the end of the day, you are spending a lot of money for your university course, so it is your right to use their resources.

Finally, don't be scared to use your Student Id. I think this is something I personally forget a lot. I forget it carry it in my bag, I forget to ask shops if they accept it and I forget that it will save me a lot of money. Clothing shops like ASOS and Topshop will accept your student discount and give you some money off, which again, helps a lot. But also, keep your eye out for apps like Unidays and Student beans which will alert you when businesses are offering a discount for students on some of their products.

Obviously, there are so many more ways to save money and I would love to hear how you save money!

Thank you, Chroma stationary!

Check out their website: Chroma Stationary
Check out their Instagram: Chroma Stationary

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