Making ends meet on a student budget isn’t easy (sigh) but there are ways to make your cash stretch further… here's how you can save some serious £££!
Get cashback on everything you buy
Whenever you buy something online, make sure you’re getting some money back through cashback sites. Honestly, they’re amaze. Our faves are TopCashback and Quidco. So if you’re buying something on the net, check whether the company you're buying from are linked to those sites first and it could save you some serious dollar. Sure, it can take a while for the money to hit your account but it’s literally free cash waiting for you to claim… and there’s no better feeling than seeing all those ££ adding up!
Cook smart
Food shopping can be expensive… but it doesn’t have to be if you shop around. Look out for those yellow ‘reduced’ stickers, in fact make them your best friend as you can save up to 75% off the retail price. If you can’t eat it all straight away, then whack it in the freezer to use at a later date. While most stores don’t have a specific policy on when they reduce their food, we do know that final reductions at Asda often start around 7pm with most bargains snapped up by 9pm. Rumour has it that Morrisons tend to reduce items late morning or lunchtime. Let us know if you hear otherwise!
Milk that student discount
If you haven’t already got a discount card, then make sure you do, pronto! With TOTUM (the snazzy new name for the NUS Extra Card) you can choose from a one year card for £12, a two year card for £22 or a three year card for £32. You get loads of great discounts including 10% off at The Co-Op, 10% off Asos (most important, obvs) and 40% off Pizza Express so you can recoup your cost in very little time. It’s also worth investing in a Tastecard where you can get 2 for 1 or 50% off your bill at loads of restaurants. Check out the deets HERE.
Hit the charity shops
Deptford market, which is a short walk down the road from Goldsmiths, sells just about everything. Vibrant and real, you’ll find fresh fruit and veg, fabrics and assorted bits-and-bobs. Open Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays from 9am to 5.30pm, the market spans Deptford High Street, Douglas Way and the junction with Griffin Way. We recommend popping down before midday though as many traders pack up after lunch.
Use Train Reeclaim
If you travel on the tube, DLR, London Overground or TFL on a regular basis then you’ve no doubt faced many a delay, which is super annoying. Even more annoying though is the thought of filling out one of those fiddly forms afterwards to get your money back (seriously CBA). Instead, create an online TFL account and link it your payment method through Train Reeclaim. That way, whenever you’re delayed you automatically get a refund sent to your bank account. The best part is getting money in your account when you haven’t even realised you were on a late train. Win win!
Get in touch if you have anymore money-saving tips and we’ll add them to the list!