Students in student accommodation

Words by Suchitra

Have a champagne taste but a beer budget?

It’s okay, most college students are living on a tight budget. Though it may not be fun or easy, you can be smarter in the way you spend your money. 

One of the best things you learn during university life is budgeting and financial management.

Helping you with this, here are a few tips to save money on a daily basis.

Travel

Not everyone has the luxury of staying close to the university and the cost of travel can burn a hole in your pocket. So, how do you save money here?

Firstly, OVO bikes are free to use for UoG students. Download the “nextbike” app from Google or Apple Store and register with your university email address. And Voila! You can ride up to 60 minutes for FREE! Plus there’s the additional health benefits of cycling daily. Read more about this.

If this isn’t for you, subway would be the second best option. Apply for a smart card on and save up to £3.50 every week. 

My favourite, is to walk (provided the Scottish weather cooperates!). It’s a beautiful 40-minute walk from university to the city centre.

Food

I’d argue that cooking at home is the most economical and budget-friendly, but not everyone has access to a kitchen. Or you may simply hate cooking (and doing the dishes!). Either way, here are a few ways to make your meals cost-effective.

My favourite places to shop for groceries include Lidl and Aldi. With good deals and competitive prices, it’s my go-to place to buy fresh produce and other cooking essentials.

Eating out can be heavy on your pockets, but not so much with these deals.

Most places offer student discounts and meal deals-

Subway offers a student meal for £3.50 that includes a 6” sub, a cookie and a drink of choice. (Make sure you have your student ID to display at the checkout counter)

Tesco meal deals for £3.90 come with a main course, a snack and drink of choice. 

Let’s not forget the £2 pizzas available at Sainsbury’s!  

For more offers and student discounts, download the UniDays app from your App Store, and check out the “Food and Drinks”section.

Shopping

Nothing to wear? Primark has got your back! From casual wear, to formals it has everything you could possibly need. With affordable prices, Primark proves to be one of the best places to shop! Make sure you check out their clearance section for some hidden gems.

If fast fashion isn’t your cup of tea, the best place to shop would be thrift stores and vintage stores(google ‘Vintage stores near me’ for best results). British Heart Foundation and Cancer Research UK are two popular thrift stores, and each purchase made at these stores adds to charity. 

Brands like H&M, ASOS, The North Face and many more offer attractive student discounts.

For more such offers,download the UniDays app from your App Store and check out the “Fashion” section.

Hope this helps! :) 

Happy budgeting! 

First appeared on https://www.gla.ac.uk/study/studentlife/askastudent/?unibuddy=blog/post/636240952be0ff59aab2a257 

First published: 4 November 2022

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