Weekly University News - How to Save Money during Your Study in the UK
Time:2021-09-04 05:03:19
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This is Weekly UK University News by UKEC.
Hi UKEC folks,
Since it's September pretty much all University courses are closed and this is the time of preparation. After you move to the UK, your life as an independent international student finally starts. Which means you'll have to manage every aspect of your life on your own. One of the most important things that you should manage is finances. This week, we've gathered some tips on how to save money whilst your studying.
<Student Discount Apps>
Did you know that there are a lot of retailers and restaurants provide student discounts in the UK? All you need to do is ask them whether they have student discount offer and show them your student ID. However, it gets easier if you download student discount apps to your phone as you won't need to present your student ID all the time.
StudentBeans and Unidays are the most widely used mobile apps that give you instant access to student discount both online and in-store. Simply, download the app to your phone and register with your university email account. Once your registration at the University is verified, it's ready to use.
< Supermarket Point Cards>
Food is the essential part of our lives. You'll be shopping at a supermarket to get groceries, booze, and household products etc on a daily basis. So, it's important to collect points from each supermarket or at least where you usually go for shopping and get saving offers. Simply, download the app to register and scan straight from your phone at checkout. (Of course, you can still get the physical card as well.)
Whether you shop from Tesco, Sainsbury's or even in Boots, remember that it's always worth to collect points even if it seems like small amount of money. If you keep collecting on a daily basis, it'll let you save money on groceries. It's always better than nothing!
<18+ Student Oyster photocard>
London is always considered as one of the most expensive cities. Of course, the fare of London Tube is also very expensive compared to other cities. If you're a student and living in a London aged over 18, you can get discounted travel with an Oyster photocard. Once you get Student Oyster card, you can save 30% on adult-rate both tube and bus tickets.
You can apply for an 18+ Student Oyster photocard if:
- You're 18 or over
- Live in a London borough during term time
- Enrolled at a school, college or university registered on the TfL scheme or on a mandatory work placement in London
<16-25 Railcard>
Since you're studying in the UK, travel around the country should be one of the things that you're excited about. The price of train services in the UK are very expensive compared to other country. However, students can get a 16-25 Railcard to save 1/3 of the ticket price. The Railcard typically pays for itself within 3 journeys on average. Even if you're a mature student, don't worry about it. If you submit the University Registration Certificate and get a stamp from the University, you'll be eligible to apply for 16-25 Railcard.
<Young Person Coachcard>
If a train ticket is still too expensive for you, you can choose coach to travel around. You can easily get this from their website or from a coach station as long as you have your student card. As a university student, you can get Young Person Coachcard - For those who are between 16 and 26 years old. With this, you'll be saving of 1/3 of standard coach fare.
<Budgeting>
Lastly, budgeting is very important since you have to pay your rent and buy food by yourself. It may not sound very important but you’ll definitely have to think about how to manage money on a monthly or weekly basis, otherwise you will struggle. Everyone deals with budgeting differently and only you know and can decide how much money you have to spend on what. However, we're sharing 4 basic tips to help you.
- Always plan your shopping trips and make a list
- Always ask whether the shop provides student discount or not before your purchase.
- Download student discount applications and use them
- Get railcards if you'd like to travel around - you will save approximately 30% on every trip!
We hope these tips above are very helpful so that you can spend your money very smartly! Don't forget to explore our Instagram for further Life tips in the UK here. Also, if you have further supports, don't hesitate to message us!