Collaborative Post
When it comes to managing your money as a student, then the most effective way to make sure you don’t land in any financial hot water is to save where possible, as much as possible. However, while a lot of students have trouble with their money, the truth is that it’s significantly easier for them to find savings that just about anyone. It’s all about the student discount and how you use it. Here, we’re going to look at a few tricks to make sure you get the most out of it.
Always keep your card on hand
When should you try to use a student discount? The real answer: all the time. The fact is that a lot of stores do not advertise whether or not they have a student discount. As such, don’t feel shy or nervous about flashing your student card and seeing what you can get for it. You won’t always be able to knock anything off the final price, but you could end up saving money often than you would think. Just make sure to ask upfront before you’ve made your mind up about any purchases.
Think about getting a student discount card
Your student card isn’t the only piece of plastic that can help you cut the costs of shopping as well. Apart from having their own student discounts, there are a lot of stores and service providers that will be part of a larger nation scheme. For instance, TOTUM is supported by the National Union of Students and is a student union card that can get you many more deals on things like food, fashion, travel, fitness, tech, and much more. If you’re choosing a student discount card, then make sure it’s free to sign up for. There may be paid tiers such as TOTUM Pro, but you don’t have to sign up for these to start saving money with the card.
Eat out for less
Have a taste for the finer foods but don’t want it to buckle the belt of your budget too much? When it comes to shopping for groceries and daily food needs, then you’re not going to find too much in the way of student discounts. The Cooperative is one of the few stores that offer a discount and it offers them solely to those who have the aforementioned TOTUM card. However, there are plenty of eateries, including restaurants and delivery services, that offer a student discount. This includes Dominos Pizza, Krispy Kreme, McDonald’s, Yo! Sushi, Pizza Express, and Las Iguanas. The best way to save on food is still with the help of budgeting apps such as Yolt, but if you want to treat yourself occasionally, you can do it for a little less.
You may not need to eat out all that often, but every student is going to need to buy clothes once in a while. Thankfully, there are plenty of stores that offer discounts so, unlike with your groceries, you should never have to pay full price when you’re going shopping for new outfits. Boohoo, Burton, New Look, River Island, Schuh, and Urban Outfitters are all examples of stores with student discounts on all their clothes all year round. Just make sure that you stay updated, as more stores are going exclusive with offering their discounts to only those students who have one of the student discount cards out there. Knowing how to thrift shop well is always good advice, as well.
Get around with ease
When it comes to university life, you rarely, if ever, need a car. In fact, unless you’re getting help paying for it, it’s going to be a tremendous drain on your resources. It’s simply not necessary for most university communities, either. Some are based so closely around campuses, you don’t really need to travel much, while university cities tend to have great transport links. For that reason, a 16-25 Railcard or an 18+ Student Oyster Card might be all that you need.to get around by train. Buses tend to be the cheapest way of getting around, for what it’s worth, so you should avoid using the taxi unless you really need to.
Student discounts can even be used for some utilities
Want to cut down your bills? When it comes to some of your technological subscriptions, such as Norton Security, Microsoft Office, and Abode Creative Cloud, then there are discounts widely available to students signing up to these. However, when it comes to utilities, you’re not likely to get student discounts on gas, oil, electric or the like. While mobile, however, there’s real room to cut your bills with discounts. Some mobile providers even offer a refer a friend campaign that you and one of your housemates can get in on the same deal. As for your internet, you might not get a student discount, so it’s important to make sure you’re not getting more bandwidth than you need, and to consider going with a lower download limit.
Know what websites to keep track of
Are you the kind of person who always wants to make sure they’re getting the best deal available? Then remembering the tips above might not be enough for you; you want a source that can help you constantly find new deals to take advantage of. The internet is full of sites that offer tips on where to find discounts and vouchers, but Student Money Saver is one of the few that specialises on sharing deals specifically for students. If you’re looking to buy something, then it’s a good idea to look for it on here first and foremost. If there’s an opportunity for students to save on a purchase, then these websites are going to find it for you.
Using your student discount well isn’t the only way to make better use of your money as a student, but it’s one of the most effective. Never be afraid to flash that student card and see where it gets you.