Thursday, October 14, 2010

10 Ways To Survive Life On A Student Budget

Of the hundreds of tactics students are using to make uni-life easier on their pocket, here are the 10 most popular in no particular order:

1. Look for part-time work.
It may seem obvious but a surprising number of students don't supplement their loans with a wage. Now, nobody needs to tell you about benefits working in a bar or supermarket can bring to your social life! However, it can also bring benefits to your pocket because your wages will pay for all those uni-nights out, takeaways and parties. Getting a part-time job is also a great way to meet local people outside of the traditional uni-scene.

2. Have all your fun for nothing.
It doesn't have to cost the earth to enjoy yourself at university. There are countless companies and organisations willing to give you bucket-loads of free stuff. All you have to do is look for them online.

3. Live large but spend small.
If you love to party, then there are loads of ways to have more fun for less money. There are plenty of websites out there that provide money-off vouchers for bars, pubs and clubs such as Jongluers.

4. Eat out for less.
A treat on the taste buds it may be, but eating out can leave a you feeling sick when the bill arrives. So, don't pay the full amount? There are hundreds of discount deals online including everything from Pizza Hut to your local Indian.

5. Sell books and buy cheaper ones second-hand.
The trouble with university textbooks is that once you've read them and learnt from them, they just end up on the bookshelf gathering dust. Earn yourself a few extra quid by selling them to other students. Or save yourself money by buying them second-hand.

6. Get your electricity, gas and water cheaper.
Shopping around for good deals on essentials such as utilities and car insurance can save you hundreds of pounds each year. There are plenty of price comparison websites out there to help you switch to a cheaper utility supplier, but here's the only one exclusively for students.

7. Look and smell good for less
.
We're in a recession. So fashion and health & beauty retailers are giving discounts on a wide variety of product including everything from ski wear to fake tans. You can find loads of discounts on health & beauty and fashion by searching for voucher codes online.

8. Reduce the cost of your weekly supermarket shop.
Have you noticed how expensive your supermarket shop is these days? So, take advantage of all those money-off vouchers supermarkets offer and bring the cost of your weekly food shop down. Supermarkets try to undercut each other all the time. So shop around online for deals before you go out shopping.

9. Get your gadgets and broadband for less.

If you love gadgets such as iPods and mobile phones or just need to get a laptop to write your assignments on, you can save pounds on electrical goodies. That's because broadband providers, PC makers and mobile phone networks operate in a highly competitive market. To get your business, they've got shed-loads of promotions. Take a look at what deals they've got to tempt you by going on the internet.

10. Blow less cash on entertainment.
Overspending on the stuff that's the most fun; it's easily done. You can snap up great nights out and in deals at a snip of the price by looking online.
By Mandy Collins, http://www.unitown.co.uk

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