Tip 5: Be a Savvy Consumer
Student life is full of discounts – make sure you make the most of it while you can. Take a look at which student card could get you discounts – maybe Totum (formally NUS) or Young Scots? Some places will even give you a student discount simply by showing your university ID.
If you enjoy shopping online – add Honey to your browser. This automatically finds and applies discount codes to your purchases.
No discounts available? You could still be getting money back for your purchase. Get a percentage of your spends back for your rail travel, clothes, homeware purchases and more at the likes of Quidco and TopCashBack. Or you can take money off your phone bill through cashback offers on the Airtime Rewards app.
Getting a discount is great, but only if you’re getting something you would normally buy.
If you’re moving into housing with friends – be aware that being a savvy consumer isn’t restricted to just the shops. You can save when you’re paying on your bills too. Check out comparison websites before you commit – Uswitch is a trustworthy site, and Compare the Market can bag you 2-4-1 cinema tickets and meals at chain restaurants.
Lookaftermybills.com looks specifically at bills and alerts you when a cheaper price comes up and whether it’s possible to switch or not.
There are also useful apps around that help take away that awkward conversation when it comes to housemates and money. Check out the likes of Splitwise, Billr and Venmo to help you make sure the bills are even and you’re not out of pocket.
- Student Money Saver – Deals, free stuff and how to make money.
- UniDays – Big savings on student essentials.
- Save the Student – Publishes articles for students on how to make, save and spend money.
- Student Beans – Thousands of online and instore discounts.
- Honey – Automatically finds and applies discount codes in your web browser.
- Totum – The new NUS card and online discount space.
- Young Scot– Discounts and rewards for those with a Young Scot card.
