pic: ALAN CLEAVER
CHEAP TRICKS
BIG FEES AND SMALL LOANS CAN BE DIFFICULT TO
BALANCE, BUT A LITTLE FORWARD PLANNING CAN
SAVE YOU FROM A LIFE OF STUDENT SQUALOR. HERE
ARE SOME CHEAP TRICKS TO KEEP YOU ON THE RIGHT
SIDE OF YOUR OVERDRAFT.
pic: ALAN CLEAVER
EVERY STUDENT FEARS THE IDEA
of managing their finances; this task is
daunting as students are thrown into the
unknown world of managing their money
independently.
discount card’. The NUS card, which
gives you access to many different deals
for the whole year in shops, restaurants
and the Megabus, can be particularly
useful.
The first steps begins before you have
even started packing for university. If
you decide to apply for a credit card, it
is crucial to select the one with the most
benefits that fit your needs. Promotions
such as a free 16-25 Railcard may seem
like an cheap trick to get your custom,
and it is, but it can be extremely useful
when it comes to trips home. Be careful
with any credit card, however, as they
can constitute a slippery slope. Always
try and remember that it’s not your
money, even if it is interest free for three
years.
When you finally get to university look
out for flyers offering discounts at
the student fairs – you can save on
everything from gym membership, nights
out, takeaways and even body piercings!
Always (and I mean always) plan your
meals for the week and food shop in
advance. It may be seem a hassle and a
chore, but if you play your cards right
you can spend as little as £20 a week
on food and the rest of your budget can
either be saved, and then used to pay for
books (or, much more likely, for nights
out).
Another important card which I would
advise all students to get is a ‘student
You may not think it now, but at
university some people will have quite a
lot of free time on their hands, especially
if you are studying a subject which only
requires you to be present for a few
lectures and seminars in the week. If
this is the case why not consider getting
a part-time job? Make sure to see what
job services your university provides as
they will often be able to find you parttime roles that are flexible around uni.
My final tip is to be prepared for the
lengthy reading list that will be handed
to you on the day of your first lecture.
This is nothing to be frightened of,
however: you needn’t worry about
purchasing all of the books because you
can take full advantage of the library.
Core books can be useful to buy but
there are often plenty of copies stored in
the University, so just check your library
before you fork out.
HELEN TSANGACOS
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