Advice
Living at home during uni can often be a lot cheaper than living in student halls, but the costs of commuting can still add up. We鈥檝e got听four ways to keep your budget in check whilst you鈥檙e at uni.
1. Save on travel
Travel is probably going to be one of your biggest costs at uni, but there are ways to get the cost down. If you鈥檙e travelling by train, invest in a . A Railcard usually costs about 拢30 per year but if you have your card, you can get 1/3 off train tickets, so you鈥檒l make your money back in no time. If you open a student bank account with , you can get your Railcard for free!
National Express West Midlands offer if the bus is your chosen mode of transport.
If you drive to uni, consider asking other commuter students if they live nearby and if they鈥檇 be happy to carshare. If you find someone doing the same commute as you, you could save a lot on petrol!
2. Pack your lunch
If you鈥檙e going to be at uni studying all day, you鈥檒l need a filling lunch and snacks to keep you going. If you can, try to prep your food and drink at home. Prepping a quick lunch can save you 拢5-10 a day, which really makes a difference! Bring lots of snacks with you and don鈥檛 forget your refillable water bottle so you don鈥檛 have to buy one.
If you are tempted to get a hot drink, bring your reusable coffee cup. You can often get a small discount at coffee shops by using your own cup.
Of course, sometimes you might want to head out for some food with your uni friends. During the week, you can get great student discounts at lots of restaurants, so make sure you sign up for and .
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3. Hold off on new purchases
Starting uni is an exciting time and it can be tempting to splash out on lots of new stuff for when you start, but it鈥檚 smarter to wait until you鈥檝e settled in a little so you know what鈥檚 necessary. If your course has a list of textbooks you鈥檒l be required to read, don鈥檛 buy all of these straight away as you might be able to loan these for free once you join the university library.
You might also be tempted to buy lots of stationary, tech or even new clothes but until you get into the rhythm of things you won鈥檛 know what you need, how you prefer to study or what you prefer to wear to campus so hold off on buying lots of new stuff if you can.
4. Get a part-time job
As a commuter student, you鈥檒l probably be spoilt for choice when it comes to finding a part-time job, as you can choose a job closer to home or closer to campus. There are so many jobs that are perfect for students, such as roles in retail, hospitality and jobs at university.
Having that little bit of extra cash can help with the cost of living as a student and give you some extra spending money to socialise.
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