Budgeting

• Give yourself a weekly budget and try not to go over it. There are lots of apps that can help you budget
• If you are not sure where your money goes, keep all your receipts so at the end of the week you can see where you spent your money.
• Take your weekly budget out in cash at the beginning of the week- it is a lot easier to see what you are spending.
• Check back to mobile phone providers regularly – you might be paying more for your phone than you need to!
• Claim back any months over the summer vacation of your T.V licence whilst not at uni.
• Choose your student bank account wisely. Beware of gimmicks and freebies banks will use to entice you it is often better to go with a provider that offers a larger interest free overdraft period both during and after your studies.

Food Planning

• Make or bake 2 - eat one, freeze one. Saves time and money!
• Save take away containers to use for leftovers and for freezing.
• Plan weekly meals to prevent throwing food away, taking into account if you’re going away for weekends. You can download a meal planner here: https://www.nasma.org.uk/uploads/public/Meal_Planner_Template.pdf
• Make sure to check what you already have in your cupboards, fridge and freezer when writing your shopping list.
• Drop one brand level in the supermarket and see if you can tell the difference. Save £100’s over the year.
• Make sure to schedule time for food shopping. The Money Helper service found that when people are rushed or tired, they spend an extra £14.53 each time!
• Go shopping later in the day as items get reduced.
• Make a packed lunch instead to buying it - even a sandwich + a drink + crisps can easily cost £5 a day- £25 a week!
• Never shop when you’re hungry, you’re likely to buy more than you need.
• Buying a coffee on campus everyday can cost over £10 a week, take a flask instead and save hundreds over the year. Or you could get a subscription- if you have time to que.

Food Shopping

• Buy reduced to clear food to stock up the freezer.
• The University of Exeter offers a ‘Cup for Life’ scheme, where at all Students’ Guild outlets you can receive 10% off every hot drink purchased with a ‘Cup for Life’.
• Make use of store loyalty cards for money off and free gifts.
• Avoid in store temptations by shopping online. Be aware of high grocery delivery costs- to avoid this consider teaming up and doing a food delivery with your other housemates to reduce costs.
• Look for wonky fruit and veg, to help reduce food waste whilst saving money.
• Eat the Seasons and get the best out of local produce and avoid paying for food that has flown miles.
• Download the Too Good to Go app- this allows people to buy food from local cafes and restaurants that may otherwise go to waste at a discounted price. In Exeter, food/drink outlets such as Pret and Starbucks are part of the scheme.
• Swap fresh for frozen. Frozen ingredients can be cheaper and result in less waste.
• Sign up for student discount cards such as UNiDAYS or TOTUM to receive exclusive discounts and deals for students.

Reuse, Fix, and recycle

• Join the local freecycle network https://groups.freecycle.org/group/ExeterUK/posts/all
• Shop in charity and second-hand shops or vintage. Use apps like Depop or Vinted to find clothes you love at a cheaper price.
• Look on Facebook Marketplace and join local Facebook groups to see a number of second-hand items being sold within your local area.
• Sell unwanted goods, for example textbooks no longer needed.
• You can buy price-matched and second-hand textbooks from Blackwell’s on campus.
• Many people replace an item when it is ‘broken’ without considering if it can be repaired. Check out iFixit which publishes free repair guides for electronics and gadgets https://www.ifixit.com
• Read this Guardian article on how to handle the repair or replace dilemma when it comes to common household items https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2021/apr/27/repair-or-replace-an-expert-guide-to-fixing-or-ditching-eight-essential-household-items

Student stories

Finding part time work and asking for help

Budgeting

• Monday- Understanding your MONEY

  Do you understand your student finance?

  According to a study by Save the Student in 2021, 2 in 5 students don’t understand their loan agreement and 52% worry about loan repayments. Monday’s information will focus on student finance and helping students to understand their student loan and answer the questions they have regarding finances.

  Check out our webpage for more information about gambling and sources of support.

• Tuesday- Problems with MONEY

  Gambling information and support

  According to a study by Red Brick Research (2019) 88,000 students are classified as having a problem with gambling, while 264,000 students are at risk of gambling-related harms. We are partnering with Gamstop/ Gamcare and Recover me to provide an informational interview and a stall, Tuesday’s activities will help to raise awareness and educate students on the risks they face in relation to gambling.

  Come along and meet the guys on our stall in the Forum and check out our webpage for more information about gambling and sources of support.

• Wednesday- Managing your MONEY

  Tips to make money go further & launching Budgeting workshops

  Despite the fact that the average student’s maintenance loan only covers 58% of their monthly living costs, 1 in 10 students have never budgeted (Save the Student, 2021). These workshops and tips will help to educate students on how to manage their money through budgeting, consequently making their finances stretch further.

  If you can’t make it to our stall in the Forum 11-2 , check out our money saving tips.

• Thursday- Help with your MONEY

  Learning more about the success for all Fund

  60% of students feel as though their maintenance loan isn’t big enough and therefore many students face financial hardship at some point within their university experience (Save the Student, 2021). To tackle this, universities offer grants and scholarships to help students facing financial difficulties. Despite this, research by Save the Student (2021) found that 43% of students felt that they weren’t made aware of funding options available to them at university

  Thursday will focus on educating students on the University of Exeter’s Success for All Fund and some of the scholarships and bursaries available to help students.

• Friday- Increasing your MONEY

  Working with Career Zone to look at part time work

  Living costs within the South West of England are the second highest in the UK, at £866 per month, leading to many students getting a part-time job alongside their studies (Save the Student, 2021). By working with the Career Zone, students can learn more about part time work, whether this be a part time job or selling items online.

  Come along to our stall in the forum 11-2 to find out more.

Good general sites that cover many areas are moneysavingexpert.com and moneysupermarket.com

Travel

• Aged 16-25 or a mature student in full-time education? Then why not purchase a Young Persons railcard save a 1/3 off selected train travel. More details at http://www.16-25railcard.co.uk/ or leaflets are available at Guild Information point
• Megabus.com – cheap travel on both trains and buses throughout the UK as well as destinations to Europe.
• Nationalexpress.co.uk – book in advance to secure cheap coach travel throughout the UK.
• Thetrainline.com - book in advance to secure cheap train journeys throughout the UK.
• Sign up for a TOTUM student card to get offers and discounts on travel. https://www.totum.com
• Skyscanner.net – Comparison site across carriers for cheap air travel to/from UK/EU and international destinations

Utilities and Energy

• Uswitch.com is a great comparison site for comparing different utility providers in order to reduce household bills. Please check housing contracts before switching as some landlords prohibit this
• Money Saving Expert have a range of resources on cutting the cost of energy https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/energy/
• NUS Student Switch Off features a range of tips for those living in rented accommodation https://studentswitchoff.org

Free software

• University of Exeter students can download the Microsoft Office Suite for free on up to 5 personal devices. More information can be found here: https://www.exeter.ac.uk/it/new/microsoftoffice/