This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Falmouth chapter.
So you’re at university and you’ve been having fun, partying every night, eating out with friends, paying for dates. But when you go to pay for those student union events, suddenly you realise you’re only down to £4 and still have the rest of November and December to get through! Your part time job fell through and deadlines are drawing nearer – how will you afford to keep going? Here are some tips, from one student to another, on how to save, earn and avoid spending more money in the meantime.
- Get a Christmas temp job. You’d be amazed how many businesses local to your campus have Christmas temp jobs open. Most students go home for the winter break, but if you have no immediate plans (or feel you can skip out on festivities this one time) temporary jobs for Christmas often pay fairly well and are more likely to keep you on after Christmas if you show them what a hard worker you are.
- Use up all your tins. Believe me, I know just how tempting it is to avoid using up those tins of soup and baked beans in favour of fresh pasta, frozen pizzas and so on. But buying extra food really adds up, and it will make your life a lot easier if you just lay out a meal plan and incorporate non-perishables you need to use up. Save your grocery money for vitals such as fresh vegetables and meat.
- Save every last penny you have. No more buying comfort sweets, going to the cinema, or buying cute clothes. Save your money for when and where it counts – food shopping, printing money, and other student essentials. Every time you go to spend something, remind yourself that there are more important things that you could be putting your money towards (or put it in a jar for safekeeping). You’ll be amazed at how the money adds up when you spend wisely! Preparing a budget to follow is an excellent way to prioritise your wants versus your needs and work out exactly what you can afford to cut from your usual spending.
- Pack your own lunches. This might seem like a strange one, but the temptation to eat out when you’re spending the day in the library or doing work is powerful and sometimes hard to fend off. Food you can eat quickly like pastry slices and paninis are not only high in salt and fat, but can be really expensive. If you’re fortunate enough to live on campus (or close by) going home for lunch can give you a break from working and also give you initiative not to spend and instead use up food already in your cupboards. If, on the other hand, you’re unable to make it back, some careful planning can go a long way. Salads, sandwiches, and tubs of pasta can all be prepared quickly and make for healthy and cheap lunches.
- Sometimes, it’s okay to ask for help. For most of us, our families don’t expect us to have it all figured out right away. Everyone has trouble working out how to manage their money at first, which is why university is a key learning step in order to do this. Letting your family know that you’re struggling isn’t the end of the world, and they may be able to offer you some extra money to last you until you can come home even if it’s not much to work with. Also, the next time you get some money leftover, set up an overdraft with your bank. Believe me, that will definitely come in handy.