GRADUATE money saving

Guppy1985

I noticed most of these threads are for student money saving, and although it makes me nostalgic to read them, I felt there was a need for an area specifically for Graduate Money Saving. I've read MSE's article about Graduate Accounts for 08/09 due to arrive some time soon http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/banking/graduate-bank-accounts

This is very useful and I'm looking fwd to being able to switch asap - HSBC are a rip off!

I've also used the site for many general money saving areas: in the last month alone I've managed to:-
haggle my phone bill down from £35pm to £20pm with a free upgrade (which an Orange shop assistant had previously tried to sell to me for £30) http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/phones/cut-mobile-tariff;
and sold my old handset to Mobilephonebuyer for £31; http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/phones/mobile-recycling
Get a return coach trip to Poole for a £2 to see me old uni housemate this weekend;
Use discounts from the eating out and shopping vouchers area;
AND use my Orange Wednesday cinema voucher!

PHEW - exhausting!

HOWEVER, I still feel I'm missing out on some graduate specific stuff: earning extra pounds (not pennies!), extra discounts etc. So I thought this could be the start of a thread for ppl to discuss such stuff, or just to discuss their general graduate experiences and how their going about money saving - and money earning!!:beer:

melancholly

sounds like you're on a roll!

i suppoose a lot of threads on here are from graduates - all the ones about how to pay back student loans, the disasters when HSBC changes the overdraft conditions on its graduate account etc.

to try and earn extra money, you should have a look at the up your income board as that has loads of ideas. the old style board will be able to halve your food budget and help with all household money saving. the employment board is also a fantastic resource about any work-related issues. the other boards are full of amazing people who give lots of advice!

BigBouncyBall

I've asked for a Grad Money saving board before but it fell on deaf ears.

Let's try again though!!

Petition signed!

Guppy1985

yeh i tried to start it as a new board but couldn't find a link to do so, so just made it a new thread.

I reckon a board is needed specifically for it though - draw the line between grads n students - we can't get the same discounts they can!!!!:mad:

melancholly

but if you're a graduate, apart from an special account that lasts for 2/3 years, don't you just fall into the categories in the rest of the forums: working people who need to make their money go as far as possible? the people who have experience on specialist things like loans, employment, house buying etc are all out there on other boards happy to give advice....

i recommend moving away from just the student board as there is just so much out there in the rest of the forum. i think those other boards more than cover all my needs and perhaps a graduate board would only replicate them, just without as many 'experts' viewing them.

Guppy1985

fair point, duely taken.

So the only differentiators for grads then are the bank accounts?

No special grad discounts (maybe im just disgruntled at missing my student discounts...)

melancholly

i don't know of any graduate discounts.... you can still get a young person's railcard until you're 25 but i can't think of anything else. sorry!

purplenails

At my uni you can get an alumni card that gives you some discounts (they're not that great though), a part from that think its the real world from now on

stamford

melancholly wrote: »

but if you're a graduate, apart from an special account that lasts for 2/3 years, don't you just fall into the categories in the rest of the forums: working people who need to make their money go as far as possible?

There's a few here who obviously feel they are a cut above the rest

Idiophreak

There are quite a lot of things graduates can get "regular folk" can't, special mortgages, bank accounts, etc. There are also, however, quite a lot of issues that come up about repaying student loans, whether to pay keep at home, graduate job seeking etc. All of which may add credibility to claims we're in need of a graduate MS board

melancholly

you can say goodbye to special graduate mortgages of 120% these days!!

for paying keep there have been loads of threads on the families board (with the bonus of the perspective of a lot of parents) and for job seeking there is already a dedicated board full of people who really are excellent at giving advice.

apart from graduate accounts and student loan repayments, i genuinely can't see the need for a separate board, especially as the expertise is already out there in other boards on MSE, just waiting for questions from those brave enough to go further afield from the student board!