How to survive on an absolute minimum income - Tricks I learnt :)

Aeld

Alreet

Although I am no longer a student, I'm practically as poor as one now [Poorer really] and I think if i've got anything to contribute here its tricks of moneysaving I learnt as a student

The problem with a lot of moneysaving advice when you're a student is it all tends to be mortgage/loan based - when you simply want advice on how to afford to eat! 8)

These tricks wont apply to anyone other that people living on the absolute breadline. You wont find any advice on loans/benefits etc here, there are other threads for that.
Here we go!

~~~

1) WALK.
This sounds rediculous, but its the first and most obvious place to start. Get used to walking. An hours walk to uni is simply something you must learn to do. Dont take the metro/bus anymore. An hour and a half walk to your friends house, again, is just something you must do. You dont have to sprint, but wrap up warm and listen to the radio as you go and you'll be fine.

Average saving: £60 per month on metro fees

2) LEARN TO COOK.
One of my most infuriating friends from the past would complain that he never had any money, but spend £6-10 a night on pizza and beer. For gods sake learn to cook! If you cant cook at all? You will seriously be in debt extremely quickly.

3) COOK CHEAP BUT YUMMY FOOD!
French Onion soup: 2 Red Onions - 20p
Chicken Stock cube: £1 for a pack of oxo
thyme: [If you go to the supermarket late, you can get fresh herbs for about 40p each]
miniture bottle red wine, a splash: £1.99 [A tiny bit of cheap red wine can make food taste amazing ]
Garlic: 15p

This is just one example, but the amount of times it filled me up when i had zero money has probably saved my life

4) VALUE BREAD

get used to it. Its about 25p these days, and the amount of !!!!!y e-numbers etc in it make it not v.g for you BUT it will last for ages

5) RICE

Chinese supermarkets sell massive bags of rice for v cheap. Rice and home-made satay is a lovely meal and costs practically nothing

6) STOP BUYING CHICKEN

I stopped buying chicken years ago. I could no longer afford to buy free-range chicken and I personally dont feel very nice about buying value-battery-chicken [STRIKE]cos its evil[/STRIKE]

7) BUY PORK LOIN INSTEAD!

A free-range pork loin will get you more meat, for cheaper, which tastes EXTREMELY similar if not nicer than chicken, especially in stir fries

8) STOP BUYING CLOTHES

This may get you a reputation as a bum but I didnt buy myself any new clothes unless I seriously needed them. You dont need them. If you really want to go out feeling nice and new and shiney then buy yourself a new vest top for £4.99, the psychological benefit of wearing a new item of clothing will be the same.

9) NEVER SPEND MORE THAN £10 ON A NIGHT OUT

I told you I was strict with myself. I still went out for nights out when I was poor! But would never spend more than £10. You dont need to. Think about what you're drinking, buy pints not shots. Get squash inbetween drinks [You'll be questioned on this, but to be honest, people will get over it soon and just shut up] Do NOT spend money on getting into clubs - get in on time for free - you'll kick yourself for spending £5 on getting into somewhere unless you have a fantastic night out...which you could have done for free.

10) GOING OUT FOR DINNER? USE YOUR HEAD

I still went out for dinner every now and again, when I could afford it. One thing I did was eat before I went. This again, sounds silly but you're on the breadline right? Have a sandwich, that way you wont be tempted with expensive options and can quite happily have the cheaper smaller meal and a glass of tap water = £7 on a meal out rather than £15

11) VALUE LOO ROLL

This goes without saying. Just do it. Any flatmates that objects just chuck one at their head! Its rediculously cheaper and you get a tonne more. [And they'll probably convert to it if you buy it first]

12) NEVER GO TO THE SUPERMARKET HUNGRY

omg this is the worst thing you can do. Never ever do this, I would sometimes be starving on my walk home from college and swing by the supermarket and just buy loads of food! Go to a cornershop on your way home instead and buy a snickers/mars - they will fill you up just fine

13) VALUE SQUASH AS A SUGAR RUSH

When things were really tough, and I had £20 to spend on food for a month you must cut out sugary things such as sweets/chocolate/pop/beer/alchohol/wine etc. But i couldnt cope without sugar completely, so value squash at 17p a bottle is a fine replacement for those hard times. Its rediculously sugary and fills you up a bit too. STOP BUYING FIZZY DRINKS!

14) CHEATS FIZZY DRINK

If you really must have a fizzy drink [I did this once or twice when i just really wanted the bubbles ] one measure of value orange/blackcurrent squash + one value bottle of lemonade [19p] is just as nice as a bottle of tango

15) KEEP THAT HEATING OFF UNTIL NOVEMBER/DECEMBER

Yes I mean it. I used to watch tv with my flatmate in two hoodies, nice thick slipper-boots, a blanket and a deerstalker hat. Get used to bundling up in the house. If you can wear a t-shirt in your flat in winter there's something seriously wrong if you want to save money. This is breadline-advice remember Keep that heating off. Instead make sure when you cook dinner you close the doors in the living room so all the heat from the kitchen gets trapped there. And DRINK HOT DRINKS!

16) KEEPING WARM WITH NO HEATING AT NIGHT

falling asleep when you're freezing cold isnt nice. I've had to do it before for years. Invest in an electric blanket [About £9.99-£20] Theyre all perfectly safe. You put them underneath your sheets, switch the blanket on for 5 minutes before you go to bed [in my flat "Can you put my bed on love?" became a cute way to say goodnight to each other] and after 5 minutes your bed will be toasty warm and lovely then switch it off You dont need it on all night, as you'll fall asleep all lovely and warm. Then in the morning put it on again for 5 minutes as you get up.
The electricity used by these is equivalent or less than a toaster if you use them correctly. And they make cold mornings lovely

17) STILL COLD? COOK!

cooking around a gas oven is an obvious way to keep warm, but if you're cooking something in the oven, leave the door open at the end to let that heat out and into the house

18) VALUE vs NICE

In my experience these are the value products that are perfectly normaly and ok to use [and i'm a food snob]

toothpaste
loo roll
crisps
tortilla chips
cream cheese
veg
tinned kidney beans/sweetcorn/tomatoes
stock cubes
bread / cakes

But personally, I find I need to buy nice cheese/beans/meat/sauces. If you go completely value you'll go mad

19) LATE NIGHT SHOPPING

If you live near a supermarket that closes at 10pm and you're still up, go shopping then - v cheap bread/cakes/herbs [You can get fresh herbs at the end of the day for v low prices like 30p, stick them in the oven on the lowest setting for half an hour and there you have a whole bunch of dried herbs ]

20) LIVE IN A RUBBISH HOUSE? SOME TRICKS I LEARNT;

Student houses are mostly rubbish. I've lived in some proper dives in the past, with rain coming through the ceiling, damp on the walls, mould in the bathroom, holes in the windows and rotting doors - If you live in one of these you have a highfive from me :beer: they'll make you apprieciate the nice houses you'll live in the future

~ Try not to buy a single-glazed house. You'll be freezing, and putting the heating on will just be a waste of money. There's a reason why theyre so cheap.
~ If the gutters fall down during the snow season, dont panic, this happens to most crappy houses Its the landlords problem so get him on it else when it rains [and you're in a ground floor flat] you're house will become flooded
~ Stick a bunch of socks in the letter opening in the door. This space lets out loads of heat
~ CLOSE DOORS ALL THE TIME!
~ Get a toolbox [£3.99 from Ikea] You'll need it.
~ Thinking of doing a cleaning rota? Dont. Just dont. They cause arguements. Seriously I dont know why anyone does this. Just talk to your flatmates about the mess! Writing it neatly on a bit of paper is patronising and annoying

21) DO YOU REALLY NEED INTERNET?

I lived 3 years with no internet in the house. The library in town was open until 9pm and provided free internet, so i used that. Mcdonalds also has free wifi and you'll be left alone if you buy a wee happy meal or something. And Mcdonalds is open 24-7

Of course if you study on a course that needs internet then get it. But dont get a dongle! Such a waste of money!!

22) STAND UP FOR YOURSELF

a flatmate wants sky. You dont. They say theyre willing to pay for it. Hmm... Careful here - this can turn nasty if you watch that sky tv and dont contribute towards it. If this flatmate wants sky say very very CLEARLY that you WONT pay anything towards it, because you would have NEVER initiated getting it and purchasing it was THEIR decision and THEIR responsibility to pay. Make it crystal clear, else they can jump on you and ask you to chip in because you sat and watched a TV program with them last night.

[This never happened to me, because we all agreed we wanted Sky as it worked out to about £6 a month between us which was fine. I could have done without it, but really grew to like it and used it a lot, so i chipped in. But this can v easily cause arguements]

~~~
xxx

HappyMJ

Aeld wrote: »

1) WALK.
Or a cheap bicycle. Bought one for £50 a few months ago and it doubles the distance I can get within an hour.

2) LEARN TO COOK.
3) COOK CHEAP BUT YUMMY FOOD!
4) VALUE BREAD
5) RICE
6) STOP BUYING CHICKEN
It's more stop buying chicken breast. I see so many people buy chicken breast yet if they spent maybe just 50p more they could have had the whole chicken instead including the breast, legs, wings and a carcass for soup.

7) BUY PORK LOIN INSTEAD!
8) STOP BUYING CLOTHES
9) NEVER SPEND MORE THAN £10 ON A NIGHT OUT
I wish....Anyway, set a budget and leave the plastic at home.

10) GOING OUT FOR DINNER? USE YOUR HEAD
11) VALUE LOO ROLL
No thanks...but there is some good cheap supermarket loo roll. One step up from value.

12) NEVER GO TO THE SUPERMARKET HUNGRY
13) VALUE SQUASH AS A SUGAR RUSH
Personally I don't like the taste of the value one. I ended up not drinking it and throwing it. But when the good stuff is on special then I'll stock up on it.

14) CHEATS FIZZY DRINK
15) KEEP THAT HEATING OFF UNTIL NOVEMBER/DECEMBER
And when you do turn it on don't set it to 21. 15 should be the minimum especially when up and about cleaning and cooking occasionally upping it to 18 when sitting down watching telly.

16) KEEPING WARM WITH NO HEATING AT NIGHT
17) STILL COLD? COOK!
18) VALUE vs NICE

In my experience these are the value products that are perfectly normaly and ok to use [and i'm a food snob]

[STRIKE]toothpaste
loo roll[/STRIKE]Not one of my selections
crisps
tortilla chips
cream cheese
veg
tinned kidney beans/sweetcorn/tomatoes
stock cubes
bread / cakes

But personally, I find I need to buy nice cheese/beans/meat/sauces. If you go completely value you'll go mad
However, I do like value cheese, beans, meat and sauces. I put the meat and sauce into a slow cooker with lots of herbs and spices and it comes out very nice.

19) LATE NIGHT SHOPPING
20) LIVE IN A RUBBISH HOUSE? SOME TRICKS I LEARNT;
21) DO YOU REALLY NEED INTERNET?

I lived 3 years with no internet in the house. The library in town was open until 9pm and provided free internet, so i used that. Mcdonalds also has free wifi and you'll be left alone if you buy a wee happy meal or something. And Mcdonalds is open 24-7

Of course if you study on a course that needs internet then get it. But dont get a dongle! Such a waste of money!!
A prepaid dongle can be moved from place to place though and they are now quite cheap. Never choose a contract dongle. Fixed landline internet will have cancellation charges if contract finished early. Who pays for that?

22) STAND UP FOR YOURSELF

a flatmate wants sky. You dont. They say theyre willing to pay for it. Hmm... Careful here - this can turn nasty if you watch that sky tv and dont contribute towards it. If this flatmate wants sky say very very CLEARLY that you WONT pay anything towards it, because you would have NEVER initiated getting it and purchasing it was THEIR decision and THEIR responsibility to pay. Make it crystal clear, else they can jump on you and ask you to chip in because you sat and watched a TV program with them last night.

[This never happened to me, because we all agreed we wanted Sky as it worked out to about £6 a month between us which was fine. I could have done without it, but really grew to like it and used it a lot, so i chipped in. But this can v easily cause arguements]
Ahhhhh yes the Sky argument. Then they'll also say the internet is free with Sky but you need to chip in for the Sky subscription. £6 a month is good though. Sky is now £20 a month so divided out over 4 it's only £5 a month each with 42 extra channels and free broadband. A very hard argument to get out of.
~~~
xxx

Thanks for the tips....

materialgirl

~~~

1) WALK.
This sounds rediculous, but its the first and most obvious place to start. Get used to walking. An hours walk to uni is simply something you must learn to do. Dont take the metro/bus anymore. An hour and a half walk to your friends house, again, is just something you must do. You dont have to sprint, but wrap up warm and listen to the radio as you go and you'll be fine.

Average saving: £60 per month on metro fees

I need to keep saying that to myself, especially as Xmas shopping parking infuriates me! :mad:

3) COOK CHEAP BUT YUMMY FOOD!
French Onion soup: 2 Red Onions - 20p
Chicken Stock cube: £1 for a pack of oxo
thyme: [If you go to the supermarket late, you can get fresh herbs for about 40p each]
miniture bottle red wine, a splash: £1.99 [A tiny bit of cheap red wine can make food taste amazing ]
Garlic: 15p

This is just one example, but the amount of times it filled me up when i had zero money has probably saved my life

Thanks for that recipe. I'm stocking up on soups for work now and freezing them, so will def make your recipe.

4) VALUE BREAD

get used to it. Its about 25p these days, and the amount of !!!!!y e-numbers etc in it make it not v.g for you BUT it will last for ages

Slices are too thin for me, but I can see your point.

18) VALUE vs NICE

In my experience these are the value products that are perfectly normaly and ok to use [and i'm a food snob]

toothpaste
loo roll Aldis stuff is just as cheap and 100 times better!
crisps
tortilla chips
cream cheese
veg
tinned kidney beans/sweetcorn/tomatoes
stock cubes
bread / cakes

But personally, I find I need to buy nice cheese/beans/meat/sauces. If you go completely value you'll go mad

19) LATE NIGHT SHOPPING

If you live near a supermarket that closes at 10pm and you're still up, go shopping then - v cheap bread/cakes/herbs [You can get fresh herbs at the end of the day for v low prices like 30p, stick them in the oven on the lowest setting for half an hour and there you have a whole bunch of dried herbs ]

Grow your own herbs from the supermarket pays dividends as ours have kept growing! :T

~~~
xxx

markmead

I've got a freezer chocked full of batch cooking - every other weekend I cook up a giant pot of curry or bolognese sauce then bag it into individual portion sizes. This is a great way for economising and helps me save loads of time in the evening.

CER1389

One of my suggestions would be do your shopping online and get it delivered. Then when you pop to the supermarket to pick up milk, then you can get the reductions.
I now make a list of what I NEED. Using the online supermarket website, I search for that product. i can work out which version is cheapest (calculator beside me, noone jostling me as they try and reach something) and it means I only buy what I know I need.

Cooking is another big thing. They really should put on cookery lessons for sixth-formers before they go to university!

Last night I made a chilli con carne. The mince meat was £2, a red pepper, value tomatoes, an onion, value kidney beans, a dried chilli and a pack of con carne spice mix (50p). Fried the ingredients, then shoved the rest of it into the oven on 150 for 3 hours (made during the day so I didn't take over the oven!!).
It's made 8 portions and cost about £5 to make. By letting it cook for hours, you still get a really strong flavour so it doesn't taste like value ingredients.
Now all in the freezer, ready to be eaten with rice, a baked potatoe, or just with some bread.
It's joined a lasagne, pasta sauce (simple tomato sauce is such a necessity to learn to cook!!) and some curry sauce. All completley home made.

At some point I'll have to write a shopping list with the instructions for what food can be made from that one shop. I'm the queen of it!!

Edited to add - plus is you can cook, it's a great way of socialising without spending too much!! Each week one of my friends will cook. We have a £5 budget and it must feed 4 people. We'll go to their house, so we get out of the house, have an evening socialising with some nice food - without the cost of a meal out
Meals include:
Chilli con carne
Lasagne
Pasta
Shepherd Pie
Curry
Stir Fry

Then every 2-3 weeks we'll go round someones, all put in £2.50 and have a MASSIVE sunday roast. Means we get good food, not too expensive, and you don't feel like you're missing out on socialising.
Add in a game of Cluedo and it's a great way to spend an afternoon before the X Factor results show

rev_henry

Funny you should make this thread, I was JUST thinking today about doing a similar thing!

Aeld wrote: »

Alreet

Although I am no longer a student, I'm practically as poor as one now [Poorer really] and I think if i've got anything to contribute here its tricks of moneysaving I learnt as a student

The problem with a lot of moneysaving advice when you're a student is it all tends to be mortgage/loan based - when you simply want advice on how to afford to eat! 8)

These tricks wont apply to anyone other that people living on the absolute breadline. You wont find any advice on loans/benefits etc here, there are other threads for that.
Here we go!

~~~

1) WALK.
This sounds rediculous, but its the first and most obvious place to start. Get used to walking. An hours walk to uni is simply something you must learn to do. Dont take the metro/bus anymore. An hour and a half walk to your friends house, again, is just something you must do. You dont have to sprint, but wrap up warm and listen to the radio as you go and you'll be fine.

Average saving: £60 per month on metro fees

As said by someone else - bike. My housemates spend £200 a year on a bus pass and set off at 8.20. I set off at 8.40 and am usually already sat in the lecture theatre when they walk in. SERIOUSLY consider insurance if in a city and your bike has ANY value though, and also legal cover for suing idiots who knock you off.

2) LEARN TO COOK.
One of my most infuriating friends from the past would complain that he never had any money, but spend £6-10 a night on pizza and beer. For gods sake learn to cook! If you cant cook at all? You will seriously be in debt extremely quickly.

In the last 3 weeks I have gone from never really cooking at all to being pretty competent. I use this book which is excellent. http://www.amazon.co.uk/New-Students-Veggie-Cook-Book/dp/0572024002
There's a non veggie version too.

3) COOK CHEAP BUT YUMMY FOOD!
French Onion soup: 2 Red Onions - 20p
Chicken Stock cube: £1 for a pack of oxo
thyme: [If you go to the supermarket late, you can get fresh herbs for about 40p each]
miniture bottle red wine, a splash: £1.99 [A tiny bit of cheap red wine can make food taste amazing ]
Garlic: 15p

This is just one example, but the amount of times it filled me up when i had zero money has probably saved my life


4) VALUE BREAD

get used to it. Its about 25p these days, and the amount of !!!!!y e-numbers etc in it make it not v.g for you BUT it will last for ages

I have to admit I go for instore bakery bread because its SOOO nice. 79p for a small loaf (up from 65p this time last year though GRRR). Although if I manage to time it right and go at the end of the day I occasionally get branded loaves for 44p etc.

5) RICE

Chinese supermarkets sell massive bags of rice for v cheap. Rice and home-made satay is a lovely meal and costs practically nothing

Is this cheaper than supermarket value rice? 40p for 500g.

6) STOP BUYING CHICKEN

I stopped buying chicken years ago. I could no longer afford to buy free-range chicken and I personally dont feel very nice about buying value-battery-chicken [STRIKE]cos its evil[/STRIKE]

7) BUY PORK LOIN INSTEAD!

A free-range pork loin will get you more meat, for cheaper, which tastes EXTREMELY similar if not nicer than chicken, especially in stir fries

Or just don't eat meat. I'm veggie so couldn't comment on the cost of meat.

8) STOP BUYING CLOTHES

This may get you a reputation as a bum but I didnt buy myself any new clothes unless I seriously needed them. You dont need them. If you really want to go out feeling nice and new and shiney then buy yourself a new vest top for £4.99, the psychological benefit of wearing a new item of clothing will be the same.

I'm a bloke, I don't have this problem.

9) NEVER SPEND MORE THAN £10 ON A NIGHT OUT

I told you I was strict with myself. I still went out for nights out when I was poor! But would never spend more than £10. You dont need to. Think about what you're drinking, buy pints not shots. Get squash inbetween drinks [You'll be questioned on this, but to be honest, people will get over it soon and just shut up] Do NOT spend money on getting into clubs - get in on time for free - you'll kick yourself for spending £5 on getting into somewhere unless you have a fantastic night out...which you could have done for free.

PREDRINK! Obviously. When buying alcohol I always roughly work out the price per unit of alcohol in my head too. Here in Manchester £5 is the going rate to get into most places and that's just how it is really, but if you can manage the above then great! On this subject - share taxis if you must use them. With as many as will fit in! Some people say minicabs are cheaper than black cabs - I've never been able to work out if this is true. I THINK, here anyway, minicabs are cheaper at night because they don't have different rates for different times of the day/night. When on the normal daytime rate I don't think there's much difference between minicabs and black cabs.

10) GOING OUT FOR DINNER? USE YOUR HEAD

I still went out for dinner every now and again, when I could afford it. One thing I did was eat before I went. This again, sounds silly but you're on the breadline right? Have a sandwich, that way you wont be tempted with expensive options and can quite happily have the cheaper smaller meal and a glass of tap water = £7 on a meal out rather than £15

Use vouchers! Buffets are good too - usually cheaper on weekday lunchtimes and many give student discounts.

11) VALUE LOO ROLL

This goes without saying. Just do it. Any flatmates that objects just chuck one at their head! Its rediculously cheaper and you get a tonne more. [And they'll probably convert to it if you buy it first]

I'd say Home Bargains/Quality Save 'Nicky Elite' toilet roll. Value stuff isn't great.

12) NEVER GO TO THE SUPERMARKET HUNGRY

omg this is the worst thing you can do. Never ever do this, I would sometimes be starving on my walk home from college and swing by the supermarket and just buy loads of food! Go to a cornershop on your way home instead and buy a snickers/mars - they will fill you up just fine

Or just go home and get a chocolate bar out of the multipack you bought earlier.

13) VALUE SQUASH AS A SUGAR RUSH

When things were really tough, and I had £20 to spend on food for a month you must cut out sugary things such as sweets/chocolate/pop/beer/alchohol/wine etc. But i couldnt cope without sugar completely, so value squash at 17p a bottle is a fine replacement for those hard times. Its rediculously sugary and fills you up a bit too. STOP BUYING FIZZY DRINKS!

I don't like squash, I drink Hi-Juice which is cheapest at Aldi - 99p a litre.

14) CHEATS FIZZY DRINK

If you really must have a fizzy drink [I did this once or twice when i just really wanted the bubbles ] one measure of value orange/blackcurrent squash + one value bottle of lemonade [19p] is just as nice as a bottle of tango

15) KEEP THAT HEATING OFF UNTIL NOVEMBER/DECEMBER

Yes I mean it. I used to watch tv with my flatmate in two hoodies, nice thick slipper-boots, a blanket and a deerstalker hat. Get used to bundling up in the house. If you can wear a t-shirt in your flat in winter there's something seriously wrong if you want to save money. This is breadline-advice remember Keep that heating off. Instead make sure when you cook dinner you close the doors in the living room so all the heat from the kitchen gets trapped there. And DRINK HOT DRINKS!

16) KEEPING WARM WITH NO HEATING AT NIGHT

falling asleep when you're freezing cold isnt nice. I've had to do it before for years. Invest in an electric blanket [About £9.99-£20] Theyre all perfectly safe. You put them underneath your sheets, switch the blanket on for 5 minutes before you go to bed [in my flat "Can you put my bed on love?" became a cute way to say goodnight to each other] and after 5 minutes your bed will be toasty warm and lovely then switch it off You dont need it on all night, as you'll fall asleep all lovely and warm. Then in the morning put it on again for 5 minutes as you get up.
The electricity used by these is equivalent or less than a toaster if you use them correctly. And they make cold mornings lovely

17) STILL COLD? COOK!

cooking around a gas oven is an obvious way to keep warm, but if you're cooking something in the oven, leave the door open at the end to let that heat out and into the house

18) VALUE vs NICE

In my experience these are the value products that are perfectly normaly and ok to use [and i'm a food snob]

toothpaste
loo roll
crisps I prefer to go to Aldi or the pound shop and get nicer branded crisps.
tortilla chips
cream cheese
veg
tinned kidney beans/sweetcorn/tomatoes
stock cubes
bread / cakes
rice, spaghetti, pasta, chocolate

I also eat a lot of pulses - lentils, chickpeas etc. Don't buy supermarket brands of these; try and find the ethnic foods aisle - they often have weird brands half the price of their own brands. E.g. ASDA chickpeas 39p, KTC chickpeas 20p (I think asda is best because it does loads of KTC tins for about 20p.)

But personally, I find I need to buy nice cheese/beans/meat/sauces. If you go completely value you'll go mad

19) LATE NIGHT SHOPPING

If you live near a supermarket that closes at 10pm and you're still up, go shopping then - v cheap bread/cakes/herbs [You can get fresh herbs at the end of the day for v low prices like 30p, stick them in the oven on the lowest setting for half an hour and there you have a whole bunch of dried herbs ]

Fruit too, try and work out the right time to go for your particular supermarket though. I used to be excellent at my local tescos but they seem to have changed it recently.

20) LIVE IN A RUBBISH HOUSE? SOME TRICKS I LEARNT;

Student houses are mostly rubbish. I've lived in some proper dives in the past, with rain coming through the ceiling, damp on the walls, mould in the bathroom, holes in the windows and rotting doors - If you live in one of these you have a highfive from me :beer: they'll make you apprieciate the nice houses you'll live in the future

~ Try not to buy a single-glazed house. You'll be freezing, and putting the heating on will just be a waste of money. There's a reason why theyre so cheap.
~ If the gutters fall down during the snow season, dont panic, this happens to most crappy houses Its the landlords problem so get him on it else when it rains [and you're in a ground floor flat] you're house will become flooded
~ Stick a bunch of socks in the letter opening in the door. This space lets out loads of heat
~ CLOSE DOORS ALL THE TIME!
~ Get a toolbox [£3.99 from Ikea] You'll need it.
~ Thinking of doing a cleaning rota? Dont. Just dont. They cause arguements. Seriously I dont know why anyone does this. Just talk to your flatmates about the mess! Writing it neatly on a bit of paper is patronising and annoying

21) DO YOU REALLY NEED INTERNET?

I lived 3 years with no internet in the house. The library in town was open until 9pm and provided free internet, so i used that. Mcdonalds also has free wifi and you'll be left alone if you buy a wee happy meal or something. And Mcdonalds is open 24-7

Of course if you study on a course that needs internet then get it. But dont get a dongle! Such a waste of money!!

22) STAND UP FOR YOURSELF

a flatmate wants sky. You dont. They say theyre willing to pay for it. Hmm... Careful here - this can turn nasty if you watch that sky tv and dont contribute towards it. If this flatmate wants sky say very very CLEARLY that you WONT pay anything towards it, because you would have NEVER initiated getting it and purchasing it was THEIR decision and THEIR responsibility to pay. Make it crystal clear, else they can jump on you and ask you to chip in because you sat and watched a TV program with them last night.

[This never happened to me, because we all agreed we wanted Sky as it worked out to about £6 a month between us which was fine. I could have done without it, but really grew to like it and used it a lot, so i chipped in. But this can v easily cause arguements]

~~~
xxx

Finally switch your energy - follow martin's guide!

Voyager2002

Some interesting ideas in the OP. Some comments:
1. Walking -- or, better, running -- has the advantage that it keeps you fit and healthy. However, I do think that spending more than an hour a day like that is excessive: time is of crucial importance to a student. In general, you need to be aware of the time cost of something as well as the money cost. That is why a bicycle is such a superb investment.

Some value foods are fine, but not all. I find that really good bread is so much more filling than the worst kind: it lasts longer, satisfies your hunger, and tastes delicious. Best is if you can go somewhere like Waitrose when the decent bread is half-price. Or pick up a bread-maker in a charity shop: baking then takes about fifteen minutes to measure all the ingredients, and a high quality large loaf costs about forty pence.

And go easy on the oven: it uses a lot of energy, and energy costs a lot of money.

tom717

Aeld wrote: »

21) DO YOU REALLY NEED INTERNET?

Yes I really do. We didn't have it for the first month in one of my student houses because we didn't sort it out in advance and I was going absolutely insane without it. However, we didn't have a TV. That to me would have been a total waste of money.

Murtle

Some good ideas, I am no longer a student but would suggest rather than leaving a chilli to cook for 3 hours at low heat is to marinate the meat before hand and cook it for a shorter period. Leave some in a bowl in the fridge for the following day as it will mature overnight!

gabrielconroy

Some good tips there. We should start a thread about meals suited to batch-cooking and freezing. I do it all the time with curries, bologneses, soups, stews and so on. It saves so much time and money, and most of them taste better after they've been in the fridge or freezer for a while as well. The one about going to the supermarket hungry is definitely something to keep in mind as well, a recipe for financial disaster.

marvell-kid

This is a very good post, good read as well. And although you do say that it's for those living on the breadline, I would change a few things, mainly because everyone is different. I myself am not on the breadline, but prefer to save money where-ever I can so that I can afford a few luxuries and get a few birthday/christmas gifts every year.

1. Walk
As other posters have said, BIKE! My 1st year commute to uni on a bus was around 25 minutes, walking around 50 minutes and cycling about 20 minutes. Now it's more like Bus-30min (as it goes through the other campus'), Walk-10-15mins, Cycle-5mins (usually one song on my ipod).
Its great for fitness and can get you around town just as quickly as using public transport. I would recommend insurance on it if you cycle everywhere as in my first year, my bike got stolen and the replacement got stolen - Park in well lit areas with a good lock!

2. Learn to Cook
Defo! and learn to cook in bulk. If you have the freezer space, bulk buy your meats/sauce/veg and cook them together, put them in a freezer bag and freeze. I normally only go to the supermarket once every month and stock up. If I need anything else in between main shops, markets are a great place to buy cheap fruit/veg/meat(meat if its a good indoor market).

3. Cook Cheap But Yummy Food
I agree with everything you say, and would like to add:
Also you don't need to have this that and everything else you can find. Pasta and Sauce with a little bit of cheese is a great dinner/tea.
CHEESE! Don't just buy the cheapest cheese, its normally a mild one and you will eat it all in a couple days. Buy a strong Cheese (Vintage is the strongest Cheddar if you can find it Pre-packed), and grate it (rather than slicing it), more surface area = more taste. Normally you can get Branded Cheese on offer at the same price as Store Own. You just need to do a bit of shopping around.

4. Value Bread
If you need to then yes, its worth it, but don't have an extra slice because its so thin, you will end up spending more on it than you would buying a normal loaf.

5. Rice
Rice and PASTA can be bought in 3kg bags from supermarkets as well. 2 bags can probably last a whole uni year.

6. Chicken + 7. Pork Loin
Yes, don't buy chicken breast if you cant afford it. But other meats such as Pork Loin. But if you want a Bird, but Turkey - Its a little drier but loads cheaper, and If you have to have Chicken, don't buy breast or fillets, buy the whole bird and use everything.

8. Clothes
No problem here. Its a luxury if you already have enough clothes to keep you happy between washes. If you want a new item of clothing - ask for it for your Birthday/Christmas.
AND if you NEED an item such as a rain jacket as your last one is ripped for any reason then I suggest you keep £50 in a safe place for emergencies (I actually gave my dad and my mum £50 each to look after In case I got into a bit of trouble - no money for food, need something for uni - another textbook thats never in the library or something broke - my printer)

9. Going out
Pre-drinks are your friend - find cheap drink when on offer and use them or just spend the night in with housemates playing games and getting drunk.

10. Going out for Dinner
If I know I'm going out, I will not eat anything for a few hours, because I don't want to get their, order food and only eat half - £7 meal means I've wasted £3.50 If I'm still hungry, you can always go home and make a sandwich.
If you know your going to be eating out / having takeaway a few weeks ahead of time, try and save a little bit of money and treat yourself for being good with your cash/doing well at uni, you will feel much better, and you can always save leftovers for breakie/lunch.

11. Value Loo Roll
Unfortunately this is the part that I don't agree with. Yes its cheaper than normal loo roll, and you can get more sheets for the price, but you end up using more sheets to clean yourself, and that I find removes the saving of buying cheaper, cause you end up using it quicker. So I believe it works out the same price, so its really down to using value (sandpaper) or shades (Asda's own - nicer) or if you can find it on a good offer or have vouchers - treat yourself to andrex/quilted velvet as it lasts loads longer than the two above.
In this case its not Price / Quantity(Sheet) its Price / Usability(How many sheets you use)

12. Supermarket
Never Shop (Instore or online) hungry.
But try to shop online as you can bulk buy without needing to carry all the bags, and you can price compare to see if anywhere else is different. Good idea is to check out market prices as well for fresh stuff.

13. Value Squash
Some kind of squash is normally needed as the water in some areas can taste different to where you are from. I can drink straight from a tap at home, where as here I can't - physically makes me sick, unless I put some flavour in it.
But this is really down to what you can afford - or if you can stretch to a non-value product when its on offer.

14. Fizzy
Good Idea but Squash is good for me, I have fizzy when I go out normally.

15. Heating + 16. Heating at Night
I know this is about being on the breadline, but I have some thoughts on it.
This needs to be decided between house mates. I have house mates that don't want it on and others who do, even though both complain about the cold and leave windows open...grr
I, myself don't have a problem with it being off SOME of the time, I wrap up and deal with it. But When my clothes take 4 days to dry and end up smelling cause they've been wet for that long, I would rather have the heating on for an evening (as it benifits the whole house) than putting my clothes in a tumble drier and risking shrinkage (if something shrinks you need to buy a replacement).
The electric blankets are a good idea to get into bed, but I feel a cold bed is nice to get into and I warm it up quickly with my own body heat. But to get out off, the bed is already warm with my body heat so doesn't need another boost in the morning - Plus, the object is to get out of bed, I would prefer to wake up colder so that when I get out of bed the temperature change isn't drastic [This is the main reason I have been late to lectures, not alarms or snoozes, it's siking my self up to brave the cold]
Also, on your post about T-shirts. That isn't a good indication of how cold someone is feeling. If they are wearing socks and shoes (gloves and hat) then you can really wear 'summer' clothes any time because your hands and feet are insulated and that is what will get coldest fastest. I wear shorts pretty much all year round
EditTEA!!If you are getting cold, make a cuppa, the heat from the mug will warm up your hands, and the drink will warm you up inside.

17. Cook
Yes and if you have the heating on a timer, move the timer so that its not on during the afternoon/early evening when everyone is cooking as you can use the heat from cooking to heat the house up.

18. Value vs Nice
Its not always about value vs nice but rather about deal hunting. If something will last almost twice as long but cost twice as much, its fine.
You can go 100% Value, I did for a few weeks in my first year and It wasn't bad at all, although I didn't eat as much meat as I normally do.

19. LN Shopping
Yes, if you live near a big supermarket - but get the good deals. Just because its half price doesn't mean its cheapest. And don't buy something for 10p for the sake of it being cheap. Or buy something cheap and then realise you need to spend £2 more on something to go with it.

20. Rubbish House
I think that most of student houses aren't that great. You will always have problems with them, but its how you deal with them by yourself and as a house that will make you grow up.

21. + 22. Internet and TV
Internet is now a staple of any course, but its whether you need it in your house. Uni's, Libraries and some pubs/restaurants have it free of charge. But don't think of this as an althenative, think of it as a I can't afford anything but food for the year, It will have to do. It also depends of how many of you are living together, In a 2/3 20MB is enough, for 6/7/8 then you will need 50MB. I think of it like you all trying to get through a door at the same time and the xxMB size is the size of the door. Don't get an inadequate amount otherwise you will wish to never of got the internet and spend most of your time at uni/the library.
TV looks good, especially when you buying a packages from Virgin/Sky, but go through the packages as a house (we did in first year after we put our house deposit down) and decide on whats suitable for you, and how much it will cost, all together and separately. If someone isn't happy with a large cost, you can't force them. We had Internet and TV in first year in a house (2nd uni year) but this year all we have is the internet, as we made a compromise to cut down living costs although we did use the Virgin TV loads last year.
If you need to watch something, find somewhere that can put it on for you (friends house or pub). If your parents have access to Sky Go then you can get select channels free on a laptop/computer/xbox which might suit you.

There are loads of other ways you can save money as a student, but it's not that widely available. When I started in 2009, I searched for help, but nothing to help me. It was just people finding savings or moaning cause they had no money. I would really like to see a StudentMoneySaving website and not just a forum (collating 16-18, OU, postgrads, graduates, Mature Students) and tab on MSE although it is a great start as over the two years, I have learnt a lot and helped others (I think).

I hope my response hasn't offended anyone (as I have seen some views taken the wrong way) and I would like to add, I don't know everything, nor do I claim to. These are my views about how I have lived and what I believe is the best way to save money without it ending up feeling like a chore.