Student MoneySaving Club!

violetviolin

thanks for all the tips as always guys that's a good idea influence about spending differently and making often HUGE savings, and hopefully the new spending habits you develop will stick!!!! i'm gonna try just spending nothing, cuz i realise now how i don't have to spend much (if at all!) to be happy and have fun.

here's some tips, i don't know if we've talked about things you can do (instead of going out and spending loads drinking!) that are cheapish:

• Cook a meal for your flatmates - maybe you could take it in turns to cook a meal, or take part together! My flat went through a stage of trying to cook meals from a different country - we did Indian food (yummy, we used up some of our rice, sauces, Quorn and veg - veg can bump up any meal into something huge hahah - only extra expense was yoghurt and naan bread i think!) We also did things like Italian (pizza and pasta and ice-cream, yumm!!!), English (lol) and wanted to do Mexican, yumm.
• Have a film marathon - get cheap snacks from Quality Save, Poundworld or any cheap part of a supermarket really! For the films, sign up to a free DVD trial (places like Pigsback give you points/money for joining these!), or if you're lucky (like me:D) some companies like Lovefilm n Tesco send vouchers to entice old customers back! I have 3 months free now with Lovefilm (I think I only ever had a trial with them, if I had anything at all!)
• Go to any concerts or plays the uni societies put on - might have to pay (some times not though!) but you get to support students - maybe another idea is to take part in them!
• Have an indoor picnic (why not!)
• Have a kids' style party (we really want to do this) with games, jelly and ice-cream and cupcakes (hahaha)
• Go to the park - picnic, walking and exercise, play football, jog - maybe there are free events going on, like your local park might have free firework displays at Bonfire night!
• Play on someone's games console (cheeky unless you're allowed bwahahaha - could always play multiplayer with them!)
• Go to lectures and discussions - I see posters for these sometimes around uni! Could be interesting and could meet some new people
• Join the uni newspaper and review bands - I got free tickets to gigs, free albums, all for writing a little review afterwards! Great!!! Plus I met some new people and got some experience for my CV!
• Go explore where you live - a friend of mine said recently that to get out of the house he would just randomly walk around town/where we live, and I was surprised because I'm a bit lazy and would never think to do that! But you'll be surprised the fun places he's discovered doing that, cool art on the street, odd people and places! I've started going with him and we've taken a load of stupid photos, had a laugh and seen more of the world - really gives you some good memories and I feel happier and more confident for actually getting out there.
• Go to museums, art galleries, exhibitions etc - I envy people who live in London with all those museums and stuff, but maybe you just get used to it! Hehe
• Have a fancy dress party
• Volunteer
• Join a band or orchestra, or any other social group etc! Get to meet new people and have a hobby!

Anyway I'm a bit shocked at how late it is, and I'm sure some of those ideas are obvious, but hope it gives an idea to someone!

freebie_junkie

ames123 wrote: »

I doubt I would even be able to get loads of credit cards even if I wanted to! I'm going to apply for the &more card but doubt I will be accepted. If i'm not i'm going to get the one that comes with my student account which I didn't want when I got the account a couple of years ago.

store and credit cards can be a good thing if you pay them off straight away. you can earn points, get money off and free gifts- just always pay it off in full!

freebie_junkie

ive added my first money from nothing to my sig: £5 voucher from six town housing for fillign in their young tenants survey and a £10 boots voucher from pigsback

ames123_2

Nice ideas, thanks VV. I really want to do more in my last year (can't believe i'm saying that!). I was thinking of volunteering. Also maybe doing something with the uni paper. I'm not that good at writing though so perhaps something else to do with it.
I agree with you about London, but I think if we were there we wouldn't make the most of it!

violetviolin

Hehe ames, maybe writing for the paper would be good practice so you'd get better at writing i want to do more too this year - i really didn't do enough last year and i don't want to regret doing so little next year! maybe that can be our non-money challenge, to do more things hehe i got into a habit of getting up late, not doing much......laaazy! you guys ever think bout how at school you'd be working 9-3... those were the days hahahhahahaa

well done freebie!

ames123_2

Oh yes! When i'd just got up i'd think, 'I would of done about 5 lessons by now if I was at school!'.

Are you going into your 2nd year? I'm going into my 3rd year and last year I said the same about doing more stuff. But I never did. But maybe with everyone on here I might! I want to try a few clubs as well.

violetviolin

yup i'm going into my second year! yeah we'll all be waiting to hear about the clubs you join so now you have to do something hehehe and i will too, a bit of pressure will really make me do something hehe

elisebutt65

ames123 wrote: »

Nice ideas, thanks VV. I really want to do more in my last year (can't believe i'm saying that!). I was thinking of volunteering. Also maybe doing something with the uni paper. I'm not that good at writing though so perhaps something else to do with it.
I agree with you about London, but I think if we were there we wouldn't make the most of it!

Nice idea but if your 3rd year is your final year you may find it really tough going what with dissertations and exams etc. In fact I probably spent less in my last year than any other, purely because I was in all the time studying - LOL

Anyone with kids/mature student in the club cos I think there are different rules applying here - such as stay at home instead of going out drinking - I wish!!!!! I just got my Freshers week pack and I am soooo jealous!!!!!!:rotfl::rotfl: I want to be a proper fresher and stay out past bedtime!!!!

As for cooking etc - I already do all that from scratch - How to make 250gms of mince last all week - :rotfl::rotfl:

Oooooh - And I won 2nd prize in a Harry Potter Comp - Just opened a jiffy bag with T-Shirt, Hat, Badges, pen etc so saved money there cos I don't have to buy carp for the kids this week RAFLMAO!!!!!!

And Tesco's have also just been putting loads of boxes of random stuff for a quid - Football pumps, pens, bike locks, folders and document sleeves(100 for a £!!!) so I went and topped up on stationary for the year.

ames123_2

elisebutt65 wrote: »

Nice idea but if your 3rd year is your final year you may find it really tough going what with dissertations and exams etc. In fact I probably spent less in my last year than any other, purely because I was in all the time studying - LOL

Anyone with kids/mature student in the club cos I think there are different rules applying here - such as stay at home instead of going out drinking - I wish!!!!! I just got my Freshers week pack and I am soooo jealous!!!!!!:rotfl::rotfl: I want to be a proper fresher and stay out past bedtime!!!!

As for cooking etc - I already do all that from scratch - How to make 250gms of mince last all week - :rotfl::rotfl:

Oooooh - And I won 2nd prize in a Harry Potter Comp - Just opened a jiffy bag with T-Shirt, Hat, Badges, pen etc so saved money there cos I don't have to buy carp for the kids this week RAFLMAO!!!!!!

And Tesco's have also just been putting loads of boxes of random stuff for a quid - Football pumps, pens, bike locks, folders and document sleeves(100 for a £!!!) so I went and topped up on stationary for the year.

Oo I know. My third year is not the best time to try and do more things!
Jealous about the HP win - love HP!

About your mature student question. My Mum has just finished uni, she has done a mental health degree, so i'm sure she knows how you feel!

freebie_junkie

elisebutt65 wrote: »

Nice idea but if your 3rd year is your final year you may find it really tough going what with dissertations and exams etc. In fact I probably spent less in my last year than any other, purely because I was in all the time studying - LOL

Anyone with kids/mature student in the club cos I think there are different rules applying here - such as stay at home instead of going out drinking - I wish!!!!! I just got my Freshers week pack and I am soooo jealous!!!!!!:rotfl::rotfl: I want to be a proper fresher and stay out past bedtime!!!!

As for cooking etc - I already do all that from scratch - How to make 250gms of mince last all week - :rotfl::rotfl:

Oooooh - And I won 2nd prize in a Harry Potter Comp - Just opened a jiffy bag with T-Shirt, Hat, Badges, pen etc so saved money there cos I don't have to buy carp for the kids this week RAFLMAO!!!!!!

And Tesco's have also just been putting loads of boxes of random stuff for a quid - Football pumps, pens, bike locks, folders and document sleeves(100 for a £!!!) so I went and topped up on stationary for the year.

i dont have kids- but i think we are more similar in teh fact that we both live in our own homes and are post-grad students. there are different costs and stuff you cant do that other students can!

i bet you could take your kids to the freshers fair, to get some freebies and a day out?

im being uber-cheeky and going to my unis plus manchester and man met's haha!