Money Saving Tips for Plymouth University Students

If you are planning to go to Plymouth University next year or are currently a Plymouth student, money is probably currently one of your top priorities. Any student knows that finances can often be tight, with student finance providing you with just enough to cover your rent and other basic bills for the month, with your groceries. Most students manage to live on a pretty tight budget, so money saving tips are always appreciated. Whether you’re currently studying at Plymouth or plan to join us soon, you can benefit from these student money saving tips.

Unlock Your Smartphone

As a student, having a smartphone is probably essential – you use it to keep up with your friends, hook it up to speakers to play music at parties, and probably use it to access learning materials in your lectures and seminars, too. But, at university, your smartphone can also be a massive extra expense. If you’re currently paying out a chunk of money each month to a mobile contract, save some money by passing on your next upgrade and instead having your current handset unlocked, so that you can go on the best value for money SIM only contracts from a variety of networks. Click here for more information about mobile phone unlocking.

Student Discounts

Signing up for all of the student discounts that you can get is definitely worth it as a student. Even the paid NUS card is a bargain at £12 per year and can definitely come in handy when it comes to making some big savings on your Christmas shopping. Along with that, apps such as UniDays can also be very handy for students, offering discounts on university essentials, fashion, tech, gifts, food and more. Carry your student card with you wherever you go – and don’t forget to ask about student discounts before you purchase – just because a store hasn’t displayed a poster advertising a student discount, doesn’t mean that they don’t! Students can also get discounts on a range of other things, for example health services such as dental procedures, glasses and eye contacts, and mental health services such as counselling, so enquiring about this with your health professionals can result in savings.

Use the Library

If you buy your university textbooks brand new, the cost can soon add up massively. This is even more for students who are taking a course that requires a lot of reading – some modules suggest 10-20 books per week on the reading list, and that’s just for one lecture! Plymouth University is proud to offer its students an extensive library where you will be able to find all of your recommended and required reading in either physical or e-format, along with much more. Free to use for students, making the library your first stop for books and resources can result in never paying a penny for textbooks!

Student life can often mean living on a tight budget, with university work making it difficult for students to undertake a lot of paid work. But, with the right tricks and techniques, living comfortably as a student isn’t difficult.