How To Save Money As A Student

1. Plan Meals & Do Online Shops

Unless you are lucky enough to live next to a supermarket or superstore, it's a good idea to do your food shopping online. Plan out your meals for the week (head to Pinterest for some good healthy inspiration!) and make a note of all the ingredients needed for your next week of meals. Order your ingredients online (via Tesco/Asda) and have them delivered straight to your door while saving money! In smaller shops, such as Tesco Express or Sainsburys Local, prices are bumped up and you can end up spending much more - so always opt to show in large supermarkets. Planning meals in advance also means that you are shopping with a clear list - making it easier to stay away from unnecessary food and snacks. Another helpful tip is to always shop on a full stomach; don't let your hunger get the better of your money!

2. Take It In Turns To Buy Necessities

Take it in turns with your flatmates to buy the necessities for your flat. Things like toilet roll, washing up liquid, shower gel and bin bags can all add up if you're buying them weekly, so come to some sort of agreement with your flatmates and sort out who will buy what and when. It's also a good idea to all put some money together when you move in to stock up on essentials - sponges, washing up gloves, scourers, bleach, cleaning detergent and washing machine tablets will not come with your flat so put a little bit of money aside at the start to get them instead of having to buy them throughout the year.

3. Make Lots of Food & Freeze It

If you're a student attempting to save money, your freezer is pretty likely to be your new best friend. Making single meals for yourself can be quite inconvenient and wasteful (spaghetti bolognese for one, anyone?), so it's a good idea to make a few extra portions and freeze them. This means you can stretch out your meals and get way more out of them - and effectively save money and time! Making more portions also means that you can take a packed lunch out with you, saving you money that you may have spent on buying lunch. It's also a good idea to cook joint meals with your flatmates too, which will save you all money. Cooking up a big casserole dish will only cost a couple of pounds each and can feed four of you four an evening.

4. Walk & Cycle Where You Can

Investing in a bike will save you a LOT of money as a student. Cycling to and from Uni will save you spending money on catching the bus (which can add up to as much as £12 a week) and will ensure you squeeze some exercise and fitness into your time too. Cycling also means you can avoid waiting around for unreliable city busses! If you don't have a bike, try to walk as much as possible instead of taking the bus. It may seem like you're only saving a couple of pounds here and there, but in the long run it will make a huge difference. It's so easy to just catch the bus into town to do your shopping, but if it's within distance then try to walk instead.

5. Only Use What You Need

This may seem very obvious, but it's an easy thing to forget. Only use what you need in your house and make a conscious effort to save energy. Turn the lights off when no one is in a room, do not leave the television on standby and only put as much water in the kettle as you need. Don't spend obscene amounts of time in the shower (difficult I know!) and unplug phone chargers, electric blankets and speakers when they are not in use. It's a good idea to put your heating on a set timer too, so that it only comes on in the mornings and evenings - the most important times of the day to heat up your house.

For more student advice, read my Things To Consider When Renting as a Student and So... You're Going To Uni? posts.