Your dream has finally come true: you’re studying in the heart of London, with an exciting group of friends from all over the world and a carefully planned budget, which should allow you to make the most of your time here.

You have already bought your books, food, paid your rent, bought an Oyster card, socialised, got overwhelmed with the Oxford Street shops, seen the sights, Rynair prices and… Oops, where has your money gone again? No need to panic just yet! Keep calm and check these money-saving tips:

1) Go non-branded

If you’re shopping at the small Tesco on Baker Street, chances are that you’re missing great saving opportunities. Large supermarkets usually have their own product lines, which are usually much cheaper than branded products. Sainsbury’s, for instance, has the basics product line, which usually includes £35p pasta, £65p ham, £45p rice and £1 chicken drumsticks. You can even treat yourself after exams with £35p chocolate or digestive biscuits.

2) Explore cheap supermarket chains

If you’re an international student, you might want to visit a few cheap supermarkets and shops: check Poundland, Lidl and Asda to name a few.

3) Don’t shop before 7pm

Go shopping late, as you might find reduced products after 7pm!

4) Make the most of one-pot recipes

Busy with assignments? Visit the BBC Good Food site and take one hour of your day to make a tasty and cheap recipe that will last for a few days.

5) Maintain your healthy diet despite the circumstances

Being on a budget is not an excuse for an unhealthy diet either. As a student, you need energy and vitamins to concentrate and boost your immune system. To get some inspiration, visit Jamie Oliver’s site and check the video below:

6) Don’t give up on the gym

Have you checked the University’s gym membership deals? You could pay £135 for the academic year (which means less than £20 per month) to join, with all classes included (Yoga, Pilates, BoxFit and many others). Find out more on the University’s website. If you like swimming, you can also join the Better Gym as a student for £29.95 – the monthly cost includes access to classes and other facilities.

7) Check voucher sites regularly

Don’t forget to check sites such as Student Beans and Voucher Codes for discounts and free stuff.

8) Keep an eye on offers from your mobile phone provider Are you with O2? If you sign up for their monthly plans as a student, you will be able to get a 30% student discount in your tariff. The provider also has the Priority Moments app, which offers £1 lunches for customers every Monday. Orange and EE customer? Get 2 for 1 cinema tickets every Wednesday!

9) Don’t make international calls

Use Facetime, Skype or Viber for this! If your family is not into Skype, you can also save money on calls buying an O2 bolt-on that costs you only £10 per month and gives you a local number, 3000 minutes of landline calls and 100 minutes of mobile calls to 3 international numbers. Lebara has good deals too!

10) Save money on tube and train journeys

Besides obviously trying to walk, cycle and get the bus more often, get a 16-25 Railcard (if you’re older, you can still get it as a full-time student). This card costs just £30 and it will save you 1/3 off your off-peak tube journeys (as long as you top-up the card as pay as you go), as well as 1/3 on rail fares.

11) Avoid black cabs after a night out Freezing on the street waiting for the night bus because you missed the tube? Download Uber on your phone: if you recommend the app to your friends, you receive £10 credit after their first journey.

12) Become a mystery shopper and take part in surveys

Are you a critical customer? Are you an observer? Use these skills to become a mystery shopper and get paid to go to nice restaurants and shops! Some of the places that recruit mystery shoppers include Market Force, Mystery Dining and IMS, as well as some major marketing research companies like TNS Global.

13) Get discount cards NUS Card: for discounts at GBK, McDonalds, Cinema, Pizza Express and others. Time Out card, Tastecard, Gourmet Society card: for discounts in restaurants.

14) Don’t have anything to wear? Go vintage! Think outside the box! Some vintage markets, such as Brick Lane and Portobello Road market, offer great clothes for affordable prices. If you’re lucky, you might also find good stuff at car boot sales around London.

By Danielle Macedo, MA Marketing Communications alumni

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