I have now been a student in London, England for almost 7 months. That means that my first year at Uni is nearly done. It also means that I am 33.3 per cent done with my BA in Advertising, PR and Media.
Before I moved across the pond to England, I worked full time for a year saving money for my education. My goal was to be able to have fun while in London. I did not want to be that kind of student who could not go to concerts, exhibitions and cinema because of lacking money. That does not mean that I have been throwing my money around. I have been living on a budget from my student loan and scholarship from Norway. Therefore I have written down a few tips for students studying in England or planning to move here.
1. Always accept club cards or membership cards from stores and organizations if they are free. Tesco Club Card is free and is a brilliant way to save some money while doing grocery shopping. NUS (National Union of Students) also have a membership card where you can get discounts from stores and restaurants.
2. Do grocery shopping with a friend. At Tesco and ASDA you will find items who are cheaper if you buy more of them. 2 for 1, 3 for 5 pounds and so on. If you do your food shopping with a friend, you can both save money and still get the items on your list.
3. Ask for student discounts in clothing stores, shoe stores and stationaries. Always bring your student ID with you when you go shopping. Asking for a student discount takes you one second and you can end up saving money. The most normal student discount is 20 per cent of an item. Save money where you can.
4. Buy family packs of chicken, meat and so on and portion pack it at home. I always buy 8-9 chicken filets at a time to save money. A family pack is cheaper than buying a pack of two filets. When you get home, pack each filet in plastic bags and freeze it. Then you have one portion of dinner ready for you.
5. Write “Remember dinner” on a Post-It note and put it up on your door where the handle is. This is actually an advice from me which I gave to Sandra. If you forget to take your dinner out of the freezer, you might end up at Tesco buying dinner for one day which is not good for your economy.
6. Buy fruit and vegetables that can be stored in room temperature. I have now lived in halls for 7 months and the space you have in the fridge and freezer is small. Buying fruit such as apples, bananas, kiwi and vegetables such as broccoli, tomatoes and onions will save you space and money. You will not have to go to the store several times a week, and you will still retain a healthy lifestyle.
7. Follow restaurants on social media to stay updated on offers. Living in London and not eating out every once in a while is not that easy. If you follow your favourite places on social media, it is easier to stay updated on offers. They might have 2 for 1 evenings, cheapest item on 50 per cent and so on.
8. Try a “shopping stop” for a couple of weeks or months. If you encourage yourself to not shop clothes, shoes and so on over a period of time, you will save a lot of money. My friend, Sandra, have now had a stop for a couple of months and is no longer tempted to go spend a lot of money on items she does not really need.
9. Make lunch at home before going to uni. Prepare lunch the evening before or in the morning and bring it with you to uni. Instead of spending 5 pounds on lunch at uni, you can spend 1 pound by using bread, cheese and ham from your fridge. One tempting tip is to make wraps with Philadelphia, cheese, ham, salad and tomatoes. They will hold in your bag for a while and still taste delicious.
10. Try to bring your own snacks such as fruit or nuts to uni to keep away from the tempting offers at Costa, Starbucks and so on.
11. Have dinner once a week at home with your friends. If you all decide to make something together, everyone can contribute with items from their fridge and cabinet and you can all make a delicious dinner from what you already have. And you will not have to eat your dinner alone.
12. If you are going on a night out, try to be there before 11.30pm. By leaving pre drinks a little bit earlier, you can save a lot of money. The entrance fees normally do not start until 12, so by leaving half an hour earlier with your friends, you can save 5-10 pounds a night. The drink offers at pubs and clubs usually lasts until 1am, so you can still have fun even if you are a bit early.
13. Experiences can be free! Some exhibitions and museums have free entry. A day in the park with a good view (Hyde Park and Primrose Hill) is also free, and you get a great day as well.
There you go, some advice for current or up and coming students in the UK. If you have any great advice that I have not mentioned, feel free to write a comment and share them with me.
Until next time,
Silje
London by Silje 
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