So, you’re a university student and you’re worried about money? Don’t panic! Being mindful of your financial situation is great but your new life doesn’t have to consist of beans on toast everyday and no social life. Glide customers have already made the smart decision to let us organise their shared house bills so we thought we’d create a little list of how else you can save money as a student but have fun.
Sharing bills with your housemates
Most students in their second and third years at university will live in shared houses with friends. Many properties now come with ‘bills included’ rent meaning you have only one payment to make to your landlord per month. Chances are your landlord is using a company such as Glide to help work out the utility bills for the house and that amount will be shared equally between tenants.
If you are moving into a house that is rent only then get in touch with Glide and we can set up a shared house bills service for you too. The stress of setting up utility accounts, working out who owes what and actually paying it can be a real pain – we take that stress away and give you one bill for each service we provide making budgeting for the month a million times easier.
Make and stick to a budget
We know that this sounds like the most boring thing on earth but it’s kind of essential if you want to end each month with a little money to spare.
Sit down and work out what money you have coming in and what money you have going out. You can then clearly see what cash you have spare and where savings could be made. Give yourself a budget for each expenditure, £20 a week on food maybe or £10 on public transport and stick to it. This is easier if you take out cash each week and leave your debit card at home.
Go cheap and cheerful when shopping
Mum and Dad may have bought the top branded groceries you insisted on but now you’re the one paying at the supermarket till it’s time to shop smarter. Value ranges are not necessarily inferior and when you’re skint paying an extra £2 for a fancy box of cornflakes isn’t appealing. Don’t fly round the supermarket chucking things in your trolley without checking the price. Plan your meals, take your time, look at offers, how much something is per 100g and get VALUE FOR MONEY. It’s totally worth the effort to ensure your food shop is cheap but also filling and nutritious – lining the stomach before a night out is important right?!
Freecycle
This website is mind blowing. Free stuff! You just have to go pick it up. Sign up to receive emails about the weird and wonderful things people are willing to give away. One of the ladies in the Glide support centre once got brand new OLED TV for nothing, nada, FREE! The people advertising it where silly rich and discovered it didn’t fit in their new city centre flat. Now we’re not saying this happens every day but if your shared student house needs a comfy chair or the vacuum cleaner just broke and the landlord is being tight then check sites such as the likes of shpok or even facebook market place before heading to IKEA.
Surf the net for offers and discounts with great value student broadband deals
Most offers and discount codes can be easily found on the internet. A quick Google search means never having to pay full price for a meal out again. Sign up with Glide for your student broadband to get fast, unlimited student broadband deals so you’ll never have to miss an online flash sale again. The cost will be included in your monthly payment along with the other services we provide in your home.
Bank accounts are more than just the free gift
Make your decision on who to bank with based on the interest free overdraft they offer not the freebie they offer for signing up with them. The Young Person’s Railcard deal, if you see one, is fantastic but look into what else they offer too.
Banks are closing branches throughout the country so make sure you choose one who has good online banking facilities or an app. Having up to date information on how much is in your account, being able to transfer money between accounts instantly and a friendly voice to talk on the phone to are all important.
Remember, for an effective bill splitting service for a shared house bills to help you budget as a student then get in touch with Glide.