It might sound obvious, but only buy what you can afford. Some textbooks are even available as eBooks or PDFs, which are usually much cheaper.Īnd if you’re renting privately, and you need a good broadband connection, do your research before plumping for a deal - here’s a great guide here from Broadband Genie to help you.

Keep your eye out on student Facebook pages for students in the year above selling off their old books, or scour websites such as AbeBooks and eBay or even check out local charity shops and second-hand bookshops. Similarly, you don’t have to spend a fortune on textbooks. You can use apps like .uk and Idealo to see where the best prices are. The basket of shopping you’re getting from one supermarket might be £5 cheaper down the road - these little bits all add up surprisingly quickly. When it comes to day-to-day spending, it’s important to shop around. There are plenty of free-to-use budget templates out there to get you started, including these on Save the Student and the UCAS website. Or you can go old-school and use a spreadsheet and a calculator. You can use banking apps such as Yolt, Spending Tracker, Starling, or Monzo, which help outline how much you’re spending on what. There are lots of tools out there to help you manage your budget. Keep tabs on what you’re spending money on The number you have left is your weekly non-essential student budget, for things like nights out or special treats such as video games or non-study-related books. Take your predicted outgoings away from your predicted income and divide it by the number of weeks it needs to last, e.g. It’s better to overestimate this rather than underestimate and be left short.

This could include rent, bills (such as your mobile phone contract), travel (such a fuel or bus fares), course supplies, and the weekly food shop. Make a realistic list of all likely spending. This might include your student loan, any grants you get, a wage from a part-time job, or any regular funding from family. Make a realistic list of your future income. In its simplest form, there are three steps to budgeting:

Your student budget should be a top priority and should be one of the first things you turn your attention to you get your loan in three big instalments throughout the year and you need to make it last.

Student budget plan example