Welcome

Managing your money as a student can take time, but making your money go further is something you can achieve easily with some practice.

We've got some useful tips that will help you budget your loan:

1. Write it all down
Write down the amount of loan you will be receiving and take away however much will be going out each month. This would include: rent, bills, food shopping, and anything else you have going out of your bank account. This will enable you to work out how much you can spend each month. If you're struggling to work out your finances, our Financial Support team and Student Money Champions have created a handy Budget Sheet which simplifies the whole process.

2. Allocate cash
After you've worked out how much you can afford to spend each month, you can see how much you have left per week. This is then your weekly allowance, you may even have money left over each week to spend on treats and nights out (yes, you can still enjoy yourself when budgeting)!

3. Keep track
Whether this means writing it all down or keeping track of it on an app, keep track of what you're spending money on. This will make it clear if you are spending money on unnecessary things.

4. Shop smart
Choose where you go for your food shop carefully! Shopping at the likes of Aldi and Lidl will save you a lot of money compared to shopping at Co-op or Tesco. Always do a weekly or monthly food shop too - don't go to your local corner shop for food every day because it'll end up a lot more expensive.

5. Student discount
One of the great benefits of being a student has got to be the student discounts. Most shops have a student discount, and if it doesn't advertise it always ask (it's worth it). If you haven't got a student card, then invest in a TOTUM card or UNiDAYS / Student Beans are great online alternatives

Some useful resources to look at are the University cost of living Sharepoint and the SUSU cost of living website.