Saving

We all need groceries, but there are lots of ways to reduce your spending and get the most out of your money.

Supermarket Shop

• Shop at low cost supermarkets nearby like Lidl and Aldi

• Choose own-brand versions of items

• Write a shopping list before you go and stick to this

• Don’t go shopping hungry, as you are more likely to buy things impulsively

• Sign up for supermarket’s loyalty schemes such as Tesco Clubcard, Sainsbury's Nectar Card and the Lidl App. These will give you access to discounts and free items

• Go shopping in the evenings 7-9pm for reduced price offers on food nearing expiry which you can eat soon, or freeze for later

Food Waste

• Use apps like TooGoodToGo and Olio, to get heavily discounted food bags from big names like Pret, Caffe Nero, Waitrose and many more

• Try to use all the ingredients you’ve bought for the week before going on top-up supermarket shops

Preparation & Cooking

• Make a list of meals you like to eat and can cook in good time

  • Take a look at these student recipes for some inspiration.

• When cooking dinner, make a double portion and take this as a packed lunch the day after

  • There are microwaves around campus to heat up your food

• Don’t pay for water! Take a bottle with you and use one of the water fountains dotted around campus. Or ask a staff member at Loco’s or one of the coffee shops to fill up your bottle for free.

Whether you live on campus or commute in, you will inevitably spend money on getting around the university and London which can get expensive. You can reduce these costs by:

• Trying to walk or cycle shorter distances

• There are Santander bikes at Brunel and lots of cycle storage spaces around campus

• If you commute in regularly, register for an 18+ Student Oyster card which will give you 30% off travelcards

• If you travel by rail often, it is worth purchasing a 16-25 Railcard which gives you 33% off rail travel. If you have the 18+ Student Oyster, you can link the two together to get 30% off, off-peak PAYG travel on TfL

• Avoid getting taxis, Ubers or Bolts to save money, opt for public transport instead

  • Or, share rides with a group of friends and split the cost between you all

Many courses will ask you to read textbooks and require you to use certain software to complete your work. Buying books new and getting subscriptions can get expensive but there are ways to reduce these expenses:

Textbooks

• Look for books in the Brunel Library and local Uxbridge libraries. You can take them out on a loan for free

• Find textbooks online from second-hand sellers e.g., eBay, Unid books or Amazon

• Try searching for a PDF version for free

Software & Subscriptions

• Brunel provides student access via Student Software Portal - you can access these in certain rooms on campus, use them remotely or install them on your own device

• Try sharing paid subscriptions among friends and course-mates e.g., Notion, Soundnote, Anki or Quizlet

• Try searching for a PDF version for free

Supplies

• See if there are any spare stationary supplies in your department or library

• Shop at stores with student discount e.g., WH Smith

• Use the university library, study rooms and cafes to save money on your bills – especially during the winter

NHS

The NHS has schemes in place that can make access treatments and medication more affordable.

• If you're on a low income, the NHS offers finanical support where you can get health related costs such as travelling to appointments, prescriptions, dental and optician’s bills covered. Anyone can apply as long as you do not have savings or investments over a certain limit and if you are:

  • a student

  • earning a wage

  • receiving state benefits

  
  

  To find out if you are eligible, take a look at the website - NHS Low Income Scheme

   

• If you have regular prescriptions, it may be beneficial to get an NHS Prescription Prepayment Certificate (PPC) for a 3 or 12-month period which covers all of your prescriptions. It may be worth it if:

  • A prescription costs £9.35 per item. A PPC costs: £30.25 for 3 months or £108.10 for 12 months. If you’re going to buy 4+ prescriptions in 3 months, or 12+ prescriptions in 12 months, it may be worthwhile.

To find out how to apply, take a look at the website - NHS Prescription Prepayment Certificate

Toiletries

• Don’t pay for periods! There are free period products available across campus

  • Free vending machines, in the Library and Eastern Gateway

  • Containers in the Hamilton Centre toilets

  • Read more about the campaign by the Union

• Sign up for rewards cards in Boots and Superdrug, to collect points as you shop and use these points to pay saving you money

Many gyms offer student discounts on their membership and Brunel offers lots of fitness classes to help you stay active in your budget.

• The Gym, PureGymand Nuffield Health

• If you’re on campus, consider signing up for the Brunel Gym, which is under £200 for the whole year

• Take a look at the all of the fitness classes offered by Active@Brunel- the membership costs just £50 for the whole year and there are lots of classes on offer each week.

  • Attending one class each moth for the whole year means the fee works out at £4 per month!

While it’s simple to think we can do without eating out, you don’t need to cut it out completely. There are ways to reduce how often you go and be economical when you do.

• Try to reduce eating out as much as you can; whether these are ready meals bought on the go, takeaways or spontaneous meals out.

  • Think one day ahead and prepare extra dinner to take for lunch the next day

  • Put some snacks in your bag before you leave

• Reduce how often you get coffee or drinks outside

  • Invest in a nice flask you like, and prepare your coffee before you leave. The flask will keep it hot for several hours

  • You can do the same for other drinks hot or cold, like Matcha, Teas or Hot Chocolates – prepare at home and bring with you!

• Don’t pay for water! Take a bottle with you and use one of the water fountains dotted around campus. Or ask a staff member at Loco’s or one of the coffee shops to fill up your bottle for free.

• Use Compare the Market to buy a cheap insurance policy and access 1-years’ worth of discounts; consider sharing these between friends

  • 25% off Caffe Nero

  • 50% off Pizza

• If you or a friend use the mobile network O2 – you will have access to O2 priority, which offers Free Greggs and hot drinks

• If you are in central London, lots of places do 50% off food, an hour before closing. Time your visits to get your meals for much less!

  • Itsu, Wasabi, Tossed, Coco Di Mama and Crushhh

• Sign up for rewards to get discounts and freebies

  • LEON, Pret, McDonald’s and more!

• When you do eat out, make the most of your student discount at lots of big restaurants like Pizza Express, Franco Manca, Gourmet Burger Kitchen (GBK), TacoBell and Pho

• You can save money by asking for tap water, sharing desserts or food with friends, and taking any food leftover home for lunch the day after!

Fashion

• Recycle your old items for vouchers you can spend, stores like H&M,John Lewis, and Schuh all offer this scheme.

• Try to buy second-hand;

  • Apps like Vinted and Depop

  • Charity shops

  • eBay and Facebook Market

• Spend a bit more buying a better-quality item that you love rather than a cheaper item that you only like. Better quality items will last you longer and give you a better “cost per wear”

• Haggle if the item has a fault, loose threads, buttons or stains are all faults that are easily fixed at home but could bag you up to 20% off!

• Find your personal style to avoid buying clothes that are on trend and will fade

  • The Whering App allows you to upload digital versions of all of your clothes. You can get outfit combinations and recommendations to make better use of your current wardrobe, and add clothes before you buy to see if they will fit well into your current collection

• Unsubscribe from shop’s emailing lists to avoid getting tempted into spending because there are new releases or offers on

Technology

• Big brands like Apple, Samsung and Microsoft all offer student discount

• Buy refurbished; Apple, Samsung and Curry's. Most big brands will have a 12-moth guarantee in case anything goes wrong

• Consider buying an older model rather than the latest version

• You can borrow laptops from the university or use a computer on campus, if you don’t want to buy your own

It’s good to have a look through any subscriptions you already have and think about how often you use it and whether it is worth your money. If you want to keep subscriptions there are lots of student deals available:

• Spotify offer Premium for £5.99 p/m

• Amazon Prime – 6 months free, then £4.50 p/m. You also get:

  • 2 for £10 cinema tickets at ODEON

  • One-year free Deliveroo Plus via Unidays

• YouTube Premium £7.99 p/m

• Disney+ 15% off annual subscriptions

Days Out

Exploring London and having fun doesn’t need to drain your account. As a student you have access to lots of exclusive prices. There are lots of things to do and see in the city; from cinemas and theatre to parks, museums, and clubs. Here are our picks:

• The Barbican has a free Young Barbican membership which gives you access to £5 cinema tickets as well as exclusive exhibitions and creative opportunities

  • They also offer lots of free events – such as the Barbican Conservatory tour

• The National Theatre offer UK residents £5 and £10 tickets for shows at the Olivier, Lyttelton and Dorfman theatres.

• BFI Southbank has £3 cinema tickets for those 25 & under

• The Tate Modern has free exhibitions, and signing up to the Tate Collective gets you £5 tickets to its paid exhibitions

• Lots of other London museums have free entry like the V&A, British Museum, Mosaic Rooms and many more

• Subscribe to newsletters by the London Wildlife Trust to be notified of free events they are running e.g., Wildflower printing workshop, nature walks, hikes and gardening opportunities

• Use Tesco Clubcard vouchers to pay for or get cheaper access to theme parks e.g., Alton Towers, Thorpe Park etc.

• Get a Student Art Pass for £10 for the year – this will give you free and discounted access to hundreds of museums, galleries & exhibitions such as:

  • Photographer’s Gallery – Soho (Free)

  • Leighton House – Holland Park (Free)

  • Design Museum – Holland Park (£7-8)

• Use Compare the Market to buy a cheap insurance policy and access 1-years’ worth of discounts; consider sharing these between friends such as 2 for 1 cinema tickets!

• If you or a friend use the mobile network O2 – you will have access to O2 priority, which offers

  • 2 Vue cinema tickets for £9, or 4 for £18

  • Free priority entry to the Virgin Media Gamepad at the O2 where you can play games

• Take a look at purchasing NUS TOTUM for discounts across several brands and resturants - just make sure to check if it is worth the cost!

Nights Out

Going out can end up becoming very expensive, very quickly but with a little bit of planning and thinking ahead, you can save some extra money by following our tips:

• If you’re planning on drinking, don’t go straight to the club! Organise pre-drinks with store-bought alcohol, you’ll save lots of money on buying drinks & shots at the club

• Plan ahead and buy snacks or eat a filling meal beforehand to avoid impulsive takeaways

• Only leave a set amount of money in your account so you can’t overspend

• Avoid buying rounds!