Perks of being a student – discounts and savings   

Balancing experience and fun at uni is best practices though planning.

I set a weekly budget, prioritising rent, food, and travel before allocating money for social activities. There are so many student friendly ways to do this! Anything from simple pen and paper to a more proficient excel spreadsheet can be a great place to start sectioning and budgeting your income. Meal prepping and second-hand shopping also help save cash!

An efficient ‘all in one’ approach to budgeting is using a budgeting app. I like these because budgeting apps help me to track my spending, and I always look for student discounts to make my money go further. 

A great app to use for budgeting whilst at university is Blackbullion, and it’s certainly been a game-changer! The best feature for me is the budgeting tool, which breaks down my spending and helps me plan ahead. The financial education resources are also super helpful—I’ve learned a lot about managing my money better. It’s definitely made me more confident with my finances, and being confident in your finances is a liberating feeling!

Thanks to the internet, it has now never been easier to access and find student discounts and thankfully, most shops offer them! 

My go-to deals are on travel (16-25 Railcard), food (McDonald’s points app), and subscriptions (Spotify & Apple Music student plans). Clothing brands like ASOS and Nike also have great student savings.

UNiDAYS, Student Beans and TOTUM are available for both iOS and android devices and are essential apps for students! I use UNiDAYS and Student Beans all the time for discounts on fashion, tech, and food. TOTUM is great too, especially for in-store deals. They’re easy to use and save me loads of money throughout the year, particularly for birthdays and charismas! 

1. Make a budget & stick to it – Use an app like Blackbullion to track weekly spending, covering essentials first and leaving room for fun. 
2. Use student discounts – Always check for deals on food, travel, and subscriptions. Platforms like UNiDAYS and Student Beans make saving easy.
3. Avoid impulse buys – If you see something you want, wait a day before purchasing. You’ll often realise you don’t need it!
4. Cook at home – Meal prepping saves money and stops you from overspending on takeaways.
5.  Be aware of subscriptions – Review your subscriptions regularly and cancel any you don’t use. Keep an eye out for student discounts too so your monthly outcome isn’t too great! 
6. Use cash or a prepaid card – If you struggle with overspending, withdraw a set amount of cash each week to limit spending. This is particularly effective for food shopping or socialising with friends! 

York is a great student city because many local cafés and restaurants near campus offer student discounts—just ask! Some bars even have student nights with lower prices, which is always a win!

Remembering to use savings with UNiDAYS, Student Beans, and TOTUM for deals on food, fashion, and travel can make a huge impact on your student budget! 

Smart spending helps stretch your budget, helping you to take advantage of fun opportunities and enjoy every moment of uni life without spending anxiety! 

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To find out more information about finances and budgeting, read Maria’s blog on how to manage your money as a student.