Ways UoB students can actually save money during the cost of living crisis

By now the majority of university students will be painfully aware of the current cost of living crisis the UK is in. The crisis is hitting the nation hard, but especially hard on uni students, as many don’t have a stable income and are relying on student loans which most of the time just about stretch to cover rent, let alone all the other bills on top of this.

The crisis makes it so hard for students to afford living costs such as rent, electricity bill and food, that one in seven fear they may be homeless within the next six months.

Although university students are struggling due to the cost of living crisis, they are usually spoken down upon and patronised, being told to cancel their Netflix subscriptions, as if that would help anything!

So here are some useful ways you can actually save money whilst at UoB.

Go to campus

At UoB, we are very lucky to have such a beautiful campus filled with picturesque buildings. But campus isn’t just useful for Instagram worthy photos. Make use of all that the uni can offer to save you money.

Every building has an abundance of plug sockets available to use, so charge your electronics whilst on campus, to avoid using your own electricity.

There are also other amenities that can save you money on campus. The water fountains are great to fill up your bottles, and there are also showers available to you if you have a gym membership, both these things will cut down on your water bills. There are also microwaves around campus, so you can heat up foods whilst on campus.

Walk

Whether you live in Selly, Harborne or Edgbaston most essential trips can be taken by foot rather than spending precious pennies on Bolts. Even if you have your car at uni, it’s still better to walk with the petrol prices these days.

Pro-tip for anyone living in/near Edgbaston (mainly The Vale) if you get drunk enough the walk home from broad street is easy.

Pre-drink

Obviously almost everyone is already doing this, with constant house and flat parties going on at The Vale and in Selly before heading to your desired club. But take it to the next level, pre-drink to the point where you don’t need to buy any drinks. 2 for £5 jagers at Fab can really add up, but they’re not necessary.

Make a shopping list

We’ve all been victims of going into Aldi only needing a couple bits but have ended up coming out with £15 worth of treats. So if you make a shopping list before you head to the shops and actually stick to the list you can reduce your food costs.

Stay away from those post Circo take-aways

This one is probably the hardest, because everyone loves a Chicken Supreme from Dixy’s after staggering out of the club, and although it is fairly cheap, those costs can be avoided. Be smart, buy some nuggets and chips from Aldi, cook them before you go out so when you get home they’re ready to be pre-heated. And let’s be real, when you’re drunk you don’t even care about the taste of food.

Get the bus

If you really have to walk and can’t avoid getting public transport, get the bus. It is the cheapest public transport for UoB students as it is only £1 if you have your student ID card. And even if you don’t have your student ID card to get the discount, West Midlands buses have frozen all fares until 2025.

Go to events put on by the university

UoB has a lot of events through out the year and almost all events have freebees involved, so it’s a great way to cut down on excess spending.

Find out how to also save money on your energy bills here.

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