Moving into student accommodation in the autumn, or heading into your second or third year? We know student budgets can be a tough nut to crack, so why not explore some of these ways to earn and save money over summer before term starts again? Every little helps, after all…
Limit how much you eat (and drink) out
Summer is most definitely a time for socialising, with better weather and longer days. But so much of socialising costs money, and with college or university looming at the end of these sunny months, it’s a good time to get into the habit of eating at home and saving meals out for special occasions. Make your iced coffee at home and take it with you, or plan picnics and BBQs instead of restaurant visits! It’s a really simple way to cut back on costs.
Declutter and sell some things
When you do move into student accommodation, you may have limited space compared to what you have at home. This means not taking your entire wardrobe, bookshelf and shoe collection with you – so why not have a clear out and get your unwanted goodies uploaded onto Vinted, eBay or similar? It’s not too much work, and you can easily make some money to stash away for when your student loan is due to drop but you need to stock the fridge up…
If you have student discounts, use them
If you’re already a student, don’t forget about your student discounts just because the academic year is over! Make the most of the savings on offer to you when buying things you need over the summer.
Pick up a free or low-cost hobby
Train yourself to find the fun in things that don’t cost money, as it’ll be really beneficial when you’re not feeling too flush as a student during term time. Get into reading (there are plenty of ways to access free books!), running, learning a language via a free app, yoga, creative writing, or even digital skills like coding. The possibilities are endless, and your new hobby will serve you well during downtime at university too.
Try some side hustling
While summer jobs for students are increasingly hard to come by, side hustles are becoming a lot more popular. Selling your old clothes after a clear out is one thing, but there are plenty of other options out there like mystery shopping, website/app testing, UGC, switching current accounts, being an extra on TV shows and much more!
Check your banking app for hidden saving options
A lot of modern, online-only banks (as well as traditional mainstream banks!) have options where you can really easily save a bit of extra cash. From challenges where you save 1p on the first day, increasing by a penny each day thereafter, or settings that round every purchase up to the nearest pound and put the difference into a savings pot, you could be missing out on some really simple ways to set aside some money.
Summer is a great time to save money as a student, setting yourself up with good habits – and hopefully a little pot of savings – before you head off to university. This means you might not end up living on instant noodles all year…
