Best student discounts – saving money at uni

What discounts do I get as a student?

As a student, there are tonnes of ways you can make savings on anything and everything, from eating out and entertainment, to fashion, health and beauty. You might even find yourself overwhelmed by the sheer number of companies trying to get you to sign up!

The best student discounts have been tried and tested for years, including the NUS card, which gives students discounts for high street shops, restaurants and online discounts. Have a look at the extensive list of places that offer a discount with an NUS card to decide whether it’s for you. Another popular option is Unidays, which, aside from discounts for food, drink, fashion and beauty, also offers discounts for health and fitness and music and entertainment subscriptions. Signing up to more than one student discount service will give you a wider variety of options to choose from.

When you’re out and about, get into the habit of asking whether shops, bars, restaurants or entertainment venues offer student discounts – in student cities, you’ll find that most of them will. If you’re a really savvy student, you can make a list of all the different student discounts, where they apply and which days they are valid, leaving you with more cash to flash.

You don’t always have to be a member of a specific student discount service either – often just showing shops, restaurants or cinemas your university student card will be enough.

Other ways to save money at uni

To save some pennies whilst at uni, you don’t necessarily have to sign up to hundreds of different schemes. For example, you can easily save money on food shops by checking out local markets for cheaper meat, fruit and vegetables. If you worry that you’re spending too much on going out to eat, ask your housemates whether they’d like to have a night in and cook together to make things cheaper. During the day, try to avoid buying expensive lunches on campus and get into the habit of taking your own packed lunches and some healthy snacks to munch on.

If you total up the list of your course reading materials and nearly faint, don’t panic. You may not need all of them – and for the ones you do need, often other students will be selling copies they no longer need at a reduced price, or you can pick them up in second-hand bookstores.

Student discounts can certainly make life a lot easier for you during your studies. So, do your research, pick the ones that sound like the best fit for you and start saving!