Money Worries!

First thing that used to spring to mind before I became a student: FRESHERS

First thing that springs to mind now that I am a student: SKINT

Being a student is great. The majority of people are really sociable, you can go out drinking and have fun, you can join societies, etc. etc. etc.

BUT. If you move away from uni you might be eligible for a maintenance loan. Nobody really talked anything like this through with me at college or anything, so I had to work it out on my own, with help from my parents. A maintenance loan sounds great. It'll help you to pay for going out, your food, your bills, and you might have money left over for your christmas presents and a few treats for yourself, with the odd takeaway after a night out.

Wrong.

Not meaning to scare you, but the system is ridiculous and I have no worries saying that the student finance programme is utter shit.
They base the amount of money they will give you on how much your parents earn. Despite the fact that you won't be living with your parents to get money from them, they still consider that. Instead, you get next to nothing because your parents work hard and earn money. Ridiculous.

Look back to all the things I thought my maintenance loan would cover. With the money I was able to get, my loan doesn't even cover the rent of my accommodation so my parents have to help me out. I absolutely HATE borrowing money, so this is a massive deal for me.

Some people will be eligible for more, so don't worry completely. But if your parents earn a comfortable amount of money here are some tips on how to save:

• Start saving now- any money you have, try not to spend too much. Put money away every month because you'll need it.
• Keep your job- if you have a job now and you're not moving away for uni then that will be a really good help. If you're moving away but live close to the city you're moving to and are going home on weekends, try to keep your job because you could always use the extra cash
• Look for a job- if you're moving quite far away and you are planning on staying there full time, coming home for holidays or the odd visit, try to find a job on weekends or nights. Making sure you have enough time to yourself and time to get work done of course, otherwise you'll end up really stressed and overwhelmed. 
• Takeaways!!!- This was my biggest issue. I can't cook very well so I was resorting to takeaways all the time. Try to avoid getting takeaways as best you can, but if you're craving a greasy kebab after a night out, try to find somewhere cheap and cheerful or take full advance of freshers fairs and get leaflets full of free food vouchers or take away deals
• Basics- if your parents do your shopping at home, they might buy branded foods and that might be what you're used to. When you're a student and it comes to doing your own shopping, aaaaalways go for shops own brand. It's cheaper and you get more for your money and it will be better for you in the long run. I'm sure you can get like 40 tea bags from Sainsburys for 29p and they taste great! 
• Walk- don't get taxis or busses if you can help it. If you're moving away, look for accommodation really near you campus so that you can walk there. If not, try to take advantage of being a student and apply for student passes and everything you can get.