We know money is tight at this time of year, so over the next 21 days, we want to help you boost your financial wellbeing and develop money-smart habits you can take forward in to 2025.
Each daily tip gives you a practical strategy to help you save money and stretch your budget further.
So, let’s get to it.
Day 1: Face Your Finances
Checking your bank account regularly is key to staying in control of your money, and you’ll quickly notice if you overspend. Download your bank’s app and look through last month’s transactions. Note any overspending or areas to cut back.
Day 2: Budget, Budget, Budget
Keeping track of your money can be tough when you get your maintenance loan every few months. Work out a weekly or monthly budget so you know how much you can spend. Use MoneyHelper’s online budget tool, or if you need some help, book an appointment with one of our Student Money Advisers.
Day 3: Career Boost
If you’re spending more than you’ve got coming in, or you’d just like a little more spending money, contact our Careers and Employability team for help finding part-time work. They can offer lots of support to make sure you’re in the best position to find a role which fits around your studies.
Day 4: Crafty Christmas
Don’t feel pressured to buy expensive presents if you can’t afford it. Why not make them instead? There are tonnes of great ideas online, such as recipe jars, personalised photo albums, or why not create a digital playlist with songs which hold special meaning for the recipient?
Day 5: Phone Contracts
If your phone contract is ending soon, keep your phone and switch to SIM-only.
Day 6: Savings Accounts
Did you know you can use a savings account as a budgeting tool? When you get your maintenance loan, transfer most of your money into your savings, and send a set amount to your main bank account every week or month.
Day 7: Subscription Check
Netflix? Gym membership? Prime? Disney+? Subscriptions are easy to forget about, so work out which ones you’re using, and cancel the rest.
Day 8: Hunt for Discounts
Always check for a discount before buying anything. Totum, Unidays, and Student Beans are free so make sure you’re signed up. Remember, if you get 20% off, you still need to pay 80%, so stick to discounts on things you were going to buy anyway.
Day 9: Get Cooking
Takeaways are expensive, so the more you cook, the more you save. We’ve added some simple, cheap, and tasty recipes to our Portal page. You can even double the quantities and freeze some for another day.
Day 10: Shop Smart
Bulk buy the basics. Pasta, beans, herbs, spices, and sauces are always good to have in the cupboard, so when you get back from a tiring day, you’re less tempted grab an expensive takeaway.
Day 11: Avoid Convenience Stores
They’re around 20% more expensive than a supermarket, which could cost you hundreds if you use them regularly over the year.
Day 12: Listen to our Money Saving Podcast
Out and about? Take the Student Experience Podcast with you to hear money saving tips on the go.
Day 13: Tune in to Your Little Spends
A coffee here, a meal deal there. Small transactions add up to a lot of money. One coffee per day from a high-street chain costs over £1000 a year. Make lunch and take your own hot drinks instead.
Day 14: Ditch the Brands
Try to shop the supermarket’s own brands. You might not be able to tell the difference, and if you stick with it, you’ll save around 30%.
Day 15: Healthcare Savings
You can get a Prescription Prepayment Certificate to cover all your prescription costs for a set period. It costs £32.05 for 3 months or £114.50 for 12 months. Also check to see if you’re eligible for the NHS Low Income Scheme, where you could get partial or full help towards your healthcare costs.
Day 16: Carpooling
If you’re on a course with placements, contact some people on your course to see if you can car share and split the costs.
Day 17: Resourceful Reading
Borrow and share textbooks with others or use the library. If you must buy books, look for used copies online to keep the cost down.
Day 18: Eat Together
Organise a house meal every week where you all contribute to the cost of ingredients. Not only does this make it cheaper, but it’s also more fun.
Day 19: Cash over Contactless
Try paying with cash instead of contactless. You’ll be more aware of what you’re spending when you physically hand over money.
Day 20: Access some Support
If you’re spending to cope with a wellbeing concern or you feel your gambling is becoming excessive, head to the Wellbeing and Mental Health Portal page for advice on the support you can access.
Day 21: Try a Zero Spend Day
This is like a soft reset on your spending. It’s tough, but if you succeed, you’ll have a better awareness of what triggers your spending and be more mindful of it in the future.
That’s it – 21 days of money-saving tips! We hope you’ve been able to reflect on your spending from the first term, put a budget together ready to tackle the second term, and have a clear idea of what you’re going to do to make your money go further in 2025.
If you need a little more guidance, head over to the Chester Aspire Portal for more money-saving tips and advice, or contact our Student Services Helpdesk on 01244 511550 to book an appointment with one of our Student Money Advisers.