The cost of living crisis is affecting lots of people in lots of different ways, and there has been a lot of news about the continued rise in energy bills, inflation, and the cost of living. It may feel overwhelming for many students, and that there is little that can be done about this on an individual level, but there are many opportunities to reduce costs and make savings. Making one change might not have a big impact but making lots of small changes could have the collective impact needed to help individuals through this difficult climate. This is how we are focusing the National Student Money Week Campaign for 2023. Whether we're supporting students with the basics of budgeting, reducing energy use, or saving money by reducing food waste. Have a read of our top tips and visit these links for the best ways we can find to save you money. 

The University have teamed up with Blackbullion who can help you create a budget and grow your financial skills. We’ve put some of our top tips below, but check out Blackbullion for more information and tips.

1. Set a budget and stick to it!

2. Put money for essentials aside (rent, bills, food etc.) before spending on other items

3. Are you a commuting student? Get discounts on travel from the 16-25 railcard to the Unirider (Stagecoach) , Student ticket(Preston Bus) or an unlimited travel ticket (Fishwicks) .

4 The Bus Fare Cap Grant scheme is a Government funded scheme being introduced on most services from 1st January 2023 until 31st March 2023. Buy your single ticket on the bus using cash, contactless, Apple/Google Pay and the journey will be capped at £2. It really is that simple!.

5. Take advantage of student discounts- make sure you sign up for TOTUM to get exclusive student deals and discounts on local and national brands. You can buy a TOTUM card for the full offers, or just take advantage of the free TOTUM Digital app.

6. Get the best deal on your utilities: check the Money Saving Expert website which includes pages on Gas and Electricity, Mobiles and Broadband.

7. Sign up to UniDays and StudentBeans for free to recieve hundreds of student discounts 

8. Ditch your regular gym membership and sign up to the University gym for FREE

Have a browse through these pages for help with groceries and food during the week - 

OLIO - OLIO connects neighbours with each other and with local businesses so surplus food can be shared, not thrown away. This could be food nearing its sell-by date in local stores, spare home-grown vegetables, bread from your baker, or the groceries in your fridge when you go away. For your convenience, OLIO can also be used for non-food household items, too.

Too Good to Go -  This anti-food waste app lets you rescue delicious, unsold food from businesses to save it from going to waste. 

Student Eats - A great website dedicated to quick and relatively cheap student recipes

Can I freeze this? - Buying in bulk and stocking up the freezer can be a great way to save money on food. But what foods can you freeze, and what can't you freeze?

Have a browse through these pages for help with bills and money - 

17 energy saving tips to save money on bills - With energy costs at an all-time high, it's becoming even more difficult to cover your bills with your Student Loan. But we're here to show you how to save gas and electricity.

Help with energy bills – £400 energy rebate and more - If you're worried about how you'll pay your energy bills, here's all the help with gas and electricity that students can get.

How to budget at University - Worried about getting through university on next to no income, or just keen to learn how to make your Student Loan stretch further? You're in the right place.

The Demotivator - A fun tool to show you just how much you spend on non-essentials, and to stop you spending when you can’t afford it

How to Stop Spending - Sometimes waving a magic MoneySaving wand and changing all your providers isn’t enough to really improve your finances. Two simple words are needed... STOP SPENDING. Whether you need scaring into it, or tips on cutting back, this guide and the frightening Demotivator tool will help tackle those spending demons.

Help from the University 

Money advice and support 

Fees, funding and money help