A fresh guide to student budgeting

The best nugget of advice at university is the need to budget. While a spanking new student loan is poised to pop up into your account any second, money has a disturbing quality of well, evaporating. Even totting up every last purchase and punching your finances into Excel, it may shock you how fast it goes. Being thrifty is priceless.

You and this year’s intake are exceptional – the first in line of a radical overhaul in student finance. Trebling of fees does not mean trebling of costs however. Making a wad of cash stretch over 30 weeks is near an art form for every student, and each transaction will carry an opportunity cost. But fear not: your Money section is on board to lend a helping hand.

A large chunk of cash will be splurged on towers of textbooks. Unfortunately, no degree course is an exception, so assure you only buy the ones you cannot live without. A year’s bill could rise to £250; so scour Amazon, descend feverishly on the SU and departmental book sales, and tap up mentors and older course mates before diving into the university bookshop.

Think about the day to day. Food will be a sizeable portion of your weekly spend, so get an Eating At Warwick card (saving you 10 per cent at the University’s 18 food outlets) and avoid resorting always to Costcutters, despite the convenience. A mega Tesco lurks a 15-minute walk away, over the road from Claycroft – so buy in bulk there.

If you dabble in sports, look no further than the Sports Centre. £49 buys you a Warwick Sport membership (essential for members of sports clubs and provides access to the pool and any zumba classes) and an additional £110 entitles you to year-round use of the fitness suites and weights rooms. A hit at first it may be, but worth it in the long term.

{{quote University is there to be made the most of. The fees hike is daunting but treat yourself those first few weeks}}

Going out invariably will gurgle down a decent part of your budget. Union events can be as cheap as chips however, with time-honoured faves such as _Top Banana_ and _Pop!_ offering rock bottom drinks prices. For any serial sports revellers, consider buying a Pop term pass (£25 a term saving you a fiver). If you were one of the lucky ones to clinch prized Freshers Passports and Platinum cards, get set to save seriously on events. For those itching nonetheless to sample further flung haunts in nearby Leamington Spa, Coventry and Birmingham, let the Uni Express be your noble steed. It sells all-in-one tickets for return travel and entry in the cities’ most popular clubs.

One of the best deals to be had furthermore is the NUS Extra card. £12’s loose change will entitle you to recurring offers such as half price AA driving lessons and 11 per cent off the 16-25 railcard, going miles further than your conventional Warwick student card.

There are many ways to get out off the red on campus, but be quick. Jobs in the Union’s eating outlets and the Warwick Welcome Service can be a handy way to make some cash on the side, but get snapped up early. Websites such as Unitemps and Milkround are worth a punt all year, however.

University is there to be made the most of. The fees hike may be daunting but will only be felt in earnest when you begin to earn over £21,000. So treat yourself and live up the first few weeks of term (take it from your wistful fourth year writer). Do save a thought for the end of term – the parties are often better.

So remember: if you want to save your silver, keep your eyes peeled for Money’s _Budgeting Essentials_ series, as well as daily discount alerts through our Twitter _@BoarMoney_. Congratulations and welcome to Warwick. Happy budgeting.