The key to low-effort money saving is honing in on the biggest payouts first. Here are the simplest ways to keep more cash in your pockets.


1. Think about accommodation early

Accommodation is the single biggest student expense: getting the process right can save hundreds (or more) over the course of your degree.

Student accommodation comes in lots of flavours, from halls to shared houses and bedsits. See what’s available in your area and compare typical costs, contracts, facilities and travel costs for a few before applying to view student properties.

• Keep paperwork, deposits and references to hand. Loads of students will be vying for the best-value places, so anything you can do to streamline the process will help.

• Share with others if you’re serious about saving: it can save you on rent, bills, groceries and more.


2. Try haggling your rent

Haggling on rent can be nerve-wracking, but starting with solid reasons means more chance of success – such as if you spot stains, dents or less than pristine furniture while viewing the property. If you’re signing up for a repeat contract and have been a tip-top tenant it’s definitely worth asking for a discount! Either way, your landlord may say no, but you won’t lose out by asking.


3. Get your deposit back in full

Deposits can involve big money, so you want to hang on to the whole amount! Keep your rented place clean and tidy, and flag up repairs immediately. Take photos when you move in and if you have any maintenance issues: you may need them to argue your side of the case later on. Check if your deposit will be safeguarded by a Tenancy Deposit Scheme too – as it's a legal requirement for all landlords to lodge deposits in a protected scheme, and it will make getting your deposit back much easier.


4. Don’t get stung for Council Tax

Full-time students don’t have to pay Council Tax. Where things can get sticky is when you share with non-students, as they may assume you’ll all split the cost, or (worse) it’s bundled in with your rent. The bottom line is, you don’t have to help out with the cost of Council Tax so let your local authority know as soon as possible. 


5. Get a student bank account

Stick with a regular current account and you could be missing out – and not just because of the freebies often packaged with student bank accounts. A free and interest-free overdraft means you’ll avoid charges and interest rates if you ever accidentally overspend (or your Student Loan is late!). Charges for unarranged borrowing can be very expensive, so a free buffer can save hundreds – just make sure you stick to the terms and plan ahead to pay back what you borrow.


6. Save before spending

Putting money into savings when you’re on a tight budget can seem a big ask, but it’s much easier if you do it upfront. Whenever you get wages, a Student Loan instalment or any other income, swipe 10% off the top and stick it in a savings account. It’s far easier making what’s left last rather than trying to end the month with money to put away!


7. Shop smarter

Changing the way you shop can mean massive savings in the long term. Just follow the golden rules:

• If you can’t afford it, you don’t need and it’s not an emergency, forget it.

• Leave items in your shopping cart for a day or two when shopping online. That could trigger an email offering an automatic discount but if not, the thinking space might cool your jets about buying at all.

• Always compare prices between retailers. Look for price match promises – or ask if they’re open to haggling.

• Don’t buy until you’ve looked for a voucher or discount code online, asked for a student discount, or checked if it’s cheaper to buy via a cashback site.


8. Cancel contracts

Securing the best price on regular bills takes a bit of effort. For a start, you’ll need to keep on top of the best deals by shopping around – but you don’t always need to switch providers! When it’s time to renew, tell your current provider you’ll be cancelling unless they beat the cheapest like-for-like deal: it could unlock hidden loyalty tariffs.


9. Use free trials with caution

Free trials are brilliant: if you work your way through offers (or rotate deals between housemates) you can easily go a year or more without paying for music, movies and more. But what you need to know is that retailers bank on you getting used to having their products – if a free trial’s long enough, you’re likely to want to carry on paying (or you’ll just forget to cancel). If you can’t afford a contract, stay on top of trial dates and stick to your guns about cancelling.


10. Don’t have a TV licence

At £147/yr (and about to rise), a TV licence isn’t exactly student friendly, yet there are ways to swerve the cost without sacrificing screen time. If you never watch or record BBC programmes on TV or iPlayer, and only ever watch catch-up for the other channels (or use on-demand services), you don’t need a licence. If your parents have a valid licence for your ‘permanent address’, you can watch BBC programmes as well, though essentially only on a mobile or tablet while it’s not plugged in.


There are tons more ways to save cash – and the more you use, the bigger your windfall. Not feeling that dedicated? Find ways to cut your biggest or most common costs first: rent, food, bills and socialising. Shaving off just a fiver a week will leave you better off by hundreds at the end of the year, and you’ll barely break a sweat!