Ways to lower your living costs

How to reduce your travel, shopping and living costs, get student discounts and make the most of your money.

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Create a budget

Creating a budget helps you understand how much money you have and what your costs are, now and in the future. It can help you manage your spending and avoid financial difficulties. 

Save at home

To lower your bills: 

  • compare energy prices to see if there are cheaper providers. 
  • do full loads of laundry. You could use a colour catcher sheet to wash your light and dark clothes together. 
  • air dry your clothes instead of using a tumble dryer. 
  • wear extra layers instead of turning the heating on (only when its safe and practical). 
  • turn off lights when you leave a room. 
  • avoid overcharging your laptop, phone and other devices 
  • only boil the amount of water you need in a kettle. 

Save on travel

Walking and cycling

Walk or cycle when you can to save money, stay active and reduce your carbon footprint. 

If you do not have a cycle, you can buy or rent one.  

Bus and coach

For local travel, buy discounted student bus tickets through the First Bus app. 

For national travel, buy a Coach Card (National express website) to get a discount on National Express coaches. 

Book in advance to get a cheaper ticket.   

Train

To save money on train journeys: 

If your train journey is delayed by 15 minutes or more, you can apply for delay repay (National rail) to get some money refunded. 

Save around university

To save money on campus:  

  • use free facilities, such as drinking water, showers and bike parking. 
  • use budget-friendly cafés or bars on campus. 
  • take part in freesocial events and activities. 
  • bring leftovers or pre-cooked meals to campus and use microwaves where available. 
  • get haircuts by trainee at a salon (Reflections training), barbers, or at the local college (City of Bristol college) 

Save on food

Food shop and meal planning 

To reduce your food costs: 

  • plan your meals for the week before you shop. 
  • make a shopping list and follow it to avoid impulse purchases. 
  • buy supermarket own-brand products for better value. 
  • sign up for supermarket (Save the student) loyalty cards to get member prices. 
  • buy in bulk and share essentials with housemates. 
  • use apps to find discounted food from shops and restaurants, such as Too Good to Go and Olio. 

Reduce food waste

To make food last longer: 

  • use Love Food Hate Waste for recipes, leftover ideas and advice on freezing food.  
  • cook meals in bulk and freeze some for another day.  
  • eat leftovers as lunch the next day. 
  • freeze food that is close to its use-by date so you can eat it later. 

Save on shopping

Use student discounts

Student discounts can help you save money on things like food, clothes, travel and subscriptions. To get started: 

  1. Register with student discount websites/ apps like: 
  2. Check these websites before you shop to see what offers are available. 
  3. When you’re paying in person, ask if there’s a student discount. 
  4. Be ready to show your student ID or student discount app. 

Buy second-hand

Buying used items is usually cheaper than new ones. For example: 

  • books from World of Books 
  • books, clothes, furniture and other essentials items from 
  • charity shops 
  • kilo sales 
  • local Facebook groups 
  • Facebook Marketplace  
  • Gumtree 
  • eBay 
  • Vinted 
  • Swap clothes with friends or go to local clothes swap events. 

Other money saving websites

For advice with managing money, explore these resources: 

Contact a Student Money Adviser

If you have a funding, budgeting or money-related question or worry, speak to a Student Money Adviser.