The economy is flailing and in the words of the 80’s pop song, for many of us ‘money’s too tight to mention’ – and students are often amongst those who are the hardest hit. With limited funds available to cover the basics like student accommodation and food, managing to stretch your already meagre budget to include a bit of entertainment can prove nearly impossible. Throw in the fact that you’ll also need to spend a considerable amount on learning resources, such as university textbooks and you may be left wondering quite how you’re going to manage it all.
Reducing your university overheads
We may be living in an age where it feels like almost everyone has a tablet or other digital device on hand, but you’ll soon see that the vast majority of further education establishments are heavily reliant on the printed word. If you want the information that will get you through your university degree close at hand, you’ll inevitably have to pick up some traditional, physical textbooks. Thankfully there are a few ways around spending every single penny you have on these expensive but necessary tomes.
First of all, never buy them new. As students become graduates, they’ll no longer need their old books so they’ll often sell them on to the new intake when the term begins. Many university sites will hold book fairs where you can often pick up a set of your degree course’s suggested literature for a much lower price, meaning you won’t have to live on beans for the rest of the year! Also, be sure to check out notice boards dedicated to your course as students in the years above you may well be offloading their books directly and you could get a bargain.
Do I have to buy? Can I not just borrow?
You will always have the option to use your university’s library, but don’t rely on them to have enough copies of a certain book to go around. Remember, there are a lot of people on your course, and if your tutor recommends a title to read, everyone will want to check it out. You may have better luck asking at your local public library (if it hasn’t been closed down in the cuts) as they’ll possibly be able to order books in for you, but once again you’re never guaranteed that it’ll come in. New services are appearing online where you can rent textbooks, but in the UK these are relatively new and as yet untested.
Finally, it’s rare at the moment but there are a growing number of people who are getting their hands on electronic versions of their required reading. All it takes is a little digging around online and you could well be flicking through your text on your Kindle or other e-reader device. And while it may not work out quite as cheap as picking up the physical versions, you’ll at least be saving yourself from a sore back from leaving all those heavy books around!
Cutting costs is imperative if you want to reduce the debt you leave university with. By trying to find ways to save money on all the things you need, you’ll be able to keep a roof over your head, food in your belly – and enjoy the occasional wild night of fun!
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