Blog: Money saving apps and hacks for students
Heya, I’m Hanna, and I am a master’s student studying Sustainable Chemistry here at UoB. Saving money and spending wisely can be a challenging task at uni, from fun outings with housemates to hefty food shops. Especially now in the midst of a cost-of-living crisis, balancing your finances is a beneficial skill to try master. That’s why I use multiple money-saving apps to ease my finances and still buy a sweet treat that’s financial-guilt free! With that, I have curated a list of money-saving apps that I use day-to-day to reduce my finances and will hopefully help your finances too.
Apps for food and grocery shopping
Trolley
To help reduce the pounds on your grocery shop receipt, Trolley is the app to use: Trolley is a free app and website that allows you to save money on your food shop by comparing prices from major grocery retailers, such as Tesco or Aldi. This way, you can find the cheapest options for your weekly food shop and also get alerts when special offers or discounts are available on your favourite items.
Olio
Olio is another free app that aims to reduce household food waste and general items. The popular app works by uploading a picture of the food or item you no longer need, setting up a location for pickup, and waiting for someone to request and collect the item. Not only do you reduce your accumulated waste, but you also help the planet and connect neighbours.
Loyalty cards
The next time you head off to complete your food shop, I would highly recommend getting a loyalty card for the store you are purchasing from. Loyalty cards allow you to earn rewards, points, and discounts on your next food shop, with many grocery stores, in particular Sainsbury’s and Tesco offering Loyalty cards for free as well as an app to track your points! You can also subscribe to a grocery store’s mailing list to get notifications on discounted items.
Apps and tips for travel
Citymapper
Citymapper is an award-winning mobility app providing real-time travel information, such as departures, traffic alerts, and bus locations. The app also provides price comparisons of different urban transportation options, and a wide range of routes for you to take, including the less common ones, as the app understands local walking paths. Therefore, the next time you head out, check Citymapper for the best travel route and cheapest travel mode to take.
Google Maps
Google Maps is similar to Citymapper but provides a more holistic and general overview of the different transport routes for a desired destination. Google Maps is also easy to use and provides reviews on various places, such as restaurants and malls, including an indication of how pricey they are (look for the number of £ symbols). Unlike Citymapper, Google Maps can be used everywhere in all cities. Therefore, if you want a holistic view of places and transport routes, Google Maps is your go-to.
Walking and cycling
For destinations that are close by or even have scenic routes, try walking or cycling. Personally, living on the outskirts of Selly means I have to wake up earlier to get to my lectures. So to get more hours of sleep, I now cycle to uni (it also helps that the route towards uni is mostly downhill - but cycling back can sometimes pose a problem!). You could use the free version of Komoot for help planning your cycling routes.
Railcards and bus passes
Commuting from home and travelling back to your home city can be hefty purchases. That’s why getting a railway card or a student bus pass can ease your transport finances. Trainline have a 16-25 railway card providing 1/3 off train tickets. This railway card is perfect for students and graduates, with Unidays offering 15% discount for this railway card. Fancy using the bus instead? No problem! National Express West Midlands (NX Bus) is the most common bus used in Birmingham and is now offering 4-week or monthly student bus passes for unlimited travel on all their buses. Learn more about discounted bus travel here.
Apps and tips on shopping and discounts
Student Beans and Unidays
I know Bershka hates to see me and my basket coming – but so does my bank account – so that’s why I use Student Beans or Unidays to snag a discount on my order. Student Beans and Unidays offer discounts from a wide range of clothing retailers too, such as JD, ASOS, and Hollister. These two popular student apps also offer discounts on food and travel; I am a coach warrior, so I love the National Express discount code.
Vinted and Hazaar
For those who love a good charity shop but are tight on time, Vinted and Hazaar are the apps for you. Vinted is a popular online marketplace to buy and sell second-hand items, such as clothing and household items. You can find some pretty good deals on high-end clothing brands and even negotiate a price with a seller. Hazaar is similar in that you can buy second-hand items, but it has the added bonus of being zero waste. Founded by UoB graduate Harriet Noy, Hazaar is a great place for students to arrange to buy and sell items locally, saving on packing and delivery.
Reward schemes
Fancy free items on your birthday? How about discounts on your next item? Many popular clothing and beauty brands, such as Pull&Bear and Sephora, have reward schemes that customers can subscribe to for free and earn points while they shop, in return for discounts or perks. For example, Sephora gives a free birthday gift set for its customers, and ASOS provides a 15-20% discount for their members on their birthday. If you love a freebie or need to snag a discount on a certain item, think about subscribing to your favourite brand’s reward scheme.
I hope these apps and tips are useful and help you save some money and ease your finances J.
Explore the student intranet for more support on navigating the cost of living.