Save money in Nottingham - A guide to living on a student budget

1. Tips for studying abroad in Nottingham - Study abroad in Nottingham
2. Cost of living in Nottingham
3. Save money in Nottingham - A guide to living on a student budget
4. How to get to Nottingham - Getting to Nottingham by train, plane, car or bus
5. Public transport in Nottingham - Getting around Nottingham
6. Neighbourhoods of Nottingham
7. Accommodation for students in Nottingham - Top tips and advice
8. Nightlife in Nottingham - A guide to nightclubs and going out in Nottingham (Part 1)
9. Nightlife in Nottingham - A guide to nightclubs and going out in Nottingham (Part 2)
10. Where to eat in Nottingham - Gastronomy in Nottingham
11. Top Nottingham attractions - Top things to do in Nottingham
12. Day Trips from Nottingham - Places to visit and excursions from Nottingham
13. Festivals in Nottingham - Festivities and celebrations calendar
14. Nottingham in 3 days - What to see in Nottingham in 3 days

It’s no secret that students often want to save money. Let’s face it. Who doesn’t? Luckily, this means there are plenty of student deals and discounts around and Nottingham is no exception. You are entitled to a wide range of discounts by simply presenting your student card. However there are many other ways of saving money. If you want to save your money to make the most of your time in Nottingham, make sure to follow these tips:

Freshers

The welcome week for new students in England is called Freshers week. As well as being a fantastic opportunity to meet new people and familiarise yourself with your new surroundings, it is also an opportunity to benefit from various discounts, get some free goodies and educate yourself on is available to you as a student. For example you can get wristbands for free entry into the clubs, second hand kitchenware and free food and vouchers.

It is common to be given a booklet offering various discounts and offers from companies such as Wetherspoons, which is a popular and affordable chain pub with students.

Student card

As previously mentioned, you are entitled to a range of discounts on presenting your student card. If you get a transport pass, this will be put on your student card. An additional card exists which is called the Totum card. This is entirely optional and allows you to obtain further discounts. However, you do have to pay for it (£12 for a year).

Student money saving websites

This guide mentions the website Studentbeans.com. To access the discounts on this website, you will need to create an account. To speed things up, you can create this through your Facebook or Twitter account. In order to create an account, you will need a valid student email address (from a university in the United Kingdom). To activate the account, you will be sent an activation link (to your student email address). You will then be able to access the discount codes.

Alternatively, there is Myunidays.com. To access these discount codes, you will need to create an account. This works in the same way as studentbeans.com, but you will be able to access different discounts.

Museums

You will need to pay to visit most museums but they generally offer a student discount. You just need to present a valid student card. Be sure to carry your student card around with you just in case.

In some cities museums are free on Sundays. In Nottingham, this is not the case. However there are special events throughout the year where the museums may be free. For example, there is an event called Light Night when many of Nottingham’s places of cultural interest are free. It is always good to keep an eye on the schedule of events in Nottingham.

You can also usually book a group visit if you are in a large group (it is usually 8+ but it depends on the museum). This works out cheaper.

Travel

As well as the student bus pass for travelling around Nottingham and to uni and back, there are options available for travelling further distances. Coaches are a cheap way of getting around and if you’re aged from between 16-26, you can invest in a young persons coachcard with National Express. It costs just £10 a year (it can pay for itself in just one journey) and it entitles you to ⅓ off all standard fairs as well as 10% off travel to events and festivals. Trains are more expensive but if you prefer to travel by rail, you can cut some of the cost with a 16-25 railcard. It costs £30 a year for ⅓ off Standard Anytime, Off-Peak, Standard Advanced and First Class advanced fare.

Supermarkets - Know where to shop

There are a range of Supermarkets in Nottingham to suit all budgets.

The cheapest are:

• Lidl

• Aldi

• Morrisons

• Asda

The midrange supermarkets are:

• Tesco

• Sainsburys

The most expensive are:

• Waitrose

• Marks and Spencers

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