Living in London can be quite expensive, especially for students. As such, here are three useful ‘hacks’ which I have discovered and used to save some money.

1. Student Apps for Discounts

I discovered apps which offer student discounts in my first year and have found them to be extremely useful, particularly when needing to make a more expensive purchase, such as that of a laptop. The apps which I have found particularly helpful have been Student Beans and UNiDAYS (check out TOTUM too). These apps offer discounts for shops ranging from Superdrug to Apple. They are also completely free – all you need is your university email to make an account.

2. Bus or Walk

The money paid on transportation could add up to a substantial sum, so it is useful to find alternatives. Public transport in London is expensive, however a public transport tip is that bus fares are cheaper than tube fares. Additionally, you can make multiple journeys for the price of one within one hour as a bus or tram passenger.

But, if you want to avoid public transport (which you may wish to during the pandemic), walking is a good alternative. Though the weather doesn’t always permit it, walking not only helps save money, but it’s also a stress-relieving activity. Once you install a step tracker on your phone, you could also track more accurately how walking is helping you achieve your activity goals.

3. Food Hacks

Going grocery shopping and cooking for yourself is the cheapest possible way to save money on food. However, if you feel like takeout, Too Good To Go is an app which lets you know about discounts that restaurants in your area offer when their closing time is approaching. And places like Itsu also almost always offer half price mark-downs on what’s left one hour before they close.