You can save money at university, especially using schemes such as UNiDAYS, Student Beans or TOTUM
With rents on the up and food costing more, maintenance loans are stretched thinner than ever. Knowing how, and where, to get a discount can make a real difference.
A golden rule is to register with the big discount websites and apps – UNiDAYS, Student Beans and TOTUM – using your university email address as soon as you have one. Each has a slightly different roster of retailers, so it is worth signing up to all three.
Many of the deals below are only unlocked once you have verified your student status. The sites explain how to do this. If you are unable to verify using email, you may be able to upload, for example, an acceptance letter from your university.
Food and essentials
Boots: an Advantage Card gets you 10% off thousands of products instore and online – handy for weekly toiletries and the odd emergency paracetamol run. You need to apply for a card then go into a shop with a valid student ID to activate your membership and qualify for the discounts.
Marks & Spencer: 25% off in store’s “food on the move” range through UNiDAYS. This range includes sandwiches, wraps, poké bowls and salads, plus a variety of snacks.
Uber One: after a four-week free trial, students get half-price membership (£2.49 a month), for discounted delivery and takeaways – useful on the days when a big supermarket shop feels like one task too many.
The Co-op: 10% off your shop in-store – but now only for some students, such as those with a Young Scot card. Central Co-op and Southern Co-op give Student Beans members 10% off at their participating stores.
Going out
Many pub and restaurant chains – including Greene King, Pizza Express and Zizzi – offer money off. Greene King offers 20% off all food and drinks (show your student ID at the bar to get one of its 20% off student cards).
Tech and subscriptions
Amazon Prime for Students: new sign-ups get six months of Prime free, after which it drops to half price (£4.49 a month).
Link your Amazon and Deliveroo accounts through a site such as UNiDAYS and you will also get a year’s worth of Deliveroo Plus – which gets you free delivery on orders above £15 from restaurants, or above £25 from shops – at no extra cost instead of the usual £3.49 a month.
Kindle Unlimited: claim 30 days free through UNiDAYS – useful for clearing a reading list without buying every set text.
Microsoft 365: many universities give students free access to the full Office suite – Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook – via their institution’s IT department, so check before you pay for anything.
Spotify Premium: one month free, then £5.99 a month – roughly half the standard price.
Apple: offers “education pricing” – a variety of reductions on MacBooks and other items – to students who have a UNiDAYS account.
Microsoft: up to 15% off items such as laptops and accessories bought directly.
Adobe Creative Cloud: If you are on a creative course or just want to develop your skills, Adobe offers a 75% saving on its Pro subscription for students, reducing the cost from £66.49 a month to £16.24.
Gyms and fitness
The Gym Group: up to 25% off via the student discount sites.
Fitness First: up to 25% off via the student discount sites.
Strava: 30 days of its premium plan for free, then 50% off the subscription (taking it down to £27.49 a year).
University gyms are almost always cheaper than commercial ones, and BUCS (British Universities and Colleges Sport) UNIversal Gym scheme means if your own university’s gym is signed up, you can use any other participating gym for free. That’s great if you are visiting friends or family at or near another campus and don’t want to break your routine.
Travel
FlixBus: 20% off fares via UNiDAYS and Student Beans.
National Express: up to 20% off coach tickets via UNiDAYS, Student Beans and TOTUM.
16-25 Railcard: one-third off most rail fares (you can get one for free for four years if you open a Santander Edge student current account). Alternatively, students get 15% off the cost of the card via Student Beans and UNiDAYS – typically it’s £35 a year.
Fashion
Asos and Nike offer 10% off via UNiDAYS, Student Beans and TOTUM, with JD Sports offering 20%.
Urban Outfitters has 10% off all year-round for students.
Always carry proof of student status – a university ID card, or a UNiDAYS, Student Beans or TOTUM card or login.
Also, don’t be afraid to ask if a student discount isn’t advertised. Many independent shops and cafes offer one but don’t always put up a sign.
UK cost of living crisis
