About us...

Hi!

This blog is run by Emily and Shona. We are currently studying Psychology (Emily) and Law (Shona) at Northumbria University and are commonly referred to as "Skint Students".

Although it was very kind of the Government to lend us money for university, we all know it doesn't go far, especially after rent! We began to come up with ways to save money and stretch our loans a little further.

This blog will be mainly tips on saving money and sometimes rants about the ever increasing price of essentials (like cheese).

Any questions please feel free to email us at skintstudents2014@gmail.com

Thanks!

Shona and Emily :)

Top Cashback

Hi!

One of the most frustrating things about being a student is having to shop for yourself. We went shopping yesterday for a few things and were shocked at how much a packet of salad was! I'd heard about apps like TopCashback and Quidco before from my parents but I'd never tried them. On a random whim, I decided to download TopCashback on my phone.

It was really easy to sign up for and only needed my email and a password. After that I was free to look at all the deals that were available. One of the deals I saw was for a free meal deal. Now free food is always good, but a free meal is even better. I went to Tesco and bought my meal deal which consisted of a sandwich, drink and crisps. I bought the meal deal and made sure to save the receipt. Once I had got back to my flat, I uploaded a picture of the receipt to the TopCashback app and within 48 hours, I had received an email saying that my account had been credited and I was eligible to receive all of my money back!

This is just an example of one deal but there's loads of others; from money back on bread to cashback on purchases at Argos. Give it a go, it's definitely worth it!

Hope this helps

E&S :)

Making extra money

It's always nice to have a bit of extra money, especially if you're a busy student who doesn't necessarily have time for a job. Before Christmas, we were both a bit pushed for money for presents, so we started looking around for some ways that we could make it cheaper for ourselves. That's when we came across MySurvey.

It's a free website which allows you to complete quick surveys in return for points. Some surveys take 5 minutes and some can take up to 30 but it's a good way to earn money during breaks or study periods. Once you've collected enough points, you can then cash them in for vouchers for different places or on PayPal. I managed to buy both my sister and mum's Christmas presents through earning Amazon vouchers. I saved loads of money and didn't even leave my flat! I've left the link below for anyone interested to sign up

http://uk.mysurvey.com/

Hope this helps!
E&S

Films

When students aren't out getting mortal, the other main source of entertainment is films. We both love watching films but sometimes it is just too pricey. So here are our top tips on saving money while still enjoying the latest films.

Cinemas
The best way to save money when going to the cinema is look to see if they do a special student day. Our local cinema, Empire, has both student deals and a Saver-Day on a Tuesday. Most cinemas will accept your student ID but it's also worth looking at getting a NUS Card. Another idea is to look for cinemas which do student deals on food and drink. For example, the Vue cinema in Gateshead does 25% discount on all food and drink as well as £3.99 student tickets everyday!
P.s - sweets are always cheaper at Tesco!!

Online streaming
Netflix - This is easily the greatest thing for a student to invest in. You can get a free 30 Day trial which gives you access to the entire Netflix catalogue, and after that it's only £6 a month. This not only gives you access to insane amounts of films, it also lets you watch entire boxsets of TV shows.

BBC Iplayer, ITV Player, 4od - Easily the biggest money saver of them all. You can watch all of these for free, which means you save £145 by not needing a TV licence! If you can wait an hour, you can watch all of the current TV programmes without spending a penny! Make sure you don't stream live though as this still requires a licence and could result in a hefty fine!

Chromecast - The Chromecast is essentially a wireless HDMI cable. It fits in the back of your TV in the HDMI port and connects to your phone via wifi. Through this, you can watch Netflix, Iplayer and YouTube, as well as a multitude of games. It's great if you watch a lot of telly and don't fancy having an overheating laptop on your knee constantly.

DVDS
The best way to save money on DVDs is to shop around. Although HMV has a great selection of films, it's often cheaper to head to Tesco or CEX where DVDs sell for much less. Also check Amazon and keep your eyes open in Primark as they've just started selling DVDs.

Hope this helps!
E&S