Save on non-essential purchases
Find tips that can help reduce expenses and save money. These include evaluating subscriptions, cutting back on impulse purchases, buying used and second-hand items, exploring free activities.
Review your entertainment subscriptions
You can evaluate your entertainment subscriptions, such as streaming services, and consider keeping only the ones you use regularly. Sharing subscription costs with housemates, rotating subscriptions and paying annually can also help reduce expenses.
11 tips to save on the cost of your subscriptions (Which)
Cut back on impulse purchases
Before making a purchase, ask yourself if it's something you truly need or just an impulse buy. Give yourself a cooling-off period before buying non-essential items to avoid impulsive spending. Unsubscribing or blocking marketing emails can help to reduce temptation, but watch out for social media, too. It’s harder to avoid adverts on those services.
Buy used and second-hand
Consider purchasing used textbooks, furniture, clothing, and other items. Charity shops, Facebook Marketplace, online secondhand clothing apps, and campus bulletin boards are great places to find cheaper second-hand items.
The Best Guide to Charity Shopping in Edinburgh (Dickens Home from Home)
Explore free local activities
Look out for free or low-cost activities in your local community. Edinburgh offers free concerts, festivals, parks, and community events that can be enjoyable without breaking the bank.
Find a student group (Edinburgh University Students' Association)
Free Edinburgh Fringe Festival (Free Festival)
31 Free Things to do in Edinburgh, by a Local (Everything Edinburgh)
Free music events in Edinburgh (Eventbrite)
Use the library
Borrow books, movies, and other media from the library instead of buying them. Libraries offer a vast selection of materials for free, saving you money and reducing clutter at home.
Join your local library (Edinburgh City Council)
DIY projects
Save on services and repairs by learning to do basic maintenance tasks and simple repairs yourself. Dive into Youtube or Skillshare to learn new skills.
Consider the skills your friends and family might have, or join a skill-swap community. You can exchange skills to save you both some money.
Edinburgh Skill Swap Facebook Group
Seek financial guidance
If you find your financial situation overwhelming or need more guidance, don't hesitate to seek help.
You can contact the Advice Place by calling 0131 374 4581, or emailing advice@eusa.ed.ac.uk.