Welcome to the University of Northampton! Whether you are a new or a returning student, we hope you have a fantastic experience studying with us at our new Waterside campus. Money is often a cause of concern for students so here is a checklist to help you get into good habits early when managing your money:
At the start of term, we receive many queries relating to student finance and funding. Here is a list of the most typical questions – and answers – to help you while you study with us.
Money is often a concern for students. This Guardian article features second years discussing how they spent their money during their first year – most agree that taking steps to manage your finances is key!
By not leaving your finances to chance, you then can spend more time enjoying your studies and your life at university without worrying about your bank balance.
Here are our top 10 ways to manage your money to get you started:
It’s the summer term and with this comes your final instalment of funding for this academic year. You now need to stretch your money for this term and possibly also the summer too. It’s not as scary as it sounds – see below for our guide to keeping on top of your finances for the final term and beyond.
As a student, you might be offered opportunities to borrow money – this is known as credit. Access to credit can be both positive and negative. Although it’s advisable to try to live within your means whenever possible, sometimes emergencies happen and in these circumstances, credit will be very helpful. Applying for credit can also help improve your credit rating in the future. However, you must remember that credit is not ‘free money’ – it always needs to be paid back – and if you splurge on credit, it can end up costing you a huge amount in interest and charges.
Here are some common credit options – some are okay (providing you don’t go overboard with your spending), and some are best avoided.
Our How to spend a student loan- part 1 post looked at typical costs of rent and utility bills; in ‘part 2’ we’ll now consider course costs, mobile phones/ broadband, and travel.
Paying using a contactless card is so easy: as no PIN is needed, you just waive or tap your card or your phone when you get to the check-out and you’re done. If you regularly pay this way, you are not alone – it is reported that one-in-five card payments are now contactless. Shops, pubs and cafes love this as it speeds up the queues. So why can this be considered as a ‘money danger’?Read More »Money dangers – The lure of contactless
It can be so tempting to fritter away money on things you don’t need. If you’re having a bad day or stressful week, splashing out on a new top or a takeaway pizza can feel like the best way of taking the edge off, but you might not thank yourself the next time you check your bank balance. While you should allow yourself some room for treats in your budget, clothes and food are areas where students often overspend; so stop feeling guilty and take steps to mend these habits.
Looking at your spending can be scary sometimes, particularly if you’re not sure exactly where your money is going. It can also be difficult to work out where you can cut back. But even if you only make small changes, you can still save money – which is hugely important if you are trying to manage a fixed income like a student loan. Try our suggestions below to stretch your finances and you might even be motivated enough to start a savings account!
Welcome back – we hope you had a fun and relaxing Christmas break! It’s the start of a new term and a new year. Your next loan payment is due to be made today, which is enough to make anyone happy about coming back to university! But whether you mastered your money like a pro last term or let spending get the better of you, it’s not too late to make a fresh start with a brand new budget.