As you all know college is many things, but cheap isn’t one of them. We have decided to put together a list of our top tips to make saving money a little bit easier, leaving you with some extra free cash to experience student life to its fullest.

1. Student Card

So the first thing you’ll get when you start out at UL is one of these bad boys (Tip: UL won’t let you change the picture, so make sure you put in extra effort for that special day). This card is free (woohoo!!) and gets you 10% off many clothing stores including New Look, Diesel, Selected and many more. My top use for this card is getting a student discount every time I get the Bus Eireann bus or train around Ireland. It doesn’t seem like your saving much each time you use it but by the end of your few months you’ll have saved more than you know!

2. UNiDAYS account

Another freebie you can use is a UNiDAYS account. (Tip: Download the app on your smartphone to save a lot of hassle). This website has featured discount codes which I find are extremely useful especially if you’re an online shopper like myself. This website includes discounts for Boohoo, Missguided, Asos, Apple and for the boys you can even get 25% of MYPROTEIN. Super handy considering you don’t even have to leave the comfort of your own bed.

3. Leap Card

So these aren’t free, they cost €10 but are super useful especially if you’re travelling in a major city with a lot of buses. You just top up your card in any local newsagents, or on the app if you have an Android phone, and with one swipe you’re onto the bus without straggling around for loose change in your pocket. They also work on the Luas and Dart in Dublin and their use is 20% cheaper than paying by cash.

4. The Cliché ‘money in a jar’ approach

So I may sound like your typical mother on repeat in the few weeks before you start here at UL but (believe it or not) she is actually right! If you have a jar, box, cup or anything in your room to save your money in, even if it’s just €2 a week, eventually you will start to notice it building up.